GPS satellite launched into space

A new Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite has been launched into space.

An unmanned Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station shortly before midnight Friday.

The rocket carried a GPS 2F-7 spacecraft which will join a constellation of other satellites already orbiting 11,000 miles above Earth. The GPS satellite will provide navigation for both military and civilian users.

The craft, when it becomes operational, will replace a 17-year-old satellite. The older satellite will be used as a back-up for the new one.

This was the second launch from Cape Canaveral this week. A Delta 4 rocket lifted off on Monday, carrying a pair of .

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Citation: GPS satellite launched into space (2014, August 2) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2014-08-gps-satellite-space.html
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New GPS satellite launched into space

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