Liftoff is set for 9:43 p.m. EDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch an upgraded global positioning satellite (GPS) into orbit for the U.S. Space Force today (Sept. 30) and you can watch it live online.
Written content from Amy Thompson | Space
The flight — the 17th launch this year for SpaceX and its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket — is scheduled to blast off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 9:55 p.m. (2155 GMT). The rocket is carrying the GPS III SV04 satellite for the Space Force.
If all goes as planned today, this will be the fourth launch of an upgraded next-generation GPS III satellite. Two have launched on different Falcon 9 rockets, the first launched in December 2018 and the third on June 30 of this year. The second GPS II satellite launched atop the very last Delta IV Medium rocket in August 2019. SpaceX has also secured the next few launches after this one as the military works to upgrade the aging network.
If all goes as planned today, this will be the fourth launch of an upgraded next-generation GPS III satellite. Two have launched on different Falcon 9 rockets, the first launched in December 2018 and the third on June 30 of this year. The second GPS II satellite launched atop the very last Delta IV Medium rocket in August 2019. SpaceX has also secured the next few launches after this one as the military works to upgrade the aging network.
Built by Lockheed Martin in Colorado, these upgraded Global Positioning Satellites (or GPS) are some of the most sophisticated satellites ever made. They boast anti-jamming capabilities that are eight times more robust than previous iterations, and are equipped with more powerful signals for increased accuracy.
Today’s launch features the 4th in a series of 10 upgraded GPS III satellites for the military that will join the current constellation of satellites already in orbit. They will help provide positioning, navigation, and timing services for more than four billion users worldwide.
Last week, Space Force announced that the U.S. military has granted SpaceX permission to fly national security payloads on previously flown rockets. This follows on the heels of another recent decision to allow SpaceX to recover the rocket’s first stage used on national security missions — something that was previously not allowed.
SpaceX will launch the next two GPS missions — GPS III-SV05 and GPS III-SV06 —on veteran Falcon 9 first stages. The rockets flown on those two missions will also subsequently land back on Earth after their work is done, and are scheduled to launch sometime next year.
SpaceX will launch the next two GPS missions — GPS III-SV05 and GPS III-SV06 —on veteran Falcon 9 first stages. The rockets flown on those two missions will also subsequently land back on Earth after their work is done, and are scheduled to launch sometime next year. Read more from Space.com
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