[2] Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to provide all-weather round-the-clock navigation capabilities for military ground, sea, and air forces.
Since its implementation, GPS has also become an integral asset in numerous civilian applications and industries around the globe, including recreational used (e.g., boating, aircraft, hiking), corporate vehicle fleet tracking, and surveying.
They had S-band communications for control and telemetry and Ultra high frequency (UHF) cross-link between spacecraft.
They were manufactured by Rockwell Space Systems, were 5.3 m across with solar panels deployed, and had a design life expectancy of 5 years.
The Atlas used had the serial number 47F, and was originally built as an Atlas F.[4] The launch took place from Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base,[5] and placed OPS 5113 into a transfer orbit.