Those statements indicated that the Space Force would likely transfer the GPS intended for the next Vulcan rocket to another launch vehicle. This change has been confirmed. On Friday, Space Systems Command announced that GPS III SV10 will now be launched using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in late April.
Each GPS III satellite weighs over four tons at launch. The Space Force has certified only SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, along with ULA’s Vulcan, for such missions. SpaceX’s reusable boosters allow for frequent launches, enabling the company to accommodate new missions on short notice.
Colonel Ryan Hiserote, director of the National Security Space Launch program, said, “With this change, we are answering the call for rapid delivery of advanced GPS capability while the Vulcan anomaly investigation continues.” He added that this demonstrates the team’s flexibility and commitment to exploring all options for reliable national launches.
This situation is challenging for United Launch Alliance (ULA), which was previously the sole launch provider for the US military. SpaceX began its involvement in military launches in 2018 after winning the right to compete against ULA. The Pentagon opened its contracts to competitive bidding, resulting in SpaceX winning a significant number of recent contracts.
The Pentagon’s policy has been to ensure access to space since the 1990s, following several launch failures. While ULA has a backlog of over $8 billion in military contracts, SpaceX currently provides the most reliable access to space.
