At 14:53 Beijing Time on April 21, the U.S. Space Force successfully launched the eighth and final satellite in the GPS-III positioning and navigation satellite series using SpaceX's seven-time-flown Falcon 9 rocket B1095.7. Next, the U.S. Space Force plans to launch upgraded GPS-IIIF satellites to replace older ones. The launch mission, codenamed 'Space Vehicle 10' and also known as 'Hedy Lamarr,' utilized frequency-hopping technology that laid the foundation for modern communication technologies. In addition to enhancing networking capabilities, the GPS III-8 satellite will conduct optical crosslink demonstrations and carry a new digital atomic clock to improve positioning accuracy. Originally planned for launch by the Vulcan rocket, the mission was later switched to the Falcon 9 rocket due to unforeseen circumstances. This marks the fourth time a GPS satellite launch has been changed to a Falcon 9, highlighting the leading position of the U.S. commercial space industry. After the rocket launch, the first-stage booster was successfully recovered at sea.
