SpaceX Launches US Military GPS Satellite After Several Delays

The launch of the rocket with a $500 million cargo was initially scheduled for December 18 but was later postponed several times due to technical and weather issues.

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying a military navigation satellite, constructed by Lockheed Martin Corporation, was launched Sunday from Florida's Cape Canaveral. This is the first US national security mission for the SpaceX company.

This cargo is the first of the 32 satellites, constructed by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force’s GPS III programme.

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The satellite constellation was slated for the launch in 2014, however, the programme has been delayed due to various reasons. According to the US Air Force, it would provide "three times greater accuracy and up to eight times the anti-jamming capabilities".