3.8K views · 416 reactions | Yesterday's launch of the sixth GPS III satellite was a sight to behold! But what does it take to prepare a satellite for its mission in the harsh environment of space? Here's a glimpse at some of the work our teams and partners put in to make GPS III ready to serve more than 4 billion civil and military users globally with its position, navigation and timing signals. | Lockheed Martin | Facebook

January 17th - on this day in 1997, a McDonnell Douglas-built Delta II 7925 exploded 13 seconds after liftoff from Space Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. One of the nine GEM 40 solid rocket boosters assisting the first stage upon ascent had suffered a catastrophic failure. The mission was to carry the first Block IIR GPS satellite, GPS IIR-1, to Medium Earth Orbit. | NASASpaceflight.com