Posted: Sun, Dec 21, 2003, 11:52 AM ET (1652 GMT)
A Boeing Delta 2 rocket successfully launched a GPS satellite early Sunday. The Delta 2 7925-9.5 lifted off from launch complex 17A at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 3:05 am EST (0805 GMT) Sunday. A problem with a fuel sensor pushed the launch to the end of its 15-minute launch window. The Delta placed its payload, the GPS 2R-10 spacecraft, into medium Earth orbit 68 minutes after liftoff. This satellite will replace an existing satellite, 2A-10, that is experiencing a degraded power system. The launch is the 10th in a series of 21 2R-series GPS satellites built by Lockheed Martin. Four more GPS satellites are planned for launch during 2004.
