The final piece of the U.S. Space Force’s third-generation Global Positioning System is now in orbit. On Thursday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully deployed SV-10, the tenth and last satellite in the GPS 3 series manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The mission marks the completion of a multi-year effort to modernize the constellation that provides the world’s most essential timing and navigation signals.
The launch underscores a significant shift in the aerospace landscape. While the GPS 3 program began under a different procurement era, SpaceX has increasingly absorbed missions that were originally expected to fly with the United Launch Alliance (ULA). This transition highlights the reliability and cost-efficiency that the Falcon 9 has brought to the military’s most sensitive national security payloads.
With SV-10 now in position, the Space Force moves closer to full operational capability for the GPS 3 standard. These satellites provide three times more accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities compared to their predecessors. As this chapter closes, the focus shifts to the upcoming GPS 3F (Follow-on) series, which aims to further harden the system against the evolving electronic threats of modern warfare.
With reporting from SpaceNews.
Source · SpaceNews
