NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

GPS III-4 (USA-309)

Launch Time
Thu Nov 05, 2020 23:24 UTC

Rocket

Falcon 9 Block 5
Image Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX
Status: Active
Price: $69.75 million
Liftoff Thrust: 7,607 kN
Payload to LEO: 22,800 kg
Payload to GTO: 8,300 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 70.0 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.2 m
Fairing Height: 13.0 m

Vehicles

Of Course I Still Love You

B1062

Flight #1
79th Falcon recovery attempt
68th successful Falcon recovery
14th consecutive successful Falcon landing and recovery

Mission Details

GPS III-4 (USA-309)

GPS III (Global Positioning System) is the first evolution of the third generation of GPS satellites. The U.S. Air Force announced in May 2008 that a team led by Lockheed Martin had won the competition to build the next-generation Global Positioning System (Navstar) Space System program, known as GPS III.

This program will improve position, navigation, and timing services for warfighter and civil users worldwide and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy, and reliability.

When fully deployed, the GPS III constellation will feature a cross-linked command and control architecture, allowing the entire GPS constellation to be updated simultaneously from a single ground station. Additionally, a new spot beam capability for enhanced military (M-Code) coverage and increased resistance to hostile jamming will be incorporated. These enhancements will improve accuracy and ensure availability for military and civilian users worldwide.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 3,880.0 kg
Medium Earth Orbit

Location

SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Stats

2020

86th orbital launch attempt

SpaceX

106th mission
20th mission of 2020
100th successful mission
72nd consecutive successful mission

Falcon 9

98th mission
20th mission of 2020
95th successful mission
69th consecutive successful mission