The newest third-generation GPS satellite was launched into orbit from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday evening. However, unlike previous GPS missions, the launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was a first-of-its-kind mission for the US Space Force.

The launch, previously known simply as “RRT-1,” actually stands for “Rapid Response Trailblazer.” On board was the GPS 3 Space Vehicle (SV) 07 (GPS 3 SV-07). Lockheed Martin, the satellite’s manufacturer, confirmed the successful signal acquisition less than two hours after launch at 7:52 p.m. EST (0052 UTC).

The spacecraft will continue to operate from Lockheed Martin’s Denver Launch & Checkout Operations Center “until it is officially added to the current GPS-31 satellite constellation,” the company said.

The spacecraft was originally scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket. The launch was one of five missions awarded to ULA in the third year of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract.

However, the Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) is still working on data related to Vulcan’s two certification flights and has not yet certified the rocket to begin NSSL missions.

To get the satellite and its capabilities into orbit more quickly, several parts of the Space Force and Lockheed Martin, the satellite’s manufacturer, worked to move from one rocket to another in a comparatively short period of time.

“This launch was a remarkable achievement that underscores the Space Force’s ability to conduct high-priority launches of critical space systems in significantly less time,” said Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel officer for Launch Execution at AATS. “As an added benefit, it also demonstrates the flexibility to adjust our manifest to minimize the impact of Vulcan delays.

“In this case, the revised planning for this RRT began with launch minus five months instead of our normal launch minus 24 months. Not only does it demonstrate the teams’ ability to respond to new constellation requirements, but it is also a testament to our flexibility and responsiveness to deliver capabilities as quickly as spacecraft operational readiness allows. In this case, it is not just the fighters, but the nation and our allies around the world who rely on GPS every day.”

The shortened time frame presented logistical challenges not only to the Space Force, but also to Lockheed Martin. Part of the shift was determining how the GPS 3 SV-07 would get from Lockheed Martin facilities in Littleton, Colorado to Florida.

Normally a spacecraft like this would fly by air, but because the typical military aircraft that would be used for such a mission were involved in response operations related to Hurricane Milton, the satellite had to make a 2,337-mile journey by road. Lockheed Martin said it arrived in Florida six days after departing Colorado.

“We supported our customers’ vision for an accelerated launch of this GPS satellite, ultimately helping them achieve rapid operational readiness,” Malik Musawwir, vice president of navigation systems at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement. “Time is of the essence for national security missions, and we have quickly deployed this critical capability to the Space Force to meet rapid demand for secure, advanced positioning, navigation and timing signals.”

In addition, the company said part of the prelaunch preparation work included equipping the spacecraft with a secure military code, a so-called “M-Code.”

“All GPS III spacecraft, including SV07, are equipped with M-Code. “M-Code is an advanced new signal designed to improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing and improve secure access to military GPS signals for U.S. and allied forces,” Lockheed Martin said in a statement. “GPS-III spacecraft provide up to eight times more anti-jamming performance than GPS-II spacecraft, and M-Code has been in service since 2020.”

The comparatively rapid transition from one launch provider to another is an example of what Space Force leaders emphasized as critically important to the government during the Space Force Association’s recent Spacepower conference: rapid response capability in space.

In a statement after the launch, Col. Andrew Menschner, the mission commander for the Delta 31 mission, noted that the pivot shortened the normally six-month processing window for a GPS 3 SV to about three months.

“This was an amazing achievement across multiple teams and agencies,” Menschner said. “This launch demonstrated our ability to respond quickly to an operational need, such as a failure of a vehicle’s GPS constellation in orbit, and also demonstrated our willingness to challenge traditional launch schedules in response to a realistic scenario.”

The Block Three GPS satellites have an expected lifespan of approximately 15 years. This series of spaceships is named after famous explorers and pioneers. SV-07 was named “Sally Ride,” the first American woman in space.