[SatNews] The eighth Boeing [NYSE: BA] Global Positioning System IIF satellite has completed on-orbit checkout and joined the active 31-satellite constellation, helping the U.S. Air Force continue modernizing the network that millions of people worldwide use. 

Artistic rendition of the GPS-IIF satellite.

The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have now placed four GPS IIF satellites into service this year, adding to the modernization effort with advanced atomic clocks, stronger anti-jamming, and a new third civil signal and longer design life. Since becoming fully operational in 1995, GPS has evolved into a global digital resource. The Air Force modernization is a long-term initiative to further improve GPS signal accuracy, strength and quality while also adding new military and civil signals to benefit the ever-expanding user community.

Boeing has contributed to GPS since its inception, providing four generations of satellites over a four-decade period. The latest satellite, known as GPS Space Vehicle-69, was launched on October 29 and completed on-orbit checkout and validation December 12.

“We made great progress this year in the quest to modernize GPS services,” said Dan Hart, vice president of Government Space Systems for Boeing Network & Space Systems. “With two-thirds of the 12 Boeing GPS IIFs now on orbit, the constellation is setting new records for accuracy and the Boeing GPS IIFs are consistently among the best performing.”

“We believe that our track record on GPS speaks for itself, with more than 525 years of on-orbit operation,” Hart said. “We continue to support today’s GPS mission, and are looking forward to delivering the remaining four GPS IIF satellites into service. At the same time, Boeing continues to explore innovative new solutions that will further enhance and improve the next generation of GPS satellites.”

The Boeing Defense, Space & Security infosite at http://www.boeing.com/boeing/bds/ offers additional information.