#av60

[for-all-mankind]

T-2 hours (10:13 am EDT) The United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket with GPS IIF-11 is seen at sunset yesterday, 30 October 2015. AV-60 is scheduled to launch at 12:13 pm EDT this afternoon (31 October). Launch was originally scheduled for yesterday, but a malfunctioning water valve at SLC-41 used in the water suppression system had to be replaced, causing a 24-hour postponement of the mission. See our earlier GPS IIF-11 coverage here, including our visit to the vehicle on the pad.

[for-all-mankind]

AV-60 with the GPS IIF-9 satellite at SLC-41, October 29, 2015. Atlas V is flying in its 401 configuration with no strap-on solid rocket boosters. The vehicle stands 191 feet tall and its twin RD-180 engines produce a thrust of 290,000 pounds at liftoff.  Launch is scheduled for 12:13 pm EDT Saturday, October 31. 

[for-all-mankind]

Penultimate GPS satellite ready for launch We are less than 22 hours away from the launch of the United State Air Force’s penultimate GPS satellite. GPS IIF-11 is the eleventh of 12 satellites operated by the Air Force as the nation’s interim navigation satellite system. The 2F series will be replaced by the long-term GPS 3A series due to begin launching in 2017.  An Atlas V rocket flying in its 401 configuration will loft the satellite into low Earth orbit. Marking a record-breaking processing flow, Friday’s launch occurs just 28 days after the last launch from SLC-41 - Morelos 3 on October 2. Atlas V core stacking began on October 12, with payload integration occurring just 9 days later on October 21. Launch is scheduled for Friday, October 20, 2015 at 12:17 pm EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s SLC-41. View ULA’s GPS IIF-11 launch brochure here. The launch can be seen online via ULA’s webcast here. For mobile readers, the link is here.