| Names list | Navstar 86 GPS-III SV10 Hedy Lamarr USA-585 |
|---|---|
| Operator | USSF |
| Cospar id | 2026-087A |
| Satcat | 68791 |
| Spacecraft | GPS-III SV10 |
| GPS Block III | GPS-III SV10 |
| Spacecraft bus | A2100M |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Launch date | 21 April 2026, 06:53 UTC |
| Launch rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 |
| Launch contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbit reference | Geocentric orbit |
| Orbit regime | Medium Earth orbit (Semi-synchronous orbit) |
| Programme | GPS Series |
| Previous mission | GPS III-09 Ellison Onizuka |
USA-585 (also known as GPS III-10, NAVSTAR 86 and Hedy Lamarr), is a United States navigation satellite which forms part of the Global Positioning System.[1][2] It was launched by Falcon 9 on 21 April 2026.[3][4][5] It is the 10th and final satellite in the GPS III series.[3][5]
Satellite
The satellite was named in 2021 after Hedy Lamarr, the inventor of the frequency-hopping technology.[6][7][8] Construction of the satellite was completed in February 2023.[9] The satellite includes a Tesat-Spacecom SCOT80 optical communications terminal, intended to perform the first laser communications test from a GPS satellite at medium Earth orbit.[9][10][11]
Launch
The satellite's launch was originally awarded to SpaceX but it was later switched to ULA for a mission exchange to launch GPS III-07 Sally Ride on Falcon 9 and later in March 2026 it was reassigned to SpaceX because of delays due to recent Vulcan solid rocket booster issues during the launch of the USSF-87 mission.[3][9] In exchange, ULA was awarded with USSF-70 mission originally planned for launch on Falcon Heavy.[12][13] The launch mission was named GPS III-8.[14]
References
- ^ "GPS-3 (Navstar-3)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
- ^ "Falcon 9 • GPS III-8 – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ "SpaceX launches advanced GPS satellite for US Space Force after rocket swap (photos)". Space. 2026-04-21. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ "GPS III SV10 | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Next Spaceflight". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ Erwin, Sandra (2026-04-21). "Falcon 9 launches final GPS 3 satellite into orbit for U.S. Space Force". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ "First of Its Name, Last of Its Kind Core Mate Complete for Final GPS III Space Vehicle; Bring on the GPS IIIFs". 8 December 2021.
- ^ GNSS, Inside (2021-12-17). "Tenth GPS III Satellite Named for Inventor of Technique at Base of CDMA Signal Structure". Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ Service, City News. "Space Force to Launch GPS Satellite Named for Hedy Lamarr | REAL 92.3". LA Local News. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ Yoder, Sean (2026-04-20). "Launch Preview: GPS, Progress, and Starlink missions to launch during busy week". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ Jewett, Rachel (2024-12-03). "Lockheed Martin Selects Tesat Optical Terminals for GPS Demonstration". Via Satellite. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ Erwin, Sandra (2026-02-24). "Lockheed Martin presses case that GPS upgrade will counter jamming threats". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ "USSF prioritizes GPS III capability delivery timeline, executes launch provider exchange for NSSL mission". USSF. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ D'Urso, Andrea (2026-04-21). "L'ultimo satellite GPS III è arrivato in orbita con un Falcon 9 di SpaceX" (in it-IT). AstroSpace. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ "GPS III-8 Mission". Launches. SpaceX. Retrieved 21 April 2026.