SpaceX launches 3 telecom satellites to orbit on 700th Falcon mission of all time (video)
SpaceX lofted three of SES's O3b mPOWER communications satellites to orbit today (Sept. 13), on the 700th mission to date for the Falcon rocket family.
On September 13, SpaceX launched three telecommunications satellites into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the 700th mission for the company's Falcon rocket family. The flight originated from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:49 p.m. EDT. The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth, touching down on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean after approximately nine minutes, marking its 29th flight and designated B1080.
SES, the Luxembourg-based company behind the O3b mPOWER constellation, now operates ten satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO). The three satellites launched today bring the total to three, completing the constellation. This constellation is designed to deliver low latency, high throughput, and flexibility, catering to industries requiring uninterrupted uptime.
The satellites, built by Boeing, weigh approximately 3,750 pounds each and were successfully deployed over a 14-minute period starting roughly 33.5 minutes after launch.
The Falcon 9 has been at the helm of SpaceX's operations, conducting the majority of the family's missions. Its predecessor, the Falcon 1, flew five times before being succeeded by the Falcon 9 in 2010. The Falcon Heavy, another member of the family, has completed 13 launches to date.
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