Engineering:USA-38

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Short description: American navigation satellite used for GPS
USA-38
NamesNavstar 2-02
GPS II-2
GPS SVN-13
Mission typeNavigation
OperatorUnited States Air Force
COSPAR ID1989-044A
SATCAT no.20061
Mission duration7.5 years (planned)
15 years (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftGPS II
Spacecraft typeGPS Block II[1]
ManufacturerRockwell International
Launch mass840 kg (1,850 lb) [2]
Dimensions5.3 m (17 ft) of long
Power710 watts
Start of mission
Launch date10 June 1989, 22:19 UTC
RocketDelta II 6925-9.5
(Delta D185) [3]
Launch siteCape Canaveral, LC-17A
ContractorMcDonnell Douglas
Entered serviceJuly 1989
End of mission
Deactivated12 February 2004
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeMedium Earth orbit
(Semi-synchronous)
SlotB3 (slot 3 plane B)
Perigee altitude19,967 km (12,407 mi)
Apogee altitude20,395 km (12,673 mi)
Inclination54.5°
Period717.92 minutes
← USA-35 (GPS II-1)
USA-42 (GPS II-3) →
 

USA-38, also known as GPS II-2 and GPS SVN-13, was an American navigation satellite which formed part of the Global Positioning System. It was the second of nine Block II GPS satellites to be launched, which were the first operational GPS satellites to be launched.

Background

It was part of the 21-satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) Block II series that provides precise position data (accurate to within 16 m) to military and civilian users worldwide. Its signals could be received on devices as small as a telephone. The GPS II satellites, built by Rockwell International for the Air Force Space Systems Division, each have a 7.5-year design life. The Air Force intends to launch a GPS II every two to three months until the constellation of 21 operational satellites and three spares is aloft. The GPS Block II joins seven operational Block 1 satellites.[2]

Launch

USA-38 was launched at 22:19 UTC on 10 June 1989, atop a Delta II launch vehicle, flight number D185, flying in the 6925-9.5 configuration.[3] The launch took place from Launch Complex 17A (LC-17A) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS),[4] and placed USA-38 into a transfer orbit. The satellite raised itself into medium Earth orbit using a Star-37XFP apogee motor.[1]

Mission

On 11 July 1989, USA-38 was in an orbit with a perigee of 19,967 km (12,407 mi), an apogee of 20,395 km (12,673 mi), a period of 717.92 minutes, and 54.5° of inclination to the equator.[5] It operated in slot 3 of plane B of the GPS constellation.[6] The satellite had a mass of 840 kg (1,850 lb), and generated 710 watts of power.[2] It had a design life of 7.5 years,[1] and was deactivated on 12 February 2004.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Krebs, Gunter. "GPS-II". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/navstar-2.htm. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Display: Navstar 2-02 1989-044A". US National Space Science Data Center. NASA. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1989-044A.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. 3.0 3.1 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt. 
  4. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch List". Launch Vehicle Database. Jonathan's Space Report. http://planet4589.org/space/lvdb/list2.html. 
  5. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Report. http://planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt. 
  6. "NAVSTAR GPS - Summary". Space and Tech. http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/constellations/navstar-gps_consum.shtml.