SpaceX successfully launched SiriusXM's second new satellite into orbit from Florida early Saturday morning after five launch delays.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 12:54 p.m. ET from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
About 8½ minutes later, the rocket's first stage landed on SpaceX's unmanned “A Shortfall of Gravitas” spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the eighth flight for the Falcon 9 stage, including Crew-9 and three Starlink missions.
Thirty-three minutes later, the 4,100-pound SXM-10 satellite was launched into a geosynchronous transfer orbit high above Earth, meaning it is synchronized with the planet's rotation.
It was the 48th launch of a SpaceX orbital rocket this year from Cape Canaveral or the nearby Kennedy Space Center. Including launches from the California facility, there have been 69 Falcon 9 missions in 2025, 51 of which included Starlink, Space.com reported.
A thunderstorm warning was issued for the area earlier Friday, Florida Today reported.
On December 5, SpaceX launched SXM-9 for SiriusXM. In total, SiriusXM will have seven active satellites with SXM-10.
Both satellites were built by Maxar Space Systems and provide radio and Internet programming to SiriusXM subscribers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
The SXM-10 satellite arrived at Cape Canaveral on May 15.
“This latest satellite represents another important milestone in our more than two decades of partnership with SiriusXM, supporting the continued evolution of their satellite radio network,” Maxar wrote on X.
SiriusXM plans to launch two more satellites.
“SiriusXM is focused on advanced technology and enhancing our satellite delivery systems, allowing us to offer audio entertainment and information services,” Bridget Neville, senior vice president and general manager of signal distribution for SiriusXM, said in December, adding that it “will strengthen the health of our satellite fleet for decades to come and allow our team to continue to innovate in the future.”
The next launch of Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for Sunday at 6:34 a.m. PT from Pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
In Florida, SpaceX plans to launch Axiom, the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. The Dragon is scheduled to launch at 8:22 a.m. Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A in partnership with NASA.
Axiom Space and SpaceX plan to begin broadcasting at 6:15 a.m., with NASA following at 7:25 a.m.
The commercial mission will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space.
Sourse: www.upi.com
