science

USA-213

USA-213 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand USA-213 rather than just read about it. In short: USA-213, also known as GPS SVN-62, GPS IIF SV-1 and NAVSTAR 65, is the first satellite in the Block IIF series of Global Positioning System navigation satellites. It will be used to relay signals for the United States Air Force Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS).

Key takeaways

USA-213 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect USA-213 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of USA-213 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

USA-213, also known as GPS SVN-62, GPS IIF SV-1 and NAVSTAR 65, is the first satellite in the Block IIF series of Global Positioning System navigation satellites. It will be used to relay signals for the United States Air Force Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS). The satellite was launched at 03:00:00 UTC on 28 May 2010. It will be placed into plane B of the GPS constellation, and will transmit the PRN-25 signal. PRN-25 was previously broadcast by USA-79, which was retired in late 2009 after almost eighteen years of service.

Spacecraft USA-213 is a 1,633 kg (3,600 lb) spacecraft, which is expected to remain in service for at least twelve years. In addition to broadcasting the same signals as previous satellites, it will also broadcast the L5 signal, and a military signal known as M-code. Its signal accuracy is expected to be twice that of its predecessors. It is the sixty-first GPS satellite to be launched, and the fiftieth Block II spacecraft. GPS IIF spacecraft are built by Boeing, under a contract which was originally signed in 1996. At the time, thirty three satellites were planned, however this has since decreased to twelve.

Launch GPS IIF SV-1 was launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV-M+(4,2) launch vehicle, flying from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). This made it the first GPS satellite to be launched on an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), and the first time since 1985 that anything other than a Delta II had been used to launch one. The launch occurred successfully at 03:00:00 UTC on 28 May 2010, at the start of a nineteen-minute launch window. It was originally scheduled to occur in 2006, however program and engineering delays resulted in it slipping to 2010. The first launch attempt was made on 21 May 2010, during a launch window opening at 03:25 UTC and closing at 03:43. A problem with spacecraft telemetry was detected, but resolved in time for an attempt to be made at the end of the window, however it recurred during the last minutes of the countdown. With no launch window remaining, the launch was scrubbed. The launch was rescheduled for 24 May 2010, between 03:17 and 03:35 UTC, but scrubbed early in the countdown to allow further time to resolve the problem which had occurred during the previous attempt. An attempt on 25 May 2010, targeting the start of an eighteen-minute window at 03:13, resulted in a scrub after a hold was called less than ten seconds before the rocket was scheduled to launch, due to a problem with the thrust vectoring of the solid rocket motors. Launch attempts on 26 and 27 May 2010 (UTC) were not possible as the Eastern Range had to be reconfigured to support the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis, returning from STS-132. Unlike earlier GPS satellites, which were launched on Atlas E/F and Delta II rockets, GPS IIF SV-1 was placed directly into its operational orbit, eliminating the need for an apogee motor.

Operational status After the launch the satellite underwent a testing period which was scheduled to last between 90 and 120 days. It was declared operational 27 August 2010 at 04:10 UTC.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with USA-213

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what USA-213 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to USA-213 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about USA-213 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of USA-213

In research: USA-213 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses USA-213 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: USA-213 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics GPS satellites, Spacecraft launched by Delta IV rockets, Spacecraft launched in 2010, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for USA-213 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study USA-213 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what USA-213 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain USA-213 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is USA-213 in simple terms?

Why does USA-213 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study USA-213?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on USA-213.