L3Harris Announces Successful Launch Of Experimental Navigation Satellite System

L3Harris Technologies (LHX) announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Space Force successfully launched its Navigation Technology Satellite-3 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket.

The NTS-3, built by L3Harris, is the Department of Defense’s first experimental navigation satellite system in nearly 50 years, the company noted. It is also the first fully reprogrammable Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) satellite, the firm said, adding that it is also smaller and lighter than traditional PNT satellites. The satellites’ payload technology is modular and scalable and can be configured to fly on different satellite buses.

“The need for accurate and uninterrupted PNT has never been more essential to our warfighters who operate in GPS-denied environments,” said Ed Zoiss, President of Space and Airborne Systems at L3Harris.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around LHX trended in the ‘bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume remained at ‘low’ levels.

L3Harris delivered NTS-3 three times faster and at lower cost than similar programs, the company said. Once on-orbit, the satellite will perform experiments to shape future U.S. space-based PNT capabilities. The Vulcan rocket carrying the satellite lifted off on August 12 at 8:56 p.m. EDT. It marked the first National Security Space Launch aboard the Vulcan rocket developed by ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Vulcan has launched two other missions since its debut in January 2024, but neither carried military satellites.

LHX stock is up by 28% this year and by about 18% over the past 12 months.

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