Geomaticians

SpaceX Launches Sixth Next-generation GPS Satellite

SpaceX Launches Sixth Next-generation GPS Satellit
SpaceX launched its fourth mission of the year, a GPS-III satellite for the US Space Force, on Wednesday, Jan. 18. The launch saw a Falcon 9 rocket lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:24 EST (12:24 UTC). The payload for this mission is Global Positioning System III Space Vehicle 06 (GPS-III-SV06). It was built in Littleton, Colorado, by Lockheed Martin and will be placed into a medium Earth orbit (MEO) with an operational circular orbit at 20,180 km and an inclination of 55 degrees. GPS-III-SV06 had a launch mass of 4.352 kg and is named after Amelia Earhart, the famous aviator who became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in 1932. Earhart disappeared during a flight around the world in 1937. The satellite arrived in Florida in October 2022 for final pre-launch processing.