SpaceX launches latest GPS III satellite

On May 30, 2025, SpaceX successfully launched the GPS III SV-08 satellite for the U.S. Space Force. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1:37 p.m. Eastern, deploying the satellite into its designated orbit approximately 90 minutes later. The mission also featured a successful landing of the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

GPS III SV-08, constructed by Lockheed Martin, is the eighth installment in the third-generation GPS constellation. These satellites offer enhanced capabilities, including nearly eightfold improved resistance to jamming, increased accuracy and reliability, and the transmission of the encrypted M-code signal for military use, as well as the L5 civilian safety-of-life signal intended for aviation and other transport applications.

Originally slated for launch by United Launch Alliance (ULA), the mission was reassigned to SpaceX to expedite deployment. ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, recently certified for national security missions, is not expected to begin flying such payloads until later this summer.

Following deployment, SV-08 is undergoing checkout operations managed by Lockheed Martin in Denver. Once operational, it will join the GPS constellation, which currently comprises 31 active satellites and seven in reserve, supporting global navigation services for billions of users worldwide.