Built by Boeing and launched by United Launch Alliance, USA-239 was launched at 12:10 UTC on 4 October 2012, atop a Delta IV carrier rocket, flight number D361, flying in the Medium+(4,2) configuration.[3] The launch took place from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,[5] and placed USA-239 directly into medium Earth orbit.[4] The rocket's second stage failed to provide the expected full thrust in all of its three burns due to a leak above the narrow throat portion of the thrust chamber, however the stage had enough propellant margins to put the satellite in the correct orbit.[6]
As of 18 February 2014, USA-239 was in an orbit with a perigee of 20,231 kilometers (12,571 mi), an apogee of 20,132 kilometers (12,509 mi), a period of 717.96 minutes, and 54.87 degrees of inclination to the equator.[4] It is used to broadcast the PRN 24 signal, and operates in slot 1 of plane A of the GPS constellation. The satellite has a design life of 15 years and a mass of 1,630 kilograms (3,590 lb).
[2] As of 2019 it remains in service.
References
^ ab"Navstar 67". US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
^McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch List". Launch Vehicle Database. Jonathan's Space Page. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
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