The GPS-IIR replenishment satellites are produced by General Electric Astrospace (later Martin Marietta and Lockheed Missiles & Space) under a contract issued in 1989, which included 21 satellites based on the commercial AS-4000 bus. These provided improved navigation accuracy and longer autonomous satellite operation than earlier model GPS satellites. The satellites were three-axis stabilized and operated at downlink frequencies of 1572.42 MHz and 1227.6 MHz (L-Band) and 2227.5 MHz (S-Band). Lockheed was responsible for launch and flight operations support of the GPS-IIR through 2006.
Medium Earth OrbitIt carried a 24 C-band and 32 Ku-band transponders. Anik F1R has a design life of 15 years. In addition, a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS-GEO 4) navigation package operating in C-band for uplink and L-band for downlink provides precision Global Positioning System-based guidance information to aircraft.
Geostationary OrbitMonitor-E had a set of remote sensing devices. They were intended to make maps of the Earth's surface to be used for ecological monitoring and charting geological features. It was built by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitMars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005 and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. In November 2006, after five months of aerobraking, it entered its final science orbit and began its primary science phase.
Mars Orbit