USA-94

USA-94
Mission type Navigation
Operator US Air Force
COSPAR ID 1993-054A[1]
SATCAT № 22779[1]
Mission duration 7.5 years (planned)[2]
19.6 years (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type GPS Block IIA[2]
Manufacturer Rockwell[2]
Launch mass 1,816 kilograms (4,004 lb)[2]
Start of mission
Launch date 30 August 1993, 12:38:00 (1993-08-30UTC12:38Z) UTC
Rocket Delta II 7925-9.5, D222[3]
Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-17B[3]
End of mission
Disposal Placed in a graveyard orbit
Deactivated 10 June 2016 (2016-06-11)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Medium Earth
(Semi-synchronous)
Perigee 20,109 kilometres (12,495 mi)[4]
Apogee 20,257 kilometres (12,587 mi)[4]
Inclination 54.8 degrees[4]
Period 718 minutes[4]

USA-94, also known as GPS IIA-13, GPS II-22 and GPS SVN-35, was an American navigation satellite which formed part of the Global Positioning System. It was the thirteenth of nineteen Block IIA GPS satellites to be launched.

USA-94 was launched at 12:38:00 UTC on 30 August 1993, atop a Delta II carrier rocket, flight number D222, flying in the 7925-9.5 configuration.[3] The launch took place from Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,[5] and placed USA-94 into a transfer orbit. The satellite raised itself into medium Earth orbit using a Star-37XFP apogee motor.[2]

On 1 October 1993, USA-94 was in an orbit with a perigee of 20,109 kilometres (12,495 mi), an apogee of 20,257 kilometres (12,587 mi), a period of 718 minutes, and 54.8 degrees of inclination to the equator.[4] It broadcast the PRN 30 signal, and operated in slot 4, and later 5, of plane B of the GPS constellation.[6] The satellite had a mass of 1,816 kilograms (4,004 lb) and a design life of 7.5 years.[2] It was initially decommissioned on 26 March 2009 and then kept as a residual satellite.[7] SVN 35 was then recalled to replace SVN 30 in the active constellation on 16 August 2011.[8][9]

It was then decommissioned again on 1 May 2013, after almost 20 years in orbit,[10] and finally placed in a disposal orbit approximately 1000 km above the operational constellation and deactivated on 10 June 2016.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Navstar 2A-13". US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Krebs, Gunter. "GPS-2A (Navstar-2A)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  5. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch List". Launch Vehicle Database. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  6. Wade, Mark. "Navstar". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  7. "NOTICE ADVISORY TO NAVSTAR USERS (NANU) 2009023". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  8. "NOTICE ADVISORY TO NAVSTAR USERS (NANU) 2011062". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  9. "2SOPS Takes Over IIF-2, Moves to Replace SVN-30 with Spare". Inside GNSS. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  10. "NOTICE ADVISORY TO NAVSTAR USERS (NANU) 2013027". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  11. "Obituary: Farewell to SVN-35". United States Air Force. Retrieved 23 June 2016.


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