Fixing a minor leak.
Meanwhile SVN 34 PRN 4 (Plane D, Slot 6) has been turned off, and it may be the one to be deactivated to release a PRN number for the new launch, but proposed orbit details have not yet been released.
In looking at the possible orbits I will list the improbable ones first.
Plane A has 2 GPS IIFs and 2 GPS IIR-Ms.
Plane B has 2 GPS IIFs and 1 GPS IIR-M.
Plane C has 2 GPS IIFs and 2 GPS IIR-Ms.
Plane D has 2 GPS IIFs.
Plane E has 1 GPS IIF and 1 GPS IIR-M.
Plane F has 1 GPS IIF and 1 GPS IIR-M.
So we have three Planes that could use a third L2C capable satellite but after tomorrow's launch here is only one more GPS IIF available for launch. Meanwhile the next class GPS IIIA has been delayed in construction and first possible launch has been pushed back to 2017. I wonder how long it would take Boeing to build some more IIFs. 5 would be just right to put 4 modern satellites in each orbital plane, even 1 would be OK.
Paul in PA
GPS IIF was launched on Saturday, SVN 73 will begin operating as PRN 10 as soon as testing is complete.
Paul I PA
SVN 34 PRN 4 (Plane D, Slot 6) has been officially decommissioned. PRN will most likely be used for the 2016 launch. Originally I had missed that PRN 10 was previously made available for the recent launch.
GPS IIF, SVN 73, PRN 10 is in slot E6. Next to it in slot E5 is SVN 23, PRN 32, the oldest satellite in current use.
Paul in PA
