US Air Force Launches a New GPS Satellite

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 30, 2003

US Air Force Launches a New GPS Satellite

U. S. Air Force put a Global Positioning System satellite into orbit Wednesday to help with the war on terror.

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U.S. Air Force put a Global Positioning System satellite into orbit Wednesday to help with the war on terror.

The top of Boeing's unmanned Delta rocket was decorated with a decal bearing the words "Let's Roll!" and "Spirit of 9-11."

The satellite will join 26 other GPS spacecraft circling Earth and providing the military and civilians with precise navigational information.

"We believe that GPS spacecraft is going to play a huge role in the war on terrorism," said Air Force Lt. Col. Brad Broemmel, the launch director.

The $90 million GPS mission was delayed in October after the rocket was damaged in a launch pad accident. Because of miscommunication, a crane operator tried lifting the upper portion of the rocket after it had already been bolted down. The repairs cost nearly $3 million, Air Force officials said.

A $40 million "microsatellite" from the Air Force research laboratory hitched a ride on the rocket in order to fly around and observe the spent second stage.

Source: Agencies

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