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Space

Final GPS III Satellite To Launch On Monday With Optical Cross Link Demonstration Payload

Frank Wolfe

Friday, April 17th, 2026

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Final GPS III Satellite To Launch On Monday With Optical Cross Link Demonstration Payload

Pictured is a SpaceX photo of a Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla. on Jan. 27th for the GPS III-9 mission.

On Monday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 is to carry the last GPS III satellite by Lockheed Martin [LMT] into orbit with an optical cross link payload designed to increase the durability of the constellation of 32 active GPS satellites. The GPS III-8 mission's optical cross link is a "demonstration payload that we're doing to test out the optical cross link capability with ground," Fang Qian, Lockheed Martin's vice president of GPS, said on Friday in a virtual forum with reporters,…

Congress

House Republicans’ Blueprint For Reconciliation 3.0 Includes $60 Billion For Defense

House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a blueprint for a third reconciliation bill that includes $60 billion for defense, a figure slightly below the Trump administration’s request to cover Iran war […]

Congress

Senate Dems Block Consideration Of FY ‘27 NDAA Over Iran War Concerns

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a vote to advance consideration of the chamber’s $1.14 trillion fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization (NDAA). The procedural vote was 46-50, failing to reach […]

Congress

Concerns Raised At SASC Hearing On Unobligated Reconciliation Funds And Lack Of Updates On Iran War Cost

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) raised concerns at a hearing on Tuesday about the majority of funds in the $153 billion first reconciliation bill being unobligated thus […]

Unmanned Systems

CBO Says Upfront Costs To Protect Military Installations From Drones Between $1 Million And $74 Million

The initial costs to acquire and deploy counter-small unmanned aircraft system (C-sUAS) defenses at individual Defense Department installations are estimated at between $1.2 million and $73.6 million depending on the […]