The U.S. Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Department of Defense, established in December 2019. Its primary role is to organize, train, and equip space forces to protect U.S. and allied interests in space by ensuring space superiority. The USSF manages space launch operations, satellite operations, space environment surveillance, and satellite defense, and partners with organizations like NASA on space domain awareness and planetary defense. Key areas of focus include missile warning, satellite communications, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
GPS III SV10 was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:53 a.m. Eastern time.
Expanding space-domain-awareness capabilities offshore would require policy changes because the Space Development Agency falls under the Space Force.
The Space Force’s orbital AMTI awards follow a fiscal 2027 budget request of $7 billion to start buying space-based AMTI systems.
The U.S. Space Force awarded nine firms nascent contracts to build a satellite constellation capable of airborne moving target indication from orbit.
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Space Force launched GPS III SV10, the last satellite in the GPS III series.
The U.S. Space Force issued a decay notice for BlueBird 7.
The U.S. Space Force’s Objective Force plan integrates offensive and defensive counterspace capabilities across orbital, electronic, and cyber missions.
The U.S. Space Force released its unclassified Objective Force plan for the next 15 years, extending to 2040.
The U.S. Space Force switched the rocket planned for the GPS III-8 mission from Vulcan Centaur to Falcon 9 last month.
The U.S. Space Force continues to use OCX for launch and checkout of GPS III satellites while AEP is used to command and control all GPS space vehicles, including GPS III satellites.
The U.S. Space Force made incremental improvements to the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) over the last 10 years after delays in the OCX program.
President Donald Trump put Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein in charge of overseeing Golden Dome’s $175 billion architecture.
In July 2025, the U.S. Space Force contractually accepted OCX from Raytheon and began integrated system testing.
In July 2025, the U.S. Space Force contractually accepted OCX from Raytheon and began integrated systems testing to address liens carried over from factory testing and to ensure interoperability with the broader GPS enterprise.
The U.S. Space Force determined that GPS OCX was unable to deliver needed capabilities on an operationally relevant timeline at an acceptable level of risk to meet GPS constellation modernization needs.
The United States Space Force deployed the final GPS III satellite on April 21, 2026, completing the initial ten-satellite modernization phase for the Global Positioning System.
SpaceX launched the final GPS III satellite for the U.S. Space Force on April 21 at 2:53 a.m. ET on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Space Force Mission Delta 31 commander Col. Stephen Hobbs said extensive system issues arose during integrated testing of OCX with the broader GPS enterprise.
The SV-10 mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The U.S. Space Force will continue improving the current GPS control system to manage the GPS satellite constellation.