Lockheed Martin successfully launched its ninth GPS III satellite (SV09) from Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on January 27. SV09 joins a constellation that now includes GPS III satellites SV01 through SV10, completing that production phase more than a year ahead of schedule. Each GPS III spacecraft delivers three times better positional accuracy than its predecessors and incorporates anti-jamming capabilities that are 60 times more powerful. The new satellites also feature a modernized military signal encryption system designed to thwart spoofing and ensure secure communications for U.S. and allied forces. Lockheed’s streamlined production line is now transitioning to the next-generation GPS IIIF series, under a $7.2 billion contract awarded in 2022, which will introduce enhanced search-and-rescue support and a fully digital navigation payload by 2027.

Lockheed Martin and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) have announced a joint venture called Emberpoint to develop an integrated wildfire risk management platform. Emberpoint will combine Lockheed’s satellite-based remote sensing capabilities with PG&E’s local grid data to deliver real-time fire detection, behavior modeling and pre-emptive power-shutoff coordination. Initial pilots are scheduled to launch in three Northern California counties by summer 2026, leveraging Lockheed’s Firefly optical payloads on low-Earth-orbit satellites and PG&E’s network of over 200,000 smart meters. The partners estimate Emberpoint could reduce wildfire damage by up to 30% and prevent an estimated $1.5 billion in property losses over five years, opening a potential new revenue stream in the growing climate-resilience market.