The familiar roar of the Falcon 9 rocket rang out across Brevard County on Tuesday, marking the second time in just under 24 hours.
After the postponed RRT-1 mission for the Space Force was finally lifted off the launch pad on Monday evening, it was the turn of the next O3b mPOWER satellites for communications company SES. Gloomy weather loomed over the Space Coast, pushing the launch time straight to the end of the launch window. Finally, the rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A at 5:26 p.m., carrying the pair of satellites into orbit.
SES has the world’s first commercial medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellation. The constellation will consist of thirteen ‘next-generation software-based satellites’.
The payload cladding, which covered the satellites at launch, featured the SES logo along with ‘O3b mPOWER’, showing what this mission was about. It is a rarity to see the name of the mission on payload fairings, especially now that SpaceX is recovering and reusing the fairings.
SES states that O3b mPOWER is specifically designed for the data customers rely on. “Building on the commercial success of our current O3b MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) system, we have leveraged innovations in space, ground and software systems to deliver unparalleled flexibility, performance and scale,” the SES website said.
Interestingly enough, the SpaceX booster made its maiden flight for this mission. Eight and a half minutes after takeoff, the first stage booster landed on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship, which was waiting in the Atlantic Ocean.
It will be transported to Port Canaveral in the coming days, where it can be picked up by SpaceX teams. Those who catch a glimpse will see a newish Falcon 9 booster instead of the battle-scared ones you normally see.
SpaceX Cargo Dragon returns to Earth
SpaceX remains busy as just hours ahead of Tuesday’s launch in Florida, the company launched the NROL-149 mission from Vandenburg, California. The mission was a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.
Just before launch on Tuesday, a SpaceX Cargo Dragon landed in the Gulf of Mexico, off the opposite coast of Florida. This SpaceX Cargo Dragon launched to the space station on November 4 as part of the CRS-31 mission and delivered approximately 6,000 pounds of supplies and science to astronauts on board.
The SpaceX recovery ship will return to Cape Canaveral later this week with the cargo spacecraft.
When is the next rocket launch in Florida? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida
Next SpaceX launch from Florida
The next launch from Florida is currently scheduled for no earlier than Friday evening, during a period running from 10:39 PM to 2:58 AM on Saturday. The launch will be via Astranis satellites and will take place from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40.
Brooke Edwards is a space reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or at X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launch of SES satellites see Space Coast pre-holiday action
