Just-Launched IIR(M)-20 GPS Satellite Now Active

Just-Launched IIR(M)-20 GPS Satellite Now Active
Mar 30, 2009
GPS World

The IIR(M)-20 satellite launched March 24 from Cape Canaveral is now
transmitting GPS
signals, according to the GPS Wing.
The L1/L2 transmitters of SVN49/PRN01 were activated on March 28, and several
stations in
the International GNSS Service are now tracking the satellite. However, the
satellite has
not yet been declared healthy and is not yet included in almanacs.

The L5 transmitter appears not to have been activated yet. Its activation is
expected in
early April, reports the GPS Wing.

As of Friday, March 27, the satellite had entered a circular 55-degree
inclination orbit
with an orbital period of roughly 12 sidereal hours. An initial 2-line orbital
element set
has been released by NORAD:

1 34661U 09014A 09086.46067189 .00000058 00000-0 10000-3 0 132
2 34661 055.0227 101.0023 0011734 312.0309 047.6796 02.02002985 124
An orbit refinement will take place once the satellite closes in on its
designated orbital
slot: GPS constellation plane B, slot 2.

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PRN01 now appears in the almanac

******** Week 501 almanac for PRN-01 ********
ID: 01
Health: 063
Eccentricity: 0.1084327698E-002
Time of Applicability(s): 405504.0000
Orbital Inclination(rad): 0.9600048065
Rate of Right Ascen(r/s): -0.8007191354E-008
SQRT(A) (m 1/2): 5141.444824
Right Ascen at Week(rad): -0.1496255994E+001
Argument of Perigee(rad): -0.593289971
Mean Anom(rad): -0.1990805268E+001
Af0(s): -0.9918212891E-004
Af1(s/s): 0.1455191523E-010
week: 501