A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled a U.S. Space Force GPS 3 satellite on June 30. The rocket lifted off at 4:10 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral, Florida,

Around eight minutes after liftoff, SpaceX handled the Falcon 9’s pristine first stage on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

This was the Falcon 9’s 87th fruitful mission the 49th first stage recouped by SpaceX. It likewise denoted the first run through the organization recuperated a supporter following a National Security Space Launch strategic.

The $568 million payload, the third GPS 3 satellite made by Lockheed Martin, isolated from the rocket’s second stage around one hour and 29 minutes after liftoff. The satellite was sent in a medium Earth circle at a height of around 12,550 miles.

SpaceX’s first dispatch of a GPS 3 satellite was on Dec. 23, 2018. Following the June 30 strategic, company is under agreement to dispatch three additional GPS 3 satellites throughout the following two years.

Tonya Ladwig, VP of Lockheed Martin Space Systems’ Navigation Systems Division said GPS 3 satellites give multiple times more prominent precision and up to multiple times more enemy of sticking force than the previous age of satellites. It likewise includes another L1C civil sign.

The new GPS 3 will join a group of stars of 31 GPS satellites at present in activity. Each satellite circles the earth two times a day.

Lockheed Martin said the new satellite is reacting to orders from program engineers in the dispatch and-checkout office in Denver.

Ladwing said the satellite’s locally available fluid apogee motors will impel it towards its operational circle in the coming days. “Once it arrives, we’ll send the satellite commands to deploy its solar arrays and antennas, and prepare the satellite for handover to Space Operations Command.”