The Air Force plans to launch the last of the GPS IIF satellites shortly after 8:30 a.m. eastern time on Feb. 5, after concerns about electrical connectors pushed the launch window two days to the right. Walter Lauderdale, the mission director for the GPS IIF-12 launch, said the launch vehicle team was notified of a “possible concern” with the electrical vehicle connectors that provide power and command and control to different components on the launch vehicle, so they took extra time to inspect all of the connectors and verify their integrity. “Frankly, a day or two delay cannot possibly compare to the loss of a vital national asset,” Lauderdale said in a phone teleconference with reporters. The satellite will be launched aboard an Atlas V rocket, powered by an RD-180 engine. Crews were planning to hoist the spacecraft onto the launch vehicle Jan. 30, officials said. The eleventh GPS IIF satellite blasted? off from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., on Oct. 31.
PHOTOS: Air Force Shows Off Second B-21 in New Images
Sept. 12, 2025
On Sept. 12, the Air Force released half a dozen new photos of the second B-21 bomber to fly, giving observers and aviation enthusiasts another glimpse of the secretive Raider.
