GPS 3 Space Vehicle 5 provides positioning, navigation, and timing signals to military and civilian users.
GPS 3 SV-5 was the first National Security Space Launch mission to use a previously flown Falcon 9 first stage.
SpaceX achieved successful orbit injection of GPS 3 SV-5 following satellite separation.
The GPS 3 constellation consists of 31 spacecraft operating in medium Earth orbit at an altitude of 12,885 km in six orbital planes.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a U.S. Space Force GPS 3 satellite on 2021-06-17 at 12:09 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
The Falcon 9 launched Lockheed Martin-built GPS 3 Space Vehicle 5, the fifth satellite of the GPS 3 constellation.
SpaceX is under contract to launch GPS 3 SV-6 next year.
With the GPS 3 SV-5 mission, the U.S. Space Force began using previously flown Falcon 9 first stages for National Security Space Launch missions.
The second and third National Security Space Launch military GPS 3 missions took place on 2020-06-30 and 2020-11-05, respectively.
The reused Falcon 9 first stage used for GPS 3 SV-5 was designated B1062.
After agreeing to booster recovery and reuse, the price for the three GPS 3 missions SV-04, SV-05, and SV-06 was reduced by $64,000,000.
SpaceX scheduled a launch of a GPS 3 satellite for 2021-06-17 that will be the first national security space mission to use a refurbished Falcon 9 booster.
GPS 3 SV-07 is one of five missions funded in the Space Force’s $1,400,000,000 budget request for national security launch services for fiscal year 2022.
The next GPS contract up for award is for the seventh GPS 3 satellite, GPS 3 SV-07.
GPS 3 SV-06 is projected to launch in 2022.
Four GPS 3 satellites produced under Lockheed Martin’s 2008 contract are currently in orbit.
SpaceX received a bulk contract worth $290,500,000 to launch GPS 3 SV-04, SV-05, and SV-06.
There are four more GPS 3 launch contracts to be awarded under Phase 2 of the National Security Space Launch program.
The Space Force requirement that the reused booster for the 2021-06-17 mission be the booster that flew a GPS 3 satellite last November applies only to that specific mission as the military gains comfort with reusability.
Lockheed Martin received a contract in 2008 to develop and produce 10 GPS 3 satellites.