SpaceX launched a German military satellite and landed the rocket returning on Saturday morning (June 18).
A two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 the rocket took off in foggy conditions from the Vandenberg space force base in California on Saturday at 10:19 a.m. EDT (14:19 GMT; 7:19 local California time).
The first stage of the Falcon 9 landed on Earth to make a vertical landing at Vandenberg just over eight minutes after takeoff. It was the third time this reinforcement was used and landed, according to SpaceX officials who spoke during the broadcast.
“Welcome back, Falcon 9!” said a SpaceX announcer during the broadcast, after the stage had landed.
The upper stage, meanwhile, will continue to carry into orbit SARah-1, a radar satellite that will be operated by the German military, as well as a handful of “shared travel” spacecraft. according to EverydayAstronaut.com (opens in a new tab).
Related: The 20 most memorable SpaceX missions
(Image credit: SpaceX)
Saturday’s launch was the average mission of a trifecta that SpaceX plans to move forward over a 36-hour stretch. The company launched 53 of its Starlink Internet satellites to orbit yesterday (June 17) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, a mission that set a new rocket reuse record; was the 13th takeoff for that first concrete stage of Falcon 9. (The Falcon 9 that flew on Saturday had a first stage with two launches in its belt, both for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, according to a SpaceX mission description (opens in a new tab).
The third launch of the rapid-fire trio is scheduled for early Sunday (June 19), when a Falcon 9 will launch a communications satellite for Louisiana-based GlobalStar. This mission will take off from the Cape Canaveral Florida Space Force Station, located next to the KSC.
Consecutive launches continue a busy year for SpaceX. Elon MuskThe company has now completed 25 missions in 2022, which equates to approximately one per week.
As all of these operational rockets emerge from the ground, SpaceX continues to work on its potentially transformative next-generation transport system, a huge space-rocket combo called Spaceship. The company is preparing for Starship’s first orbital flight test, which could happen in the coming months now that there is an environmental review by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m. EDT on June 18 with news of the success of the rocket launch and landing.
Mike Wall is the author of “Over there (opens in new tab) “(Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in a new tab). follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in a new tab) or activated Facebook (opens in a new tab).