PerkinElmer Optoelectronics’ Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS) for Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in space satellite applications has achieved a decade of in-orbit operation. The RAFS technology was first launched aboard the U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR) satellite in July 1997, and remotely activated on August 13, 1997, marking a decade of continuous, failure-free operation.

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More than half of all GPS satellites use PerkinElmer’s RAFS systems. The company’s current RAFS programs include the GPS Block IIR/IIM, which will place 20 satellites in orbit to improve navigation accuracy and provide longer autonomous operation than older GPS satellites. It also includes the Block IIF, which enhances space-borne navigation systems for military, civil and commercial use.