Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Satellite Takes a Road Trip...to the Sky!
In December 2024, the seventh Lockheed Martin-designed and -built Global Positioning System (GPS) III space vehicle, GPS III SV07, “Sally Ride,” launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, into orbit 12,550 miles above Earth.
This spacecraft joins the U.S. Space Force’s ongoing modernization of the GPS constellation, following GPS III SV06 that launched in 2023, bringing critical positioning, navigation and timing to military and civilian operations around the world.
But its rapid launch is only one part of the story.
A Lockheed Martin technician prepares the GPS III SV07 payload container to be loaded onto a truck. Credit: Lockheed Martin.
A 72-Hour Shipping Swap
In the early days of October, Lockheed Martin’s GPS team in Littleton, Colorado, began to plan and prepare GPS III SV07 for a standard transport to Florida – but something unexpected happened.
Typically, the satellite would be shipped via military aircraft. However, with emerging hurricanes making landfall in the U.S., military aircraft were prioritized for severe weather tracking and relief efforts. For the program to make its intended December launch window, our Lockheed Martin team had just three days to adjust and plan for a cross-country ground transport instead.
The complex web of logistics incurred by this new approach included elements like:
Sending a scouting crew out to map out the safest route
Arranging for back-up fuel and an alternate truck in case of a breakdown
Securing permissions from highway authorities across multiple states
Determining the extra precautions necessary to safely ship the spacecraft
“The seamless coordination and commitment from everyone involved turned a last-minute challenge into a transportation success – it was a true team effort, and we’re grateful for the support and confidence from our customer to make this happen,” said Malik Musawwir, vice president of Navigation Systems at Lockheed Martin.
GPS III SV07’s cross-country road trip mapped out to be just over 2,300 miles, from start to final destination. The trip would take several days, so the satellite had to be meticulously inspected and prepared to encounter – quite literally – any bump in the road.
The team prepared for several contingency scenarios to ensure the space vehicle would survive the rigors and hazards of road transportation. This included satellite stabilization, checking that cable connections were secure, plus constant monitoring and adjustment of environmental control systems.
It also meant paying close attention to the weather. Simple things like outside temperature, rain and excess humidity can all interfere with the precisely controlled environment inside the spacecraft’s shipment container.
A Fast-Approaching Hurricane
GPS III SV07’s shipment convoy begins its road trip with majestic Colorado mountains towering in the background. Credit: Lockheed Martin.
On the heels of GPS III SV07’s shipment, Florida was recovering from Hurricane Helene's late-September landfall. Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton was forming and steadily moving closer to the state, posing a new threat.
After carefully reviewing weather models using data provided from other Lockheed Martin-built spacecraft, the truck transporting SV07 departed on a clear Colorado morning in October.
Throughout the trip, the team monitored weather conditions and any weather-related damage at the final destination in Florida. All was well until the rue of all road-trippers befell the mission: a flat tire!
Thanks to their meticulous preparations, the transport crew was ahead of schedule, so they had enough time to fix and repair the tire before hitting the road once more.
Just six days after departure, GPS III SV07 arrived at its final earthly destination before launch in Florida, avoiding Hurricane Milton and setting the program on a path to successful launch just 60 days later.
Liftoff to Space
Thanks to the quick-thinking of the team to mobilize a new shipment plan, GPS III SV07 “Sally Ride” kept its rapid launch on schedule and took its next journey to space at approximately 7:52 p.m. ET, Dec. 16, 2024.
GPS III SV07 was the first GPS mission to reduce the traditional call-up-to-launch-time by approximately three months. This demonstrated the Space Force’s ability to rapidly provide operational readiness for national security launches.
Following a successful liftoff, Space Force and Lockheed Martin confirmed signal acquisition of GPS III SV07. As of January 2024, it was operationally accepted into the on-orbit GPS constellation.
From its birthplace in the foothills of Colorado to its epic road trip across the highways of America, and its final preparations on the Florida Coast, SV07 is now happily at its final destination in Space.
The space vehicle is now under operational control at Lockheed Martin’s Denver Launch & Checkout Operations Center, where it will continue final on-orbit checkouts prior to officially becoming the newest satellite in the operational GPS constellation.