Snapshots from Atlas 5 launch

The ubiquitous Global Positioning System that ties the space program to everyday life on Earth, providing precise navigation to the world through a constellation of orbiting satellites, will be strengthened courtesy of a new craft launched Wednesday.

Trouble with one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s three remaining gyroscopes, critical for aiming and locking onto targets, prompted mission managers to switch to a backup control mode that will limit some observations but keep the iconic observatory running well into the 2030s, officials said Tuesday.

SpaceX launched the vehicle on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 6:11 p.m. EDT (2211 UTC). It’s scheduled to be berthed to the ISS by NASA astronaut Jonny Kim on Wednesday, Sept. 17.