SpaceX launched its third fleet of spy satellites in eight days on Sunday, marking its 10th mission this year in support of the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. agency that oversees satellite intelligence.
A fleet of Starshield satellites, co-developed by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, were placed aboard a Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg Space Military Base in California at 5:29 a.m. Pacific Time.
It was the twelfth time the reusable rocket's first stage had been used to launch a Falcon 9 into low Earth orbit, where it would deploy a spy satellite payload.
Eight minutes after liftoff, the rocket returned to the unmanned spacecraft Off Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. The barge has served as a support for SpaceX launches on the West Coast and has been used more than 130 times to recapture the first stage after launch.
It's the latest in a series of launches that have become almost routine for SpaceX, which continues to add to its growing constellation of Starlink internet satellites for both military and civilian use.
The number of Starlink users is expected to grow into the tens of thousands as SpaceX competes with other internet service providers both in the United States and abroad.
Sourse: www.upi.com
