GPS Block IIA-11 (SVN-24), built by Boeing (formerly Rockwell Corporation), was launched on July 4, 1991 and set healthy to navigation and timing users on Aug. 31, 1991. SVN-24 will reach 20 years on-orbit on July 4. SVN-24 was the second space vehicle in the series of the GPS IIA satellites to be launched with a design life of 7 ½ years. Not only are the GPS Block IIA satellites exceeding their design life they are actually doubling it. In the case of SVN-24, along with SVN-23, launched on Nov. 26, 1990, their on-orbit life has nearly tripled. Read More
