spacenews.com·Apr 21, 2026
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the final GPS 3 satellite, SV-10, into orbit for the U.S. Space Force on April 21, 2023. This satellite enhances the Global Positioning System with improved accuracy and anti-jamming capabilities, and it carries an experimental optical communications terminal for testing high-speed data transmission in space.
The successful launch of the final GPS 3 satellite by SpaceX's Falcon 9 for the U.S. Space Force underscores SpaceX's growing role in military satellite deployments. This trend could signal expanding opportunities for SpaceX in the defense sector, particularly as the Space Force transitions to the next-generation GPS 3F satellites with enhanced capabilities.