USA-79

USA-79, also known as GPS IIA-3, GPS II-12 and GPS SVN-25, was an American navigation satellite which formed part of the Global Positioning System. It was the third of nineteen Block IIA GPS satellites to be launched.

USA-79 was launched at 22:29:00 UTC on 23 February 1992, atop a Delta II carrier rocket, flight number D207, flying in the 7925-9.5 configuration. The launch took place from Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and placed USA-79 into a transfer orbit. The satellite raised itself into medium Earth orbit using a Star-37XFP apogee motor.

On 27 March 1992, USA-79 was in an orbit with a perigee of 20018 km, an apogee of 20343 km, a period of 717.9 minutes, and 54.7 degrees of inclination to the equator. It had PRN 25, and operated in slot 2 of plane A of the GPS constellation. The satellite had a mass of 1816 kg. It had a design life of 7.5 years, and ceased operations on 18 December 2009.