SpaceX launched its Bandwagon-3 mission Monday evening from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, carrying additional satellites and a return capsule that will be the first for Europe.
The Bandwagon-3 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 8:48 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 40.
“Take off!” SpaceX wrote in a message on X a minute after launch.
The mission includes 425Sat-3 from ADD, Tomorrow-S7 from Tomorrow Companies Inc., and the PHOENIX return capsule from Atmos Space Cargo. Atmos Space Cargo is a German company and the first private European organization attempting to re-enter the atmosphere of space.
“Our PHOENIX return capsule has received FAA approval and is ready to fly on the SpaceX Bandwagon 3 spacecraft sharing mission,” the company said in February.
“With this test flight, ATMOS will become the first private company in European history to attempt re-entry into the atmosphere of space, while setting a new world standard for payload efficiency of 1:2, changing the face of commercial space logistics.”
Monday's launch was the third flight for the Falcon 9 booster, which also launched 03b mPOWER-E and Crew-10. After stage separation, the first stage landed at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 2.
“The Falcon 9 first stage has landed at Landing Zone 2,” SpaceX said less than 10 minutes after liftoff.
Sourse: www.upi.com
