Mission type Navigation COSPAR ID 1989-064A Mission duration 7.5 years (planned) Inclination 54.9° Period 12 hours Launch mass 840 kg Rocket Delta II | Operator US Air Force SATCAT no. 20185 Spacecraft type GPS Block II Inclination 54.9° Launch mass 840 kg Launch date 18 August 1989 | |
USA-42, also known as GPS II-3 and GPS SVN-16, was an American navigation satellite which formed part of the Global Positioning System. It was the third of nine Block II GPS satellites to be launched, which were the first operational GPS satellites to be placed into orbit.
USA-42 was launched at 05:57:59 UTC on 18 August 1989, atop a Delta II carrier rocket, flight number D186, flying in the 6925 configuration. The launch took place from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and placed USA-42 into a transfer orbit. The satellite raised itself into medium Earth orbit using a Star-37XFP apogee motor.
On 19 September 1989, USA-42 was in an orbit with a perigee of 20,113 kilometres (12,498 mi), an apogee of 20,246 kilometres (12,580 mi), a period of 717.86 minutes, and 54.9 degrees of inclination to the equator. The satellite had a mass of 840 kilograms (1,850 lb), and generated 710 watts of power. It had a design life of 7.5 years, and ceased operations on 13 October 2000.