"The United States Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has decided to reschedule the launch of GPS III SV03 (GPS III-3) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to minimise the potential of COVID-19 exposure to the launch crew and early-orbit operators", the Space Force said.
Falcon 9 with 60 Starlink Satellites lifts off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
© Photo : YouTube/Starlink Mission
"The current GPS constellation is healthy, allowing for a strategic pause to ensure the health and safety of our force without operational impact. Originally scheduled for late April 2020, the launch is now projected for no-earlier than 30 June, pending a re-evaluation in May", it said.
The GPS III-3 satellite was scheduled to be launched on 29 April via a Falcon 9 carrier rocket from the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The launch was delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far killed around 13,000 people and infected almost 400,000 in the country.
