USA-343

Artist's rendering of GPS-III SV06 in orbit
Names	Navstar 82 GPS-III SV06 Amelia Earhart
Mission type	Navigation
Operator	USSF
COSPAR ID	2023-009A
SATCAT no.	55268
Mission duration	15 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	GPS-III SV06
Spacecraft type	GPS Block III
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
Launch mass	4352 kg
Power	watts
Start of mission
Launch date	18 January 2023, 12:24 UTC
Rocket	Falcon 9 B1077.2
Launch site	Cape Canaveral, SLC-40
Contractor	SpaceX
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Medium Earth orbit (Semi-synchronous orbit)
Perigee altitude	20,178 km (12,538 mi)
Apogee altitude	20,200 km (12,600 mi)
Inclination	55.1°
Period	718.0 minutes

USA-343, also known as GPS-III SV06, NAVSTAR 82 or Amelia Earhart, is a United States navigation satellite which forms part of the Global Positioning System. It was the sixth GPS Block III satellite to be launched.^[1]

Satellite

SV06 is the sixth GPS Block III satellite. It was declared operational on 31 January 2023.^[2]

The spacecraft is built on the Lockheed Martin A2100 satellite bus, and weighs approximately 4,352 kg (9,595 lb).^[1]

Launch

USA-343 was launched by SpaceX on 18 January 2023 at 12:24 UTC, atop Falcon 9 booster B1077.

The launch took place from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and placed USA-343 directly into semi-synchronous orbit. About eight minutes after launch, Falcon 9 successfully landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.^[1]

Orbit

As of 2023, USA-343 was in a 55.1 degree inclination orbit with a perigee of 20,178 kilometers (12,538 mi) and an apogee of 20,200 km (12,600 mi).^[3]

References