Fifth GPS IIF Satellite Completed

Boeing has finished fabrication of the fifth of 12 Global Positioning System IIF satellites, announced the company June 18. “Boeing, in close partnership with the US Air Force, is focused on execution and mission assurance,” said Craig Cooning, Boeing’s general manager of space and intelligence systems, in the company’s release. Two of the five completed IIF satellites are already operational on orbit as part of the 31-satellite GPS constellation. The other three are in storage awaiting launch, states Boeing’s release. The third IIF satellite is slated for launch during the fourth quarter of 2012. A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket will carry the satellite into space from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., states the release.