USA-96
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| Names | Navstar 2A-14 GPS IIA-14 GPS II-23 GPS SVN-34 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Navigation |
| Operator | U.S. Air Force |
| COSPAR ID | 1993-068A[1] |
| SATCAT no. | 22877 |
| Mission duration | 7.5 years (planned) 26 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | GPS IIA |
| Spacecraft type | GPS Block IIA[2] |
| Manufacturer | Rockwell International |
| Launch mass | 840 kg (1,850 lb) |
| Dimensions | 5.3 m (17 ft) of long |
| Power | 710 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 26 October 1993, 17:04:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Delta II 7925-9.5 (Delta D223) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-17B |
| Contractor | McDonnell Douglas |
| Entered service | 25 November 1993 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated | 9 October 2019 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[3] |
| Regime | Medium Earth orbit (Semi-synchronous) |
| Slot | D4 (slot 4 plane D) |
| Perigee altitude | 20,107 km (12,494 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 20,264 km (12,591 mi) |
| Inclination | 55.08° |
| Period | 718.00 minutes |
USA-96, also known as GPS IIA-14, GPS II-23 and GPS SVN-34, is an American navigation satellite which is part of the Global Positioning System. It was 14 of 19 Block IIA GPS satellites to be launched, and the last one to be retired.
Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to provide all-weather round-the-clock navigation capabilities for military ground, sea, and air forces. Since its implementation, GPS has also become an integral asset in numerous civilian applications and industries around the globe, including recreational used (e.g., boating, aircraft, hiking), corporate vehicle fleet tracking, and surveying. GPS employs 24 spacecraft in 20,200 km circular orbits inclined at 55.0°. These vehicles are placed in 6 orbit planes with four operational satellites in each plane.[1]
GPS Block 2 was the operational system, following the demonstration system composed of Block 1 (Navstar 1 - 11) spacecraft. These spacecraft were 3-axis stabilized, nadir pointing using reaction wheels. Dual solar arrays supplied 710 watts of power. They used S-band (SGLS) communications for control and telemetry and Ultra high frequency (UHF) cross-link between spacecraft. The payload consisted of two L-band navigation signals at 1575.42 MHz (L1) and 1227.60 MHz (L2). Each spacecraft carried 2 rubidium and 2 Cesium clocks and nuclear detonation detection sensors. Built by Rockwell Space Systems for the U.S. Air force, the spacecraft measured 5.3 m across with solar panels deployed and had a design life of 7.5 years.[1]
