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GPS Navigation System
The Global Positioning System (GPS), is an intermediate circular orbit (ICO) satellite navigation system used for determining one's precise location and providing a highly accurate time reference almost anywhere on Earth. The satellites in the GPS constellation are called NAVSTAR (Navigation System using Timing And ranging).
The system consists of a "constellation" of at least 24 satellites in 6 orbital planes. Each satellite circles the Earth twice every day at an altitude of 20,200 kilometers. The satellites carry atomic clocks and constantly broadcast the precise time according to their own clock, along with administrative information including the orbital elements of their own motion, as determined by a set of ground-based observatories.
There are two frequencies in use: 1575.42 MHz (referred to as L1), and 1227.60 MHz (L2). The L1 signal carries a publicly usable coarse-acquisition (C/A) code as well as an encrypted P(Y) code. The L2 signal usually carries only the P(Y) code. The keys required to directly use the P(Y) code are tightly controlled by the U.S. government and are generally provided only for military use.
The GPS system included following generations of GPS satellites:
| Series | Generation | Number | Launched | Lifetime | Mass (Launch) | Manufacturer | Launch Vehicles | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
NTS 2 | Prototype | 1 | 1977 | 431 kg | Naval Research Laboratory | Atlas-E/F SGS-1 | ||
 |
GPS (Navstar) | 1. | 11 | 1978 - 1985 | 759 kg | Rockwell | Atlas-E/F SGS-1 Atlas-E/F SGS-2 |
||
 |
GPS-2 (Navstar-2) | 2. | 9 | 1989 - 1990 | 1660 kg | Rockwell | Delta-6925 | ||
|
GPS-2A (Navstar-2A) | 2. | 19 | 1990 - 1997 | 1816 kg | Rockwell | Delta-7925 | ||
 |
GPS-2R (Navstar-2R) | 2. | 13 | 1997 - 2004 | 2032 kg | Lockheed Martin | Delta-7925 | ||
|
GPS-2RM (Navstar-2RM) | 2. | 8 | 2005 - 2008 | 2032 kg | Lockheed Martin | Delta-7925 | ||
 |
GPS-2F (Navstar-2F) | 2. | 12 | 2010 - 2014 | 15 | 1545 kg | Boeing | Atlas-5(401)
Delta-4M+(4,2) |
Direct orbit insertion |
 |
GPS-3 (Navstar-3) | 3. | 10 | planned 2018 | 4400 kg | Lockheed Martin | Atlas-5(411)¹
Delta-4M+(4,2) (upg.) Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) |
||
 |
GPS-3F (Navstar-3F) | 3. | 22 | planned 2026 | ? kg | Lockheed Martin |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launcher | Remarks: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTS 2 (P76-4) | 23.06.1977 | Va SLC-3W | Atlas-F SGS-1 | ||
| GPS 1 (GPS SVN 1, Navstar 1, OPS 5111) | 22.02.1978 | Va SLC-3E | Atlas-F SGS-1 | ||
| GPS 2 (GPS SVN 2, Navstar 2, OPS 5112) | 13.05.1978 | Va SLC-3E | Atlas-F SGS-1 | ||
| GPS 3 (GPS SVN 3, Navstar 3, OPS 5113) | 07.10.1978 | Va SLC-3E | Atlas-F SGS-1 | ||
| GPS 4 (GPS SVN 4, Navstar 4, OPS 5114) | 11.12.1978 | Va SLC-3E | Atlas-F SGS-1 | ||
| GPS 5 (GPS SVN 5, Navstar 5, OPS 5117) | 09.02.1980 | Va SLC-3E | Atlas-F SGS-1 | ||
| GPS 6 (GPS SVN 6, Navstar 6, OPS 5118) | 26.04.1980 | Va SLC-3E | Atlas-F SGS-1 | ||
| GPS 7 (GPS SVN 7, Navstar 7) | 19.12.1981 | Va SLC-3E | F | Atlas-E SGS-1 | |
| GPS 8 (GPS SVN 8, Navstar 8, OPS 9794) | 14.07.1983 | Va SLC-3W | Atlas-E SGS-2 | ||
| GPS 9 (GPS SVN 9, Navstar 9, USA 1) | 13.06.1984 | Va SLC-3W | Atlas-E SGS-2 | ||
| GPS 10 (GPS SVN 10, Navstar 10, USA 5) | 08.09.1984 | Va SLC-3W | Atlas-E SGS-2 | ||
| GPS 11 (GPS SVN 11, Navstar 11, USA 10) | 08.10.1985 | Va SLC-3W | Atlas-E SGS-2 | ||
| GPS-2 0 (GPS SVN 12, Navstar 12) | not launched | ||||
| GPS-2 1 (GPS SVN 14, Navstar 13, USA 35) | 14.02.1989 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 2 (GPS SVN 13, Navstar 14, USA 38) | 10.06.1989 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 3 (GPS SVN 16, Navstar 15, USA 42) | 18.08.1989 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 4 (GPS SVN 19, Navstar 16, USA 47) | 21.10.1989 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 5 (GPS SVN 17, Navstar 17, USA 49) | 11.12.1989 | CC LC-17B | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 6 (GPS SVN 18, Navstar 18, USA 50) | 24.01.1990 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 7 (GPS SVN 20, Navstar 19, USA 54) | 25.03.1990 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 8 (GPS SVN 21, Navstar 20, USA 63) | 02.08.1990 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2 9 (GPS SVN 15, Navstar 21, USA 64) | 01.10.1990 | CC LC-17A | Delta-6925 | ||
| GPS-2A 1 (GPS SVN 23, Navstar 22, USA 66) | 26.11.1990 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 2 (GPS SVN 24, Navstar 23, USA 71) | 04.07.1991 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | with Losat X | |
| GPS-2A 3 (GPS SVN 25, Navstar 24, USA 79) | 23.02.1992 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 4 (GPS SVN 28, Navstar 25, USA 80) | 10.04.1992 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 5 (GPS SVN 26, Navstar 26, USA 83) | 07.07.1992 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 6 (GPS SVN 27, Navstar 27, USA 84) | 09.09.1992 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 7 (GPS SVN 32, Navstar 28, USA 85) | 22.11.1992 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 8 (GPS SVN 29, Navstar 29, USA 87) | 18.12.1992 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 9 (GPS SVN 22, Navstar 30, USA 88) | 02.02.1993 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 10 (GPS SVN 31, Navstar 31, USA 90) | 29.03.1993 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | with SEDS 1 | |
| GPS-2A 11 (GPS SVN 37, Navstar 32, USA 91) | 14.05.1993 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 12 (GPS SVN 39, Navstar 33, USA 92) | 26.06.1993 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | with PMG | |
| GPS-2A 13 (GPS SVN 35, Navstar 34, USA 94) | 30.08.1993 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 14 (GPS SVN 34, Navstar 35, USA 96) | 26.10.1993 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 15 (GPS SVN 36, Navstar 36, USA 100) | 10.03.1994 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | with SEDS 2 | |
| GPS-2A 16 (GPS SVN 33, Navstar 37, USA 117) | 28.03.1996 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 17 (GPS SVN 40, Navstar 38, USA 126) | 16.07.1996 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 18 (GPS SVN 30, Navstar 39, USA 128) | 12.09.1996 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 1 (GPS SVN 42, Navstar 42) | 16.01.1997 | CC LC-17A | F | Delta-7925 | |
| GPS-2R 2 (GPS SVN 43, Navstar 43, USA 132) | 23.07.1997 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2A 19 (GPS SVN 38, Navstar 44, USA 135) | 06.11.1997 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 3 (GPS SVN 46, Navstar 46, USA 145) | 07.10.1999 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 4 (GPS SVN 51, Navstar 47, USA 150) | 11.05.2000 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 5 (GPS SVN 44, Navstar 48, USA 151) | 16.07.2000 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 6 (GPS SVN 41, Navstar 49, USA 154) | 10.11.2000 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 7 (GPS SVN 54, Navstar 50, USA 156) | 30.01.2001 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 8 (GPS SVN 56, Navstar 51, USA 166) | 29.01.2003 | CC SLC-17B | Delta-7925 | with XSS 10 | |
| GPS-2R 9 (GPS SVN 45, Navstar 52, USA 168) | 31.03.2003 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 10 (GPS SVN 47, Navstar 53, USA 175) | 21.12.2003 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 11 (GPS SVN 59, Navstar 54, USA 177) | 20.03.2004 | CC SLC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 12 (GPS SVN 60, Navstar 55, USA 178) | 23.06.2004 | CC SLC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2R 13 (GPS SVN 61, Navstar 56, USA 180) | 06.11.2004 | CC SLC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 1 (GPS SVN 53, Navstar 57, USA 183) (ex GPS-2R 14) | 26.09.2005 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 2 (GPS SVN 52, Navstar 58, USA 190) (ex GPS-2R 15) | 25.09.2006 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 3 (GPS SVN 58, Navstar 59, USA 192) (ex GPS-2R 16) | 17.11.2006 | CC SLC-17 | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 4 (GPS SVN 55, Navstar 60, USA 196) (ex GPS-2R 17) | 17.10.2007 | CC SLC-17 | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 5 (GPS SVN 57, Navstar 61, USA 199) (ex GPS-2R 18) | 20.12.2007 | CC SLC-17 | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 6 (GPS SVN 48, Navstar 62, USA 201) (ex GPS-2R 19) | 15.03.2008 | CC SLC-17 | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 7 (GPS SVN 49, Navstar 63, USA 203) (ex GPS-2R 20) | 24.03.2009 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2RM 8 (GPS SVN 50, Navstar 64, USA 206) (ex GPS-2R 21) | 17.08.2009 | CC SLC-17A | Delta-7925 | ||
| GPS-2F 1 (GPS SVN 62, Navstar 65, USA 213, Polaris) | 28.05.2010 | CC SLC-37B | Delta-4M+(4,2) | ||
| GPS-2F 2 (GPS SVN 63, Navstar 66, USA 231, Sirius) | 16.07.2011 | CC SLC-37B | Delta-4M+(4,2) | ||
| GPS-2F 3 (GPS SVN 65, Navstar 67, USA 239, Arcturus) | 04.10.2012 | CC SLC-37B | Delta-4M+(4,2) | ||
| GPS-2F 4 (GPS SVN 66, Navstar 68, USA 242, Vega) | 15.05.2013 | CC SLC-41 | Atlas-5(401) | ||
| GPS-2F 5 (GPS SVN 64, Navstar 69, USA 248, Canopus) | 21.02.2014 | CC SLC-37B | Delta-4M+(4,2) | ||
| GPS-2F 6 (GPS SVN 67, Navstar 70, USA 251, Rigel) | 17.05.2014 | CC SLC-37B | Delta-4M+(4,2) | ||
| GPS-2F 7 (GPS SVN 68, Navstar 71, USA 256, Capella) | 02.08.2014 | CC SLC-41 | Atlas-5(401) | ||
| GPS-2F 8 (GPS SVN 69, Navstar 72, USA 258, Spica) | 29.10.2014 | CC SLC-41 | Atlas-5(401) | ||
| GPS-2F 9 (GPS SVN 71, Navstar 73, USA 260, Deneb) | 25.03.2015 | CC SLC-37B | Delta-4M+(4,2) | ||
| GPS-2F 10 (GPS SVN 72, Navstar 74, USA 262, Antares) | 15.07.2015 | CC SLC-41 | Atlas-5(401) | ||
| GPS-2F 11 (GPS SVN 73, Navstar 75, USA 265, Altair) | 31.10.2015 | CC SLC-41 | Atlas-5(401) | ||
| GPS-2F 12 (GPS SVN 70, Navstar 76, USA 266, Betelgeuse) | 05.02.2016 | CC SLC-41 | Atlas-5(401) | ||
| GPS-3 1 (GPS SVN 74, Navstar 77, USA 289, Vespucci) | 23.12.2018 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5)(ex) | ||
| GPS-3 2 (GPS SVN 75, Navstar 78, USA 293, Magellan) | 22.08.2019 | CC SLC-37B | Delta-4M+(4,2) (upg.) | ||
| GPS-3 3 (GPS SVN 76, Navstar 79, USA 304, Matthew Hensen) (ex Columbus) | 30.06.2020 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | ||
| GPS-3 4 (GPS SVN 77, Navstar 80, USA 309, Sacagawea) | 05.11.2020 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | ||
| GPS-3 5 (GPS SVN 78, Navstar 81, USA 319, Neil Armstrong) | 17.06.2021 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | ||
| GPS-3 6 (GPS SVN 79, Navstar 82, USA 343, Amelia Earhart) | 18.01.2023 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | ||
| GPS-3 7 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx, Sally Ride) | 202x | CC | Vulcan Centaur VC0S | ||
| GPS-3 8 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx, Katherine Johnson) | 202x | CC | EELV-M (Vulcan Centaur VC0S or Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | ||
| GPS-3 9 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx, Ellison Onizuka) | 2025 | CC | EELV-M (Vulcan Centaur VC0S or Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | ||
| GPS-3 10 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx, Hedy Lamarr) | 202x | CC | EELV-M (Vulcan Centaur VC0S or Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | ||
| GPS-3F 1 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 2026 | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 2 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 3 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 4 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 5 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 6 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 7 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 8 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 9 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 10 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 11 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 12 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 13 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 14 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 15 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 16 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 17 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 18 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 19 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 20 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 21 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC | |||
| GPS-3F 22 (GPS SVN xx, Navstar xx) | 202x | CC |
Further Navstar GPS missions:
