SpaceX launches next-generation GPS satellite for US military

SpaceX launched an advanced GPS satellite for the US Space Force early Tuesday morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the GPS III-SV09 spacecraft lifted off at 11:53 p.m. EST on January 27, reaching medium Earth orbit roughly 1.5 hours later. The launch came after weather delays pushed the mission back two days from its original January 25 target date.

The satellite represents the ninth in a new generation of positioning and navigation systems that the military has been rolling out since 2018. Built by aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the spacecraft is equipped with what the Space Force calls M-Code technology, a feature designed to make the satellite significantly more resistant to jamming than older GPS systems. This capability matters because accurate positioning and timing information is essential to modern military operations.

Background

The GPS III satellites are part of a broader modernization effort by the US military to upgrade its navigation infrastructure. The first GPS III vehicle launched in December 2018, and the Space Force has been gradually placing them into orbit ever since. These newer satellites offer improvements over the previous generation, particularly in their resistance to intentional interference.

What makes this particular launch notable is how it came about. The Space Force originally assigned the GPS III-SV09 mission to United Launch Alliance, the company behind the Vulcan Centaur rocket. However, the military changed course and moved the mission to SpaceX's Falcon 9 instead. In exchange, the Space Force reassigned a later GPS follow-on mission from SpaceX's Falcon Heavy to ULA's Vulcan.

"Our commitment to keeping things flexible — programmatically and contractually — means we can pivot when necessary to changing circumstances," said Col. Ryan Hiserote, the Space Force's National Security Space Launch program manager.

This kind of flexibility reflects how the military is approaching its launch contracts. Rather than rigidly sticking to original plans, the Space Force has shown it will swap missions between launch providers based on changing circumstances and operational needs.

Key Details

The Falcon 9 first-stage booster used for this mission, identified as B1096, was making its fifth flight. It had previously launched NASA's IMAP mission, a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload, a Kuiper satellite, and a Starlink batch. After deploying the GPS satellite, the booster was scheduled to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, which would have been the 141st successful landing on that particular vessel.

SpaceX completed the entire process of integrating the GPS satellite with the Falcon 9 rocket and launching it in just 41 days, according to the company. This represents the fastest turnaround the company has achieved for a national security mission, demonstrating how streamlined the process has become.

The launch had been delayed from January 25 to January 26, then pushed back again to January 27 due to unfavorable weather conditions. The 45th Weather Squadron initially forecast only a 40 percent chance of acceptable conditions for the earlier date. By Tuesday, however, high pressure moving into the Southeast improved conditions significantly, with launch weather officers noting very favorable conditions with only a negligible risk of weather violations.

The Satellite's Purpose

GPS III-SV09 will join a constellation of similar satellites already in orbit, providing continuous positioning, navigation, and timing information to military and civilian users. The M-Code technology aboard this satellite makes it harder for adversaries to jam or spoof the signal, a capability that has become increasingly important as other nations develop anti-GPS weapons.

The Space Force named this particular satellite after Col. Ellison Onizuka, a former Air Force officer who was one of seven NASA astronauts killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.

What This Means

The successful launch marks SpaceX's second national security flight this year, following the launch of an NROL-105 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office on January 16. It also continues a trend of the Space Force increasingly relying on SpaceX for critical military missions.

The military still has one more GPS III satellite to launch, with the final vehicle in the series expected to reach orbit later in 2026. After that, the Space Force will begin launching the next iteration of satellites, known as GPS IIIF or GPS follow-on satellites. The first of these is expected to launch in spring 2027.

The swap of missions between SpaceX and ULA also reflects the broader strategy of the Space Force to maintain competition among launch providers while ensuring it can meet its operational timelines. By keeping both companies active in the national security launch market, the military preserves options and avoids becoming dependent on any single provider.