SpaceX achieved a record for rocket reuse by sending a Falcon 9 into space twice in nine days in the early hours of Friday. The previous record was 14 days.
The rocket lifted off at 2:49 a.m. ET Friday from Vandenberg Space Base in California. The mission was assigned to the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
The NROL-57 mission lifted off just nine days after the rocket launched the SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar probes into orbit for NASA on March 11.
Friday's mission was the eighth use of the “expanded architecture,” according to the NRO. The concept involves a constellation of smaller satellites that the NRO says are designed “to provide capability and resilience.”
“Over the past two years, NRO has launched more than 150 satellites, creating the largest and most powerful government satellite constellation in our nation’s history. Continuing this trend, 2025 promises to be an even busier year, with nearly a dozen NRO launches planned,” the NRO said in a statement.
Friday's Falcon 9 launch marked the 450th launch for Falcon 9 rockets.
The satellites are expected to be part of the government's Starshield constellation, a variant of Starlink developed by SpaceX in partnership with Northrup Grumman.
It was the second launch this year, the first being the NROL-153 mission in January.
The number of satellites involved in Friday's mission has not yet been disclosed.
Sourse: www.upi.com
