SpaceX launches advanced GPS satellite for US Space Force

SpaceX launched a jam-resistant GPS III-SV09 satellite for the U.S. Space Force from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday night, Jan. 27, after a one-day weather delay.

Built by Lockheed Martin, the satellite features M-Code technology for improved resistance to jamming and is the ninth of 10 GPS III satellites, with the final launch expected later this year.

Originally scheduled for a Vulcan Centaur rocket, the mission was shifted to a Falcon 9, marking SpaceX’s fastest-ever national security launch with just a 41-day integration.

The satellite, named “Ellison Onizuka” in honor of the Challenger astronaut, was deployed at 2,650 miles altitude about 90 minutes after liftoff, Space.com has reported.

The Falcon 9’s first stage successfully landed on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” roughly 8.5 minutes after launch.