GPS III-SV04 takes flight atop new Falcon 9 booster, B1062
Liftoff of Falcon 9 B1062.1 from SLC-40, carrying the United States Space Force GPS III-SV04 payload to orbit. Photo: Theresa Cross, Spaceflight Insider.
On November 5 at 6:24 p.m. EST, SpaceX successfully launched the fourth in a series of third-generation global positioning
satellite, departing from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40.
Standing ready for its first-mission flight, Falcon 9 booster B1062 and GPS III-SV04 sit at SLC-40. Photo: Theresa Cross, Spaceflight Insider.
Flying atop a new SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster (serial 1062), GPS III-SV04 was built by Lockheed Martin for the United States Space Force. The next satellite in the series scheduled to fly, SV05, is currently slated to be the first to fly atop a previously flown booster – in this case, the very same B1062. This mission is scheduled to fly in July 2021.
Returning to the SV04 launch, booster 1062 was recovered as expected approximately 9 minutes following liftoff, coming to rest aboard the SpaceX autonomous drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You”. Fairing retrieval for this mission received support from a local chartered ship “Big Stone Leader” working alongside GO Ms. Chief.
SpaceX confirmed that the payload was successfully deployed and achieved good orbit.
GPS III-SV04 arcs away from Florida’s Space Coast atop a Falcon 9 rocket, Thursday November 5, 2020. Photo: Theresa Cross, Spaceflight Insider
Theresa Cross
Theresa Cross grew up on the Space Coast. It’s only natural that she would develop a passion for anything “Space” and its exploration. During these formative years, she also discovered that she possessed a talent and love for defining the unique quirks and intricacies that exist in mankind, nature, and machines. Hailing from a family of photographers—including her father and her son, Theresa herself started documenting her world through pictures at a very early age. As an adult, she now exhibits an innate photographic ability to combine what appeals to her heart and her love of technology to deliver a diversified approach to her work and artistic presentations. Theresa has a background in water chemistry, fluid dynamics, and industrial utility.
