Seventh EELV to Launch

It's a go. International Launch Services will go ahead with a mission to launch a Global Positioning System satellite in early 2007 after the US Air Force gave the go ahead.

A Lockheed Martin Atlas V will blast the GPS-IIF satellite into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. The rocket will propel the satellite directly into a circular orbit of 10,900 nm above earth.  The satellite will join the GPS constellation of 24 operational satellites that provide worldwide navigational coverage.

ILS, a Lockheed Martin Corporation joint venture, will launch the seventh of 16 missions awarded in the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program (EELV). They will be using the Atlas V-401 for this launch. In Atlas V nomenclature, a "401" vehicle has a 4-meter payload fairing, 0 solid rocket boosters and 1 Centaur upper stage engine.

"The GPS missions enable us to demonstrate the unique flexibility of the Atlas V vehicle," said ILS president Mark Albrecht in a news release. "The GPS program has a requirement for the EELV medium launch vehicle (MLV), which is our Atlas V-401 configuration. This Atlas V vehicle delivers sufficient performance to directly inject the satellite into its operating orbit, eliminating the need for a transfer orbit."

The Atlas V was developed to meet both Air Force and commercial requirements.  The next launch of the vehicle is a commercial mission for Inmarsat later this month. So far, all four launches of the system have been successful.

Albrecht said "The GPS satellites are a national asset for both the Defense Department and ordinary citizens, and we're proud to have a role in maintaining this important system."

FMI: www.ilslaunch.com