SpaceX plans launch of advanced GPS satellite for Space Force
A SpaceX launch of an advanced GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force was scheduled for a 1:23 p.m. ET Friday launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is prepared to launch the GPS 3 satellite from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida on Friday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
May 30 (UPI) -- A SpaceX launch of an advanced GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force was scheduled for a 1:23 p.m. ET Friday launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A Falcon 9 rocket will put the GPS III SV-08 into orbit.
According to SpaceX, prep work for the launch was done in less than three days, a new record for U.S. national security missions.
Those preparations normally take 18-24 months.
Space Force Col. Jim Horne hailed the speed of the preparation.
He said the launch "highlights another instance of the Space Force's ability to complete high-priority launches on a rapid timescale, which demonstrates the capability to respond to emergent constellation needs as rapidly as Space Vehicle readiness allows."
In a pre-launch briefing Launch Weather Officer Mark Burger said the weather outlook shows a 45% chance for favorable weather for Friday's launch.
"We'll be looking at those cumulus cloud violations and associated thunderstorms in and close to the pad," Burger said.
GPS III satellite maker Lockheed Martin said the company got notice to take the SV-08 satellite out of storage for the launch Feb. 21.
Despite the rapid launch schedule for this one, compared with the SV-07 satellite it was less challenging, according to the company.
"I'll say somewhat tongue-in-cheek, compared to SV-07, this was, I'll say, a relatively less punishing path to launch, primarily because of the challenges we faced on SV-07, whether it was ground transportation or the RRT climate," Lockheed Martin vice president of Navigations Systems Malik Musawwir said.
Just preparing the satellite can take four to five months due to the need for full integration of components stored separately.
Two more of the satellites are stored for future launches using ULA Vulcan rockets with no plans to reassign them to SpaceX.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk tries to stick to spaceships
Elon Musk's interview with CBS Sunday Morning seemed to get off to an awkward start, as reporter David Pogue asked the SpaceX CEO about his thoughts on his ally Donald Trump's policies, including growing restrictions on international students. 'I think we want to stick to the subject of the day, which is, like, spaceships, as opposed to, you know, presidential policy,' Musk said. Pogue looked surprised, replying, 'Oh, okay, I was told, 'Anything's good.'' 'No,' Musk said, while looking into the distance. 'Well … no.' He did, however, comment on the controversy around his Department of Government Efficiency, which has been making aggressive cuts across federal agencies, and which Musk complained had become "the whipping boy for everything." 'If there was some cut, real or imagined, everyone would blame DOGE,' he said. Musk also suggested that he's "a little stuck in a bind" when it comes to the Trump administration, where "I don't want to speak out against the administration, but I also don't want to take responsibility for everything the administration's doing.' Pogue's interview was conducted before SpaceX's Starship test flight on Tuesday, which saw the ship successfully launch but lose control on reentry. Asked whether there's anything linking his various companies — in addition to SpaceX, there's Tesla (which faces ongoing anti-Musk protests), xAI and X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink, and The Boring Company — Musk replied, "I guess you could think of the businesses as things that improve the probable trajectory of civilization." At the time, Musk was supposedly pulling back from his government work but said he would remain involved for a 'day or two' per week. He told Pogue, "DOGE is going to continue, just as a way of life. And I will have some participation in that, but as I've said publicly, my focus has to be on the companies at this point.' Pogue noted that after their conversation, an interview clip of Musk's comments criticizing the Trump-backed budget bill drove a news cycle of their own — and soon after, Musk said he was ending his time as a special government employee. Trump, however, subsequently said Musk is "not really leaving." Sign in to access your portfolio
TechCrunch
2 hours ago
- TechCrunch
Elon Musk tries to stick to spaceships
Elon Musk's interview with CBS Sunday Morning seemed to get off to a bumpy start, as reporter David Pogue asked the SpaceX CEO about his thoughts on President Donald Trump's policies, including growing restrictions on international students. 'I think we want to stick to the subject of the day, which is, like, spaceships, as opposed to, you know, presidential policy,' Musk said. Pogue looked surprised, replying, 'Oh, okay, I was told, 'Anything's good.'' 'No,' Musk said, while looking into the distance. 'Well … no.' He did, however, comment on the controversy around his Department of Government Efficiency, which has been making aggressive cuts across federal agencies, and which Musk complained had become 'the whipping boy for everything.' 'If there was some cut, real or imagined, everyone would blame DOGE,' he said. Musk also suggested that he's in 'a little stuck in a bind' when it comes to the Trump administration, where 'I don't want to speak out against the administration, but I also don't want to take responsibility for everything the administration's doing.' Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Pogue's interview was conducted before SpaceX's Starship test flight on Tuesday, which saw the ship successfully launch but lose control on reentry. Asked whether there's anything tying together his various companies — in addition to SpaceX, there's Tesla (which faces ongoing anti-Musk protests), xAI and X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink, and The Boring Company — Musk replied, 'I guess you could think of the businesses as things that improve the probable trajectory of civilization.' At the time, Musk was supposedly pulling back from his government work but said he would remain involved for a 'day or two' per week. He told Pogue, 'DOGE is going to continue, just as a way of life. And I will have some participation in that, but as I've said publicly, my focus has to be on the companies at this point.' Pogue noted that after their conversation, an interview clip of Musk's comments criticizing the Trump-backed budget bill drove a news cycle of their own — and soon after, Musk said he was ending his time as a special government employee. Trump, however, subsequently said Musk is 'not really leaving.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
How to watch the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025
Summer Game Fest 2025 kicks off on June 6, and if there's one event from the weekend that everyone's sure to be talking about, it's the Xbox Games Showcase. The livestream is scheduled for Sunday, June 8 at 1:00PM ET (10:00AM PT), and you can tune into it on the Xbox YouTube channel or Twitch, where ASL interpretation will be provided. Immediately after the Xbox showcase, there will be a separate presentation dedicated entirely to The Outer Worlds 2. You can watch both the Xbox Games Showcase and The Outer Worlds 2 Direct using the embedded stream below when it goes live. Last year's showcase brought us news about the upcoming Fable reboot (since delayed until 2026), the next entry in the Gears of War series, Gears of War: E-Day, the recently released Doom: The Dark Ages and much more. We may hear some fresh updates about those first two titles on Sunday, and possibly more about others like Everwild, State of Decay 3, Hideo Kojima's OD and Contraband. And of course, some new titles are likely to make their debut too. You can catch up here on everything we expect to see at Summer Game Fest 2025, and follow along when the event begins for our on-the-ground coverage.
