On May 30th, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the U.S. military's latest Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite, GPS III SV-08, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch occurred at 1:37 p.m. Eastern.
The Falcon 9 booster executed a successful return to Earth, landing on a droneship in the Atlantic. Approximately 90 minutes post-liftoff, SpaceX confirmed the satellite's successful deployment into its designated orbit.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, GPS III SV-08 is the eighth of ten GPS III spacecraft procured by the Pentagon under a 2008 contract. The Space Force highlights that these satellites offer nearly eight times better anti-jamming capabilities, alongside improved accuracy and reliability. They also transmit the encrypted M-code signal for U.S. military use and the civilian L5 signal for aviation and other transport sectors.
These satellites operate in medium Earth orbit, approximately 12,550 miles above Earth, an altitude optimized for global coverage and consistent timing signals. Col. Andrew Menschner, commander of Mission Delta 31, stated, “Every launch makes the GPS constellation more accurate and resilient.” He further added, “With 31 active vehicles, seven on orbit in reserve status, and two GPS III vehicles completed and ready for launch, the constellation is healthy and ready to support the six billion people around the world who use our capabilities every day.”
Currently, SV-08 is under Lockheed Martin’s control at their Denver launch and checkout operations center, pending official integration into the operational GPS network. Initially assigned to United Launch Alliance (ULA), the mission was transferred to SpaceX to accelerate deployment due to the delay of ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket.
This switch highlights the evolving dynamics of the U.S. launch sector, with SpaceX’s dominance in both commercial and national security missions. This launch marked SpaceX's fifth national security launch this year, with a further twelve planned through December.