Lockheed Martin’s penultimate GPS III satellite launched into orbit

On 27 January 2026 at 23.53 ET Lockheed Martin’s ninth GPS III space vehicle, SV09, was launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The satellite achieved signal acquisition shortly thereafter and is now under operational control at Lockheed Martin’s Denver Launch & Checkout Operations Center until its official acceptance into the GPS operational control network.

The GPS III satellite constellation delivers advanced security and anti‑jamming features that brings uninterrupted, precise navigation and timing in contested or denied environments, safeguarding US and allied security and defence missions. Overall, according to Lockheed Martin, GPS III satellites deliver three-times better accuracy, eight-times improved anti-jamming capabilities, and M-code navigation signals for armed forces globally.

In order to further strengthen GPS signal in the future, GPS III SV09 is also equipped with a laser retroreflector array, designed to improve measurements of the Earth’s orientation for the GPS co-ordinate system.

Each additional GPS III satellite delivers increased accuracy with resilient signals that enable essential services such as aviation, precision agriculture and telecommunications timing. Sustaining and expanding the GPS constellation is essential as the constellation ages. Adding new GPS spacecraft is required to maintain uninterrupted global coverage, and the forthcoming GPS IIIF satellites will deliver even greater capabilities.

The first GPS III satellite, SV01, was launched on 23 December 2018, while the last GPS III satellite, SV10, has completed construction and been declared ‘available for launch’, which is currently planned to take place in March 2026.

Lockheed Martin is currently manufacturing next-generation GPS IIIF satellites.

“The launch of GPS III SV09 is an important step in bolstering the resilience of the GPS constellation,” Malik Musawwir, vice president of Navigation Systems at Lockheed Martin, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “By adding more resilient satellites to the constellation, we’re laying the foundation for the GPS IIIF era, which will provide 60-times more anti-jam capabilities. The ongoing investment in GPS III launches and additional GPS IIIF satellites ensures uninterrupted, precise navigation and timing for our forces, even in contested or denied environments.”