A Boeing Delta II rocket stands ready at Space Launch Complex 17B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., for its launch on Jan. 29. Liftoff is scheduled during a 14-minute window that opens at 1:06 p.m. EST. The mission will place two satellites — GPS IIR-8 for the U.S. Air Force Space Command, and a secondary payload, XSS-10 for the Air Force Research Laboratory — into orbit.
The launch team successfully completed the Flight Readiness Review over the weekend and will proceed with the Launch Readiness Review on Tuesday.
The Air Force and Boeing launch team will use a two stage Boeing Delta II with a 9.5-foot payload fairing for this mission.
GPS IIR-8 will join the Global Positioning System, or, GPS, constellation and will replace spacecraft SVN-22. GPS provides users of ground, sea, air and space-based systems with directional data in longitude, latitude and elevation.
XSS-10 is the first demonstration by the Air Force Research Laboratory of a micro-satellite on orbit. It will test autonomous and manual control of the satellite, perform autonomous navigation, and visually inspect the Delta II second stage.
Boeing Launch Services Inc., or BLS, based in Huntington Beach, Calif., is the sales, marketing and contracting organization that supports commercial procurement of the Boeing Delta and Sea Launch rocket families. BLS also supports business development and contracting of Delta launch vehicle sales to the U.S. government.
