AFSPC Milestone: First Block II GPS satellite launched

As Air Force Space Command approaches its 30th Anniversary on 1 Sep, here is a significant milestone from the command’s history…

On 14 February 1989, the first Block II GPS satellite was launched, marking the beginning of the deployment of the operational constellation. The Global Positioning System is a constellation of orbiting satellites that provides navigation data to military and civilian users all over the world. The constellation is designed and operated as a 24-satellite system, consisting of six orbital planes, with a minimum of four satellites per plane.
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