SpaceX launched a GPS III satellite for the U.S. Space Force | BIAS MEDIA NEWS
- 4 years ago
#SpaceX launched a GPS III satellite for the U.S. Space Force, providing a new level of capability for civil and military users.
This is the second such #Space Force launch that SpaceX is facilitating.
SpaceX has a lot of balls in the air right now. The company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is currently docked to the International Space Station after a successful launch and docking with the orbiting laboratory, and the Starship program is getting a boost, not to mention the regular schedule of satellite launches and of course SpaceX’s own Starlink communications project. Today, the company will attempt to check yet another item off of its 2020 to-do list when it launches a GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force.
These so-called “National Security Space Launch” missions (NSSL) have been carried out twice before, and one of those was on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The government and SpaceX have a pretty cozy relationship, and that’s bolstered by the fact that SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology can provide launch services for reasonable rates. Quick turnaround times between missions are also a huge plus for both sides.
As for today’s launch, the GPS III satellite that will ride atop the Falcon 9 is just one of many pieces of hardware that will provide greater capabilities to many, including military users. “The GPS III program brings a new standard of excellence for the entire space community,” Cordell DeLaPena of the Space Production Corps said in a statement. “Our production team and contract partners have developed an indispensable tool that is available to military and civil users around the world. Our team will continue to advance the launch campaign for the remaining space vehicles and I anticipate the successful launch of SV03 on the Falcon 9.”
This mission was originally scheduled to get off the ground as early as April, but the coronavirus pandemic changed those plans dramatically. Now, with parts of the country beginning to return to a (possibly temporary) sense of normalcy, the Space Force and SpaceX are both ready to give it a shot.
As is the case with most SpaceX launches, the company will host a live stream complete with commentary and additional details regarding the mission, the launch vehicle, and the payload.
This is the second such #Space Force launch that SpaceX is facilitating.
SpaceX has a lot of balls in the air right now. The company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is currently docked to the International Space Station after a successful launch and docking with the orbiting laboratory, and the Starship program is getting a boost, not to mention the regular schedule of satellite launches and of course SpaceX’s own Starlink communications project. Today, the company will attempt to check yet another item off of its 2020 to-do list when it launches a GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force.
These so-called “National Security Space Launch” missions (NSSL) have been carried out twice before, and one of those was on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The government and SpaceX have a pretty cozy relationship, and that’s bolstered by the fact that SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology can provide launch services for reasonable rates. Quick turnaround times between missions are also a huge plus for both sides.
As for today’s launch, the GPS III satellite that will ride atop the Falcon 9 is just one of many pieces of hardware that will provide greater capabilities to many, including military users. “The GPS III program brings a new standard of excellence for the entire space community,” Cordell DeLaPena of the Space Production Corps said in a statement. “Our production team and contract partners have developed an indispensable tool that is available to military and civil users around the world. Our team will continue to advance the launch campaign for the remaining space vehicles and I anticipate the successful launch of SV03 on the Falcon 9.”
This mission was originally scheduled to get off the ground as early as April, but the coronavirus pandemic changed those plans dramatically. Now, with parts of the country beginning to return to a (possibly temporary) sense of normalcy, the Space Force and SpaceX are both ready to give it a shot.
As is the case with most SpaceX launches, the company will host a live stream complete with commentary and additional details regarding the mission, the launch vehicle, and the payload.