NextGen, GPS-style

No, not the FAA's NextGen, but the GPS system. A Delta IV rocket took the first of the "Block IIf" satellites into orbit today, after several aborts (including one atT-minus-6 seconds) and delays. The new satellite will transmit on the L5 frequency. This satellite is a completely different design from SVN49, and one hopes that there was more testing. According to the US Air Force, it will take 3 - 4 months before the satellite is marked "healthy."

There are more than enough birds on orbit, but as I mentioned last week they do have a finite lifetime.