Boeing Delta II Keeps GPS Constellation Healthy

A Boeing [NYSE: BA] Delta II rocket successfully
deployed to space a replacement satellite for the U.S. Air Force’s Global
Positioning System (GPS) today.

The launch of GPS IIR-12 aboard a three-stage Delta II launch vehicle
occurred from Space Launch Complex 17B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Fla., at 6:54 p.m. EDT. Following a 26-minute flight, the spacecraft was
injected to a transfer orbit from a descending deployment flight profile.

Once operational, GPS IIR-12 will support U.S. military missions and provide
a wide variety of civilian directional guidance services.

"As our government customer increases the use of space-based systems to
support military efforts around the world, I am very proud of our Delta team
as we continue to produce and launch vehicles that provide our nation with
an extremely reliable means of deploying these critically important systems
to orbit," said Will Trafton, vice president and general manager, Boeing
Expendable Launch Systems.

Today’s launch marks the 58th consecutive successful mission carried out by
the Boeing Delta II.

The Delta II 7925-9.5 configuration vehicle used for the GPS IIR-12 mission
was powered by a Boeing Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine with nine Alliant
Techsystems strap-on solid rocket boosters, and used a nine-and-a-half-foot
diameter Boeing-built composite payload fairing to encapsulate the
spacecraft.

GPS IIR-12 joins the GPS constellation that consists of 24 Block II version
spacecraft, of which Boeing has launched all satellites for this phase of
the program.

GPS provides military and civilian users three-dimensional position location
data in longitude, latitude and elevation as well as precise time and
velocity.

The U.S. military uses GPS to support operations involving aircraft, ships,
land vehicles and ground personnel using handheld devices. Other
applications such as mapping, aerial refueling and rendezvous, geodetic
surveys, and search and rescue operations also benefit from the system.

The next Delta launch is NASA’s Aura mission aboard a Delta II planned for
July from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world
‘s largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing
Integrated Defense Systems is a $27 billion business. It provides systems
solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is
a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the
world’s largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world’s largest
satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications;
the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA’s largest
contractor; and a global leader in launch services.

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