Falcon 9 launches final GPS 3 satellite into orbit for U.S. Space Force

WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off early April 21 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, carrying the final GPS 3 satellite into orbit for the U.S. Space Force.

The rocket launched at 2:53 a.m. Eastern after a one-day delay due to poor weather, sending the GPS 3 SV-10 spacecraft toward medium Earth orbit about 12,550 miles above Earth.

SV-10 is the tenth and final satellite in the GPS 3 series built by Lockheed Martin. The satellites represent the latest upgrade to the Global Positioning System, providing improved accuracy, stronger anti-jamming capability and more robust signals compared with earlier generations.

The spacecraft will join the operational GPS constellation, which underpins military operations and a wide range of civilian applications, from aviation navigation to financial timing networks.

GPS 3 satellites broadcast the encrypted M-code signal for military users, designed to resist interference and spoofing. They also transmit the L5 “safety-of-life” signal used in aviation and other transportation systems, along with the L1C civil signal intended to improve interoperability with other global navigation satellite systems.

SV-10 carries an additional experimental payload, an optical communications terminal that will be used to test high-speed data transmission links in space. In addition to the crosslink demo, the satellite is also equipped with a demonstration Digital Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard clock, an advanced atomic clock for precise time keeping.

The mission continues a recent pattern in which the Space Force has reassigned GPS launches to SpaceX to keep satellites moving to orbit. SV-10 marks the fourth consecutive GPS mission originally assigned to United Launch Alliance but later transferred to Falcon 9.

ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket has been grounded since Feb. 12 following a solid rocket motor anomaly during flight. 

With the GPS 3 series now complete, the Space Force plans to transition to the next generation, known as GPS 3F. Those satellites are expected to introduce additional capabilities, including enhanced regional military protection and onboard search-and-rescue payloads.