SpaceX Launches Rapid Response GPS Mission

SpaceX launched a secretive quick-reaction mission for the Space Force on Monday evening, flying a GPS III satellite aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The effort, called Rapid Response Trailblazer, was intended to demonstrate the ability to quickly plan and launch a mission in about six months — a process that normally takes about two years.

“The mission successfully demonstrated a complex integration effort across multiple Space Force organizations to pull an existing GPS III satellite from storage, accelerate integration and launch vehicle readiness, and rapidly process for launch,” the Space Force said in a statement.

The launch took off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida around 19:52 and the first stage booster landed on a drone ship after releasing the GPS payload.

The space force has proven through its tactically responsive space program that it can quickly launch small payloads on commercial rockets, but this mission was the first to involve a large Launch of National Security Space-class payload.

For the Rapid Response Trailblazer, Space Force procurers at Space Systems Command worked closely with operators at Space Operations Command to prepare and integrate the payload for launch. Walt Lauderdale, mission director for Monday’s launch, said adaptation was key to the successful mission.

“This partnership is an example of new and faster ways we can deliver launch in support of future warfighter needs,” Lauderdale said in a statement. “The Space Force quickly energized multiple organizations, and the joint team delivered a specific, important mission into orbit in record time.”

The GPS III satellite that was launched was built by Lockheed Martin and had been in storage awaiting a ride from the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, which has faced delays and is not yet certified to fly national security missions. Space News reported that the decision to reroute the satellite to a SpaceX Falcon came earlier this year.