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GPS BIIRM-1 (PRN 17)

GPS Navigation Satellite (Block IIR-M) · US Space Force

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GPS BIIRM-1 (PRN 17), launched in 2005, was the first fully modernized GPS satellite to reach an operational orbital slot, carrying both the jam-resistant military M-code and the civilian L2C signal. L2C's dual-frequency capability directly benefits ordinary users: a receiver that can compare timing on two separate frequencies can measure and cancel out ionospheric delay, the single largest source of GPS positioning error, cutting inaccuracy from meters down toward centimeters for capable receivers.

Its orbit

Orbit
Medium Earth Orbita high vantage point, ideal for navigation
Altitude
12,333–12,758 mi (19,848–20,532 km)
Inclination
54.8°
One orbit
12.0 hours2.0 orbits a day
NORAD ID
28874
Int’l designator
2005-038A
Launched
2005

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

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