Core Insights - Lockheed Martin's GPS III SV09 satellite enhances capabilities and resilience of the GPS constellation, crucial for military and civilian applications [1][5] Group 1: Launch and Operational Details - GPS III SV09 was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:53 p.m. ET and achieved signal acquisition shortly after [2] - The satellite is currently under operational control at Lockheed Martin's Denver Launch & Checkout Operations Center until it is officially accepted into the GPS operational control network [2] Group 2: Military and Security Features - GPS III SV09 provides advanced security and anti-jamming features, ensuring precise navigation and timing in contested environments, which is vital for national security and defense missions [3] - The GPS III satellites offer three-times better accuracy and eight-times improved anti-jamming capabilities, along with M-code navigation signals for global warfighters [3] Group 3: Importance of GPS Constellation - Each additional GPS III satellite enhances accuracy and provides resilient signals for essential services like aviation, precision agriculture, and telecommunications [4] - Sustaining and expanding the GPS constellation is critical as it ages, with new satellites required to maintain uninterrupted global coverage [4] Group 4: Future Developments - The launch of GPS III SV09 is a significant step towards enhancing the resilience of the GPS constellation, laying the groundwork for the upcoming GPS IIIF satellites, which will offer 60-times more anti-jam capabilities [5] - GPS III SV09 is equipped with a laser retroreflector array to improve measurements of the Earth's orientation for the GPS coordinate system [5][6]