SpaceX targets late-night Falcon 9 launch of GPS III-9 mission from Cape Canaveral
SpaceX planned a Falcon 9 mission to deliver the GPS III-9 satellite to medium-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral, with a late-evening launch window and a backup opportunity the following night. The first stage was expected to attempt a droneship landing in the Atlantic.
SpaceX targeted Monday, January 26 for a Falcon 9 launch carrying the GPS III-9 mission to medium-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The planned liftoff window was set for late evening, reflecting the timing constraints tied to orbital mechanics and range scheduling.
According to launch coverage, the 15-minute launch window was slated to open at 11:46 p.m. Eastern, with a backup opportunity available at 11:38 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, January 27 if weather, technical, or range issues forced a delay.
The mission highlighted the operational maturity of Falcon 9 as SpaceX continued to reuse boosters for national security and navigation payload work. The first stage assigned to GPS III-9 was listed as being on its fifth flight, underscoring the company’s routine reliance on reflown hardware.
After stage separation, SpaceX planned to recover the booster with a landing on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. Successful recovery would preserve the vehicle for future missions and reduce overall launch costs.
While the outcome would depend on real-time conditions, the attempt represented another data point in SpaceX’s high-tempo 2026 cadence. GPS payloads remain a central element of U.S. positioning and timing infrastructure, making mission performance and schedule reliability closely watched.