Elon Musk’s SpaceX won a $96.5 million contract with the Air Force to launch a GPS satellite.
The satellite will equip the Air Force with superior anti-jamming capabilities and improved navigation, according to The Los Angeles Times. The Hawthorne, California-based aerospace company will launch the GPS III satellite in 2019 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
SpaceX will provide launch vehicle production, mission integration, launch operations, spaceflight worthiness, and mission unique activities for the satellite, according to the Department of Defense. The contract was the result of a competitive acquisition, with two offers received. SpaceX will perform the work in California, Florida and Texas
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement to The Los Angeles Times that the company was proud to be selected for the contract.
“We appreciate the confidence that the U.S. Air Force has placed in our company,” she said.
The Air Force projects represents one of thousands of satellites SpaceX plans to launch in the coming years. Musk’s company recently filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 4,425 satellites to provide high-speed internet coverage. Each satellite will weigh about 850 pounds and orbit at altitudes ranging from 715 miles to 790 miles.
To provide some perspective, there are only 1,419 active satellites orbiting Earth, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, with an additional 2,600 satellites that no longer work floating around in space.
SpaceX was certified by the Air Force in 2015 to launch national security satellites, per The Times, edging in on a monopoly held by dubbed United Launch Alliance — a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. In 2016, SpaceX won its first national security satellite launch contract worth $82.7 million.
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