00:00What if the future of GPS just launched into space today?
00:03That's exactly what happened as the U.S. Space Force sent an experimental satellite called NTS-3 into orbit.
00:10And it could completely reshape how we use GPS.
00:13Launched from Cape Canaveral aboard a Vulcan rocket, NTS-3 is the first national security flight for this new launch vehicle.
00:21But this isn't just another satellite.
00:22It's a high-tech lab in space designed to test over 100 new features, like anti-spoofing signals, smarter autonomous operations, and revolutionary timekeeping systems.
00:34This tech could supercharge GPS accuracy and resilience, making it even more reliable for everything from navigation to military missions.
00:42Built by L-3 Harris and powered by the Air Force Research Lab, this mission is the most significant PNT, or Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, test since 1977.
00:53It was delayed for years, but that gave engineers extra time to add even more groundbreaking capabilities.
01:00If the Space Force likes what it sees, this tech could land on the next generation of GPS satellites, or even launch an entirely new class of small, low-cost spacecraft.
01:09The Space Race for the future of GPS? It just hit a whole new level.
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