The Falcon 9 launched the Lockheed Martin-built GPS 3 SV-06
WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 18 lifted off at 7:24 a.m. Japanese from House Launch Complicated 40 at Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station, Florida, carrying a U.S. House Pressure GPS satellite tv for pc.
The Falcon 9 launched the Lockheed Martin-built GPS 3 SV-06 — the sixth of the most recent model of the satellite tv for pc often called GPS 3. The GPS constellation of 31 satellites operated by the U.S. House Pressure offers positioning, navigation and timing alerts to navy and civilian customers. GPS satellites function in medium Earth orbit at an altitude of 12,550 miles.
The launch of SV-06 was SpaceX’s fifth GPS mission, its second national security area launch of 2023 and Falcon 9’s 196th flight.
The primary stage booster supporting this mission beforehand launched Crew-5 astronauts to the Worldwide House Station.
Roughly two and a half minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s first stage separated. Following separation, the primary stage landed on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” drone ship stationed within the Atlantic Ocean.
The second stage carried out two engine burns to inject the GPS satellite tv for pc into the meant orbit one hour and 29 minutes after liftoff. SpaceX in a tweet confirmed the satellite tv for pc deployment was profitable.
SpaceX had beforehand launched 4 GPS 3 satellites below contracts awarded in 2016 and 2018. The primary launch was on Dec. 23, 2018, the second and third on June 30 and Nov. 5, 2020, and the fourth on June 17, 2021.
After 5 launches on Falcon 9, subsequent GPS satellite tv for pc will fly on Vulcan
The subsequent GPS satellite tv for pc due for launch, SV-07, will fly to orbit on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. ULA obtained the duty order in Might 2022 below the Nationwide Safety House Launch Phase 2 agreement which splits nationwide safety missions 60/40 between ULA and SpaceX.
Based mostly on the timing of the award and Vulcan’s nonetheless unsure schedule, SV-07 will launch in 2024 on the earliest.
ULA stated Vulcan might be able to carry out its debut launch mid-2023 and the automobile has to finish two profitable industrial missions to be licensed for NSSL launches. The first mission awarded to ULA that might have been flown by Vulcan, USSF-51, was modified to an Atlas 5 to maintain the mission on schedule. In line with the present plan, Vulcan’s first NSSL missions can be USSF-106, USSF-87 and GPS SV-07.
