Scheduled for (UTC) 2026-01-28, 04:38:17
Scheduled for (local) 2026-01-27, 23:38:17 (EST)
Launch site SLC-40 Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA
Booster B1096-5
Landing A Shortfall Of Gravitas
Payload GPS III SV09
Mass 4,352 kg
Customer USSF
Target Orbit MEO

Webcasts

Stream Link
Space Affairs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqoxVxXM1Io
Spaceflight Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLtxlG9cwpQ
NASASpaceflight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJmrzwrbjGI
The Launch Pad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da_1NI9wYvw
SpaceX https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2016370712508776921
The Space Devs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkGXtdaIOjM

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 6th launch from SLC-40 this year

☑️ 9 days, 5:06:37 turnaround for this pad

☑️ 49 days, 9:21:52 turnaround for B1096

☑️ 141st landing on ASOG

☑️ 570th Falcon Family Booster landing, 581st Falcon recovery attempt

☑️ 11th Falcon 9 mission this year, 594th overall

☑️ 11th SpaceX mission this year, 621st overall (excluding Starship test flights)

☑️ 11th SpaceX launch this year, 630th overall (including Starship test flights)

Mission info

GPS III SV09, originally scheduled to launch on a ULA Vulcan rocket, was reassigned to Falcon 9. As a result, GPS IIIF-3, originally planned to launch on a Falcon Heavy, will now launch on Vulcan.

GPS III SV09

GPS III (Global Positioning System) is the first evolution of the third generation of GPS satellites. The U.S. Air Force announced in May 2008 that a team led by Lockheed Martin had won the competition to build the next-generation Global Positioning System (Navstar) Space System program, known as GPS III.

This program will improve position, navigation, and timing services for warfighter and civil users worldwide and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy, and reliability.

When fully deployed, the GPS III constellation will feature a cross-linked command and control architecture, allowing the entire GPS constellation to be updated simultaneously from a single ground station. Additionally, a new spot beam capability for enhanced military (M-Code) coverage and increased resistance to hostile jamming will be incorporated. These enhancements will improve accuracy and ensure availability for military and civilian users worldwide.