Cape Canaveral, Florida — SpaceX launched the most recent in a collection of extra highly effective International Positioning System navigation satellites Wednesday, persevering with a U.S. House Pressure fleet-wide improve to supply improved accuracy and anti-jamming functionality. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the 9,595-pound satellite tv for pc blasted off from the Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station at 7:24 a.m. EST and arced away to the northeast over the Atlantic Ocean.
After dropping off its previously-flown first stage, which flew itself again for a touchdown on an offshore droneship, the rocket's higher stage engine fired twice to succeed in the deliberate deploy orbit earlier than releasing the satellite tv for pc to fly by itself.
Lockheed Martin has constructed 10 GPS 3 satellites for the House Pressure — the satellite tv for pc launched Wednesday was No. 6 — and is underneath contract to construct 22 superior GPS 3 Comply with-On navigation beacons to modernize the whole constellation with state-of-the-art parts.
"We at present have 4 extra GPS satellites in our Colorado facility which are out there for launch," mentioned Andre Trotter, Lockheed Martin's vp of navigation techniques.
GPS satellites continuously broadcast ultra-precise timing indicators from on-board atomic clocks. Navy and civilian receivers, in units starting from automobile navigation techniques to sensible weapons, can calculate their place, velocity and altitude by analyzing slight variations within the indicators from a number of satellites.
The GPS 3 satellites are "probably the most highly effective, resilient GPS satellite tv for pc ever constructed," Tonya Ladwig, a Lockheed Martin vp, mentioned earlier than an earlier launch. "We offer thrice higher accuracy over present satellites within the constellation and have eight instances elevated anti-jamming capabilities."
The GPS 3 satellites additionally function enhanced civilian indicators, compatibility with different navigation techniques and improved search-and-rescue capabilities together with a navy channel that is extra correct and jam-proof.
The brand new satellites are "a key contribution to House Methods Command's ongoing GPS modernization effort, bringing about new capabilities to each civilian and navy customers across the globe," mentioned Cordell DeLaPena Jr., this system government officer.
"GPS 3 satellites enhance our capacity to supply navy and civilian customers with extra strong and correct indicators that allow on a regular basis operations resembling navigation and search and rescue operations."
The launch was SpaceX's fourth up to now this 12 months. The fifth of some 100 deliberate launches is on faucet Thursday, at 10:23 a.m. EST, when one other Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch 51 Starlink web satellites from Vandenberg House Pressure Base in California.