SpaceX has launched a satellite with a modern GPS system.
According to details, Elon Musk’s space technology company SpaceX successfully launched the latest GPS satellite “SV Zero Eight” (SV-08) for the US Space Force on Friday, May 30.
The company says that the modern GPS satellite has been launched on record short notice, this is a significant step in the improvement of the global navigation system, this satellite’s advanced features are especially important for military purposes.
A Falcon 9 rocket was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:37 pm on Friday, which carried the GPS III SV-08 spacecraft into orbit for the US Space Force.
According to the company, SpaceX received the official launch order on March 7, meaning all the preparation work was completed in less than 3 months. Space Force officials said the time was a new record for US national security missions, as it typically takes 18 to 24 months to launch a satellite.
The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth on schedule about 8.5 minutes after the satellite was launched, officials said, and touched down on the SpaceX drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas," while the rocket's upper stage continued to carry the GPS III SV-08 into orbit, where it was scheduled to deploy about an hour and a half after launch.
As its name suggests, the GPS III SV-08 is the eighth GPS III satellite to leave Earth. (SV stands for Space Vehicle) The Space Force plans to launch ten of the satellites, which are being built by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, with the final two expected to launch next year.
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