Delta 2 launches GPS 2R-17M 10/17/07 ~ 8:23am Homepage       Launch Photos A Boeing/United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket launches the fourth modernized Global Positioning System satellite, 2R-17M, into orbit 11,000 miles above the Earth on October 17 at 8:23am EDT. It was the 17th in the 'replacement' or 'R' series of GPS satellites launched since 1997 and the 56th GPS satellite overall to date.

A shockwave forms as the Delta 2 nears Mach 1:

The rocket's shadow is cast on the shock:

The six ground-lit SRBs fall into the ocean after jettison: