SpaceX plans launch of advanced GPS satellite for Space Force
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.
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