SpaceX has headed to the launch pads of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station once again, in order to deliver the Telstar 18 Vantage satellite into orbit.
The new satellite delivery comes a bit over a month after the Falcon 9 had successfully delivered the Telstar 19 back in July. It also marks the heaviest satellite SpaceX has so far transported, weighing in at 7,060Kg.
The launch was delayed for over an hour by the Florence hurricane that raged out in the Atlantic, but the Falcon 9 was eventually blasted off to deliver its payload into the orbit some 45 minutes after midnight.
The rocket’s first stage landed successfully on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” and will be recovered for the next mission.
The mission yesterday marks the 60th completed Falcon 9 mission and, in time, SpaceX hopes to be able to relaunch the same rocket within a 24 hour turnaround time but for the moment, the company is looking forward to a break of around one month before the next launch.
This next launch will mark another turning point for SpaceX, as it will involve flying an Argentinian satellite from California. As part of the mission, the company will attempt to land the Falcon 9 on the West Coast, at the Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Until then, you can watch the Telstar 18 Vantage blast off in the video below:
Credit: SpaceX / YouTube
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