A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Lockheed Martin-built GPS III Space Vehicle 9 satellite for the U.S. Space Force to medium-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:53 p.m. on 27 January 2026.

According to Lockheed Martin, "For the military, GPS III SV09 delivers advanced security and anti-jamming features, which brings uninterrupted, precise navigation and timing in contested or denied environments, safeguarding national-security and defense missions. Overall, GPS III satellites deliver three-times better accuracy, eight-times improved anti-jamming capabilities, and M-code navigation signals for warfighters globally.

Each additional GPS III satellite delivers increased accuracy with resilient signals that enable essential services such as aviation, precision agriculture, and telecommunications timing. Sustaining and expanding the GPS constellation is essential as the constellation ages. Adding new GPS spacecraft is required to maintain uninterrupted global coverage, and the forthcoming GPS IIIF satellites will deliver even greater capabilities."

Following stage separation, Falcon 9's first stage landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

This is the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched KF-01, IMAP, NROL-77, and one Starlink mission.