U.S. Space Force demonstrated new rapid-response capability on May 30 when they successfully launched the GPS III-07 satellite aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Known as “Katherine Johnson,” the satellite carries enhanced M-code technology, offering users three times the positioning accuracy and eight times the resistance to jamming compared to previous models.
“A healthy GPS constellation has proven time and again that it is an engine for spurring economic growth. As Deputy Transportation Secretary [Steven] Bradbury noted during his keynote at the Space Policy Institute, the 2019 NIST report documenting $1.4 trillion in economic benefits didn’t include benefits to the transportation sector, so that number is significantly lower than the actual benefits accrued,” said Lisa Dyer, GPS Innovation Alliance executive director, who said that the satellite will not only deliver greater anti-jamming capabilities, but more civil signals. “Multi-frequency receivers and devices are more resilient, and companies that provide these capabilities are far more competitive in this highly competitive field.”
This mission highlighted a collaborative process that drew the satellite from storage and sped it through integration and launch preparations in just three months—a 40 percent reduction from the previous GPS III Rapid Response Trailblazer mission, the Space Force said.
Lockheed Martin Wins $510 Million Modification for GPS III Satellites
In related news, Lockheed Martin LMT 0.00%↑ has secured a $509.7 million contract modification from the U.S. Department of Defense to build GPS III Follow‑On satellites 21 and 22—part of a deal overseen by Space Systems Command. Work will be conducted at the company’s Littleton, Colo. facility, with completion expected by November 2031 and $55 million in fiscal 2025 missile procurement funds obligated at award time.
The latest contract modification brings the total value of Lockheed’s GPS III follow-on work to more than $4.1 billion.
