Jane Edwards
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is set to take off by April 29 to send into orbit the U.S. Air Force’s third GPS III satellite, Teslarati reported Sunday.
The company also received clearance from the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center to land the rocket booster on a drone ship shortly after the GPS III SV03 satellite launch. The mission will mark SpaceX’s second GPS III launch.
SpaceX completed on Feb. 13 a static fire test of the rocket for the mission at its facilities in McGregor, Texas. GPS III SV03 is one of 10 Block IIIA satellites the Air Force intended to launch between 2018 and 2026.
SpaceX launched the Air Force’s first GPS III satellite in December 2018, while the second satellite took off aboard United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV rocket in August 2019.
