SpaceX launches newest GPS satellite on reused booster

June 17 – SpaceX launches a GPS satellite on a reused booster for the first time. With predicted 70% chance of acceptable weather conditions, Falcon 9 lifted off with GPS-III-SV05 satellite right on time at 12:09EDT (16:09 UTC). This was the 19th Falcon 9 launch in 2021, and GPS-III-SV05 is the company’s fourth overall mission for the GPS program and the first to use reused a first stage booster.

At T+8:30 the first stage touched down on JRTI droneship in Atlantic. After two burns of the second stage and a coast phase, satellite successfully deplyed at T+1:29:27.