SpaceX will take over a U.S. Space Force launch mission for a GPS satellite from United Launch Alliance (ULA). The GPS III lineup boosts accuracy, anti-jamming, and syncing with global navigation systems.
On April 7, the Space Systems Command announced that the GPS III SV-08 satellite, the eighth in its series, will lift off no earlier than late May on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The shift aims to clear a backlog of stored satellites initially slated for United Launch Alliance.
This isn’t the first time the U.S. Space Force has reassigned a ULA mission to SpaceX. Last year, SpaceX took over the launch of the GPS III SV-07 from ULA’s Vulcan. The GPS III SV-07 was initially scheduled to launch with the Vulcan in late 2025. However, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the GPS satellite on December 16, 2024, under the Rapid Response Trailblazer mission.
Col. Jim Horne, the leader of launch execution at Space Systems Command explained that SpaceX’s upcoming mission “executes a launch vehicle trade of the GPS III-7 mission from Vulcan to a Falcon 9 rocket, and swaps a later GPS IIIF-1 mission from Falcon Heavy to Vulcan, showcasing our ability to launch in three months, compared to the typical 24 months.”
The United States Space Force will reassign a future GPS IIIF-1 launch for SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to ULA to balance contracts and maintain its obligations with launch providers. The Vulcan rocket recently earned a certification under the National Security Space Launch Program (NSSL).
However, the Vulcan has been plagued with development delays. The Vulcan also has a backlog of military launches due to its NSSL Phase 2 contract, which it received in 2020.
The reassignment flexes the NSSL program’s agility, slashing standard two-year timelines to months. As SpaceX gains ground, ULA faces pressure to ramp up its Vulcan launches.