Just watched an Atlas V lift off from Kennedy. it's said to carry a GPS IIF-8 satellite...
I thought it was an Air Force satellite.
I just heard about it on the radio and tried to find some video to no avail.
It probably is, our local news station (they seem to make a lot of things up) that mentioned the lift off time this morning said it was a GPS sat. Didn't think it would be one we would be using....
USAF GPS 2F-8 Headed For Slot E-1
Video link:
http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/10/29/video-atlas-5-rocket-launches-from-with-gps-satellite/
Video is 5:45 long. The separation and view at 5 minutes is spectacular, but I expected to see something coming out of the rocket nozzle.
Paul in PA
SVN 69 (GPS 2F-8) Assigned PRN 03
SVN 35 (GPS 2A) had PRN 03 and was decommissioned in August. Today SVN 38/PRN 08 (GPS 2A) was decommissioned. That keeps the active maximum GPS at 31.
Also there are only 4 GPS 2As still in orbit with 4 more GPS 2Fs in line to replace them, 3 are complete and in storage and the 4th will be finished by years end.
There are now 15 GPS capable of transmitting L2C in orbit. With the next launch L2C capable satellites will be in the majority.
Paul in PA