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Space Force Switches GPS III-9 to SpaceX for Late-Night Florida Launch

The reassignment aims to accelerate delivery of M‑Code capability by using a flexible NSSL manifest.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in January 2023 carrying the sixth Lockheed Martin GPS III satellite into orbit. The ninth GPS III satellite will be launched aboard a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. Credit: SpaceX, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr
The Global Positioning System (GPS) III Space Vehicle (SV)09, named in honor of U.S. Air Force test pilot and NASA Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut Col. Ellison Onizuka, is encapsulated within a protective launch fairing in preparation for liftoff (Courtesy/SpaceX, NASA)

Overview

  • GPS III Space Vehicle 09 is set to fly on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral with a 15-minute window around 11:42 p.m. EST Monday and a backup opportunity Tuesday at 11:38 p.m.
  • The 45th Weather Squadron pegs Monday’s conditions at about 40% favorable with concerns over strong winds and recovery seas, improving to about 95% if delayed to Tuesday.
  • Falcon 9 booster B1096 will make its fifth flight and target a droneship landing on A Shortfall of Gravitas about 8.5 minutes after liftoff.
  • The move marks the third GPS mission shifted from ULA’s Vulcan to SpaceX, with officials also trading a later GPS IIIF assignment from Falcon Heavy to Vulcan to rebalance tasks.
  • Space Systems Command says the swap prioritizes faster orbit delivery of the jam‑resistant, M‑Code‑capable satellite, noting contractual delay penalties exist when missions change vehicles.