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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – The SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch an updated global positioning (GPS) satellite into orbit for the US Space Force today (September 30) and you can watch them live online.
The flight – the 17th launch of SpaceX and its Falcon 9 launch vehicle this year – is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 21:55 (2155 GMT). The rocket carries a GPS III SV04 satellite for space forces.
can watch the launch live here and on the Space.com home page with the kind permission of SpaceX, which begins approximately 15 minutes before launch. You can also watch the launch directly from SpaceX here.
Related: He explained the American GPS satellite network
If all goes according to plan today, it will be the fourth launch of the innovative satellite of the new generation GPS III. Two took off on different Falcon 9 missiles, the first running in December 2018 and on June 30 of this year the third. The second GPS II satellite was launched on the latest Delta IV Medium rocket in August 2019. SpaceX has also secured several follow-up launches after this, as military work will focus on updating the outdated network.
Built Lockheed Martin in Colorado, these innovative global positioning satellites (or GPS) are one of the most sophisticated satellites ever made. They boast anti-interference capabilities eight times more robust than previous iterations and are equipped with stronger signals to increase accuracy.
Today’s launch marks the 4th in a series of 10 upgraded GPS III satellites for the military, which will join the current constellation of satellites already in orbit. They will help provide location, navigation and timekeeping services to more than four billion users around the world.
Last week, space forces announced that the US military had granted SpaceX permission to fly national security cargo on previously equipped missiles. This follows another recent decision to allow SpaceX to recover the first stage of the missile used in homeland security missions, something that was previously not allowed.
SpaceX will launch two more GPS missions – GPS III-SV05 and GPS III-SV06 – on a veteran Falcon 9 in the early stages. The missiles flown by these two missions after their work also subsequently landed on Earth and their launch is scheduled for next year.
However, today’s mission will use the shiny new Falcon 9 amplifier, known to SpaceX as the B1062. It’s rare to see a new Falcon 9 deployed aboard the launch pad these days, as the company relies on its fleet of veteran pilots to complete most of its missions. For today’s flight, the B1062 will be in orbit from an advanced global positioning satellite to replace the older predecessor launched 20 years ago.
Related: China has launched the latest Beidou satellite for a GPS-like navigation system
Today’s flight will mark the 94th launch of the Falcon 9 and the 61st first recovery phase. SpaceX’s drone ship Of course I still love you, it is in the Atlantic Ocean, awaiting a planned recovery attempt. About nine minutes after launch, the rocket’s first stage is expected to touch aboard the huge ship.
Another company’s drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, is also hanging in the Atlantic, awaiting its upcoming landing attempt – a rare opportunity when both drone ships are in use at the same time. Just Read the Instructions is SpaceX’s latest drone, which was relocated to the east coast earlier this year after a series of new improvements.
Today’s launch comes just a day after SpaceX had to give up its 13th Starlink mission after a pause in the last second. This flight was to fire from nearby NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A. However, this mission has plagued and series of delays, mainly due to poor weather conditions at take-off and landing sites.
Two SpaceX catchers, GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Capo, are in the recovery area. It is unclear if SpaceX will try to capture the hulls when they fall back to Earth, or if it will simply pick them up after landing in water. (Whether or not to attempt to capture depends on many factors, including the weather and sea conditions in the recovery area.)
The company has managed to attempt to reuse most of the rocket, including repeatedly using different fairings on multiple missions. The rocket’s nose cone, also known as the payload fairing, accounts for about 10% of the rocket’s cost. By reusing them, SpaceX said it could save up to $ 6 million per flight.
After several weather launches this week, the forecast for today’s launch looks promising, as predicted by forecasters with the 45th Space Wing 70% chance of favorable conditions at the beginning. According to meteorological officials, the main problem is the potential formation of dense clouds that have the potential to produce lightning.
Today’s launch could take place less than 30 minutes after another launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. The mission will launch a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket that will transport the Cygnus NG-14 cargo ship to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft, which was disrupted late Thursday evening, carries nearly 4 tons of supplies to the station and will only launch if Northrop Grumman accurately identifies and fixes the fault that caused the disruption.
Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook.
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