SpaceX Set to Launch GPS 3-9 Satellite for U.S. Space Force

The U.S. Space Force will launch its ninth third-generation GPS satellite (GPS 3-9) into medium Earth orbit on Tuesday night using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, after switching from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 is scheduled for 11:38 p.m. EST (Jan. 28 UTC). The satellite, GPS 3 Space Vehicle 09 (SV09), features M-Code technology for more accurate, jam-resistant navigation, vital for military operations. The mission is managed by Space Systems Command (SSC) and Combat Forces Command (CFC), with Lockheed Martin handling satellite processing. Falcon 9’s first stage booster B1096, flying its fifth mission, is expected to land on the drone ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. Favorable weather is forecast, with a 95% chance of acceptable conditions despite a recent winter storm in Florida. A successful landing would mark SpaceX’s 564th booster landing and the 141st on this drone ship.