Mission type Navigation COSPAR ID 2014-045A Mission duration 12 years (planned) Launch date 2 August 2014 Inclination 55.02° | Operator US Air Force SATCAT no. 40105 Spacecraft GPS SVN-68 (IIF-7) Inclination 55.02° | |
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Launch site Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41 Similar Kosmos 2501, UniSat‑6, UAPSat‑1, BugSat 1, DirecTV‑14 | ||
USA-256, also known as GPS IIF-7, GPS SVN-68 and NAVSTAR 71, is an American navigation satellite which forms part of the Global Positioning System. It was the seventh of twelve Block IIF satellites to be launched.
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Launch
Built by Boeing and launched by United Launch Alliance, USA-256 was launched at 03:23 UTC on 2 August 2014, atop a Atlas V 401 carrier rocket, vehicle number AV-048. The launch took place from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and placed USA-256 directly into medium Earth orbit.
Orbit
As of 3 August 2014, USA-256 was in an orbit with a perigee of 20,341 kilometers (12,639 mi), an apogee of 20,469 kilometers (12,719 mi), a period of 727.05 minutes, and 55.02 degrees of inclination to the equator. It is used to broadcast the PRN 09 signal, and operates in slot 6 of plane F of the GPS constellation. The satellite has a design life of 15 years and a mass of 1,630 kilograms (3,590 lb). It is currently in service following commissioning on September 17, 2014.