The US Space Force plans to launch the next GPS III satellite in late May as part of a rapid launch mission. This demonstrates the ability to complete high-priority launches on truncated timelines.
The upcoming mission will incorporate lessons learned from the Space Force’s first Rapid Response Trailblazer effort in December 2024, where they quickly planned and launched a GPS III satellite in months instead of years.
Lockheed Martin built the GPS III spacecraft and has already loaded it onto a truck for transport to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft is being processed by Delta 31 at Space Operations Command.
The successful launch of two recent GPS missions means Lockheed now has only two GPS III satellites in storage, with the remaining two expected to be ready for launch this year.
The company is now looking ahead to the first launch of the next variant, GPS IIIF, in late 2026 or early 2027. This will bring improved anti-jam capability and an improved civilian signal.
The Space Force has at least 31 operational GPS satellites in orbit, with concerns growing about the vulnerability of its constellation due to jamming and spoofing threats. To address this, the service is exploring new options for delivering positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities, including a new constellation of small GPS satellites called Resilient GPS.
The Space Force is also wrapping up a broader study of its PNT architecture, which will define a roadmap for its future mix of PNT capabilities. This analysis should be completed this summer.
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/space/2025/04/07/space-force-eyes-late-may-launch-of-next-gps-iii-satellite