Photo Credit: SpaceX/Twitter
Stay on target SpaceX's Military Satellite Launch Is Delayed Again SpaceX Delays First US National Security Space Mission Due to Storms
After a week of delayed launch attempts, SpaceX finally completed its first U.S. national security space mission.
SpaceX announced the news on its Twitter account , where it said, “All systems and weather are gofor today’s Falcon 9 launch of the GPS III SV01 satellite.” On Sunday, a 26-minute window opened at 8:51 a.m. EST to launch the satellite, and SpaceX posted a livewebcast link for viewers.
Webcast of Falcon 9 launch is now live → https://t.co/gtC39uBC7z pic.twitter.com/BOFlGKd0KK
― SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 23, 2018
At 8:51 a.m. EST, the Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral site, and sent the GPS III SV01 satellite to space. Another launch was scheduled for Saturday and Thursday, however, strong winds and thunderstorms halted both lift-off attempts.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/pi78HVFs6J
― SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 23, 2018
Two hours later, SpaceX published an update on Twitter and confirmed that the GPS III SV01 satellite was successfully deployed to medium Earth orbit.
Successful deployment of GPS III SV01 to medium Earth orbit confirmed. pic.twitter.com/4lhJpwdsip
― SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 23, 2018
The GPS III SV01 satellite has a lifespan of 15 years, and it’s the first to launch out of 32 satellites that are being created by Lockheed for the Air Force GPS III Program, Chip Eschenfelder, a Lockheed spokesperson, told Reuters in an article .
GPS III SV01 will also have some company next year. According to Eschenfelder, the next GPS III satellite is set to launch in mid-2019 and additional satellites will be tested at Lockheed’s processing facility in Colorado.
More on Geek.com:
SpaceX’s Military Satellite Launch is Delayed Again SpaceX Delays Launch of First Falcon 9 Rocket to Fly Three Times NASA Sets Date for First Uncrewed SpaceX Rocket Launch