Cape Canaveral, fl. – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will provide an enhanced missile Global matching satellite (GPS) goes into orbit for the U.S. Space Force today (September 30), which can be viewed live online.
Plane – 17th launch this year SpaceX And its working Falcon 9 rocket – the space launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida is scheduled to explode at 40:59 (2155 GMT). The rocket carries the GPS III SV04 satellite to the space force.
you can Check out the release directly here And on the Space.com homepage, courtesy of SpaceX, 15 minutes before Liftoff. You can Check out the output directly from SpaceX.
Related: US GPS Satellite Network explained
If all goes as planned today, it will be the fourth launch of the upgraded next-generation GPS III satellite. Two different Falcon 9 rockets are launched, the first Launched In December 2018 And this The third on June 30 this year. The second GPS II satellite was launched on the last Delta IV medium rocket In August 2019. As the military moves to improve the aging network, SpaceX has received the next few launches.
Built Lockheed Martin In Colorado, these Advanced Global Positioning Satellites (or GPS) are the most advanced satellites ever made. They boast eight times more strong anti-jam capabilities than previous iterations, and have more powerful signals for increased accuracy.
Today’s launch site is the 4th in a series of upgraded 10 GPS III satellites for the military, joining the current galaxy of satellites already in orbit. They help provide stabilization, navigation and on-time services to over four billion users worldwide.
Last week, the Space Force announced that the U.S. military had granted SpaceX permission Let the national defense payloads fly on rockets that have flown before. This comes in the wake of another recent decision to allow SpaceX to recover the first phase of the rocket used in national security missions – something previously not allowed.
SpaceX will launch the next two GPS missions – GPS III-SV05 and GPS III-SV06 – in the first stages of Senior Falcon 9. The flying rockets on those two passengers will land back on Earth once their missions are complete, and will be launched next year.
However, today’s work will use a glossy new Falcon 9 booster called the P1062. These days it is rare to see a new Falcon 9 above the missile pad because the company relies on its senior flyers to launch the majority of its passengers. For today’s aircraft, the B1062 will carry an advanced universal fitting satellite into orbit, replacing the aging predecessor launched 20 years ago.
Related: China launches final photo satellite for GPS navigation system
Today’s flight marks the 94th launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and the 61st first stage recovery. SpaceX’s drone of course I Still Love You is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, awaiting its planned rescue effort. About nine minutes after the liftoff is completed, the first stage of the rocket is expected to hit the deck of the massive ship.
The company’s other drone Just Reed the Instructions also hangs out in the Atlantic, awaiting its upcoming landing attempt, marking a rare occasion when both drones are used simultaneously. Just Read the Instructions was relocated to the East Coast earlier this year after receiving SpaceX’s new drone and new upgrades.
Today’s release comes a day after SpaceX had to step down from its 13th Starling mission Last second after abortion. The plane will explode from a nearby Bat 39 AV at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. However, that mission is a victim A series of delays, Mainly due to bad weather at launch and landing sites.
Two reasonable catchers of SpaceX, GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief, are stationed in the rescue zone. It is unclear whether SpaceX will try to capture the exhibits when they return to Earth or wipe them out once they land on the water. (Whether or not a capture is attempted depends on a number of factors, including weather and sea states in the rescue zone.)
The company has been successful in its attempts to reuse multiple rockets, reusing multiple justifications on multiple missions. The nose cone of the rocket, also known as the payload fairing, is about 10% of the price of the rocket. By reusing them, SpaceX claims to be able to save $ 6 million per aircraft.
Following several weather-related launch scrubs this week, the forecast for today’s launch looks promising, as meteorologists with the 45th Space Division predict 70% chance of favorable conditions In the elevator. According to meteorologists, the main concern is the formation of thick clouds, which have the potential to generate lightning.
Another launch from NASA’s Wallops Airport on Wallops Island, Virginia, could begin within 30 minutes tonight. The mission was to launch a Northrop Krumman Andros rocket carrying the Cygnus NG-14 cargo ship to NASA’s International Space Station. Spacecraft, It was discontinued late Thursday, Carries nearly 4 tons of supplies to the station, and will only be launched if Northrobe points out the dilemma that caused the Croman abortion.
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