A Falcon 9 carrying GPS III SV01 lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Dec. 23, 2018 at 8:51 a.m. EST. The first GPS III to be launched will join the current GPS constellation comprised of 31 operational spacecraft. GPS satellites operate in medium earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket poised for liftoff carrying GPS III SV01 mission for the US Air Force from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, on Dec. 20, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM –19 December 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL- Will the third time be the charm? After scrubbing this morning’s 2nd

NASA’s InSight spacecraft, its heat shield and its parachute were imaged on Dec. 6,  and 11, 2018 by the HiRISE camera onboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.  Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM –18 December 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL –  The exact location of the newest resident on Mars, NASA’s InSight Lander, has been uncovered thanks to detective work

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket venting liquid oxygen in the final minutes of countdown for launch on Dec. 18, 2018 until temperature issue forced 24 hour scrub to Dec. 19 for 9:07 a.m. EST liftoff of advanced GPS III SV01 mission for the US Air Force from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com Ken

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket poised at night on Dec. 17 for liftoff on GPS III SV01 mission for the US Air Force from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, on Dec. 18, 2018 at 9:11 am EST. Expendable booster will not be recovered and lacks grid fins and landing legs. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com &

Technicians prepare to encapsulate Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Space Vehicle 01 within a SpaceX payload fairing at Astrotech Space Operations’ Florida facility on Dec. 7.  Scheduled for SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on Dec. 18, 2018. Credit: Lockheed Martin Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM –17 December 2018 KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL –  Liftoff of the maiden next generation Global Positioning System (GPS)

SpaceX Dragon CRS-16 spacecraft launches to the International Space Station at 1:16 p.m. EST Dec. 5, 2018, on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida carrying more than 5,600 pounds of research equipment, cargo and supplies on the 16th resupply mission for NASA. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM

‘Holidays’ in Space’ festive light decorations at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex celebrate the Christmas holiday and Seasons Greetings from Dec. 14 through Dec. 30, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM –14 December 2018 KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITOR COMPLEX, FL – Christmastime 2018 is upon us and that means it’s time to celebrate holiday cheer. And for space

Landing legs are dissected off SpaceX Falcon 9 one by one by crane crews on 11 Dec. 2018 after floating into Port Canaveral on 7 Dec. towed by tugboats crews after sea ditch landing following successful Dragon cargo launch for NASA to ISS on 5 Dec. 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM –13 December 2018 PORT CANAVERAL, FL

This image of Bennu was taken by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft from a distance of around 50 miles (80 km).  Credits: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona Ken Kremer  —SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM –10 December 2018 KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL –  After a two year and over two billion kilometer (1.2 billion mile) interplanetary journey NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft arrived