SpaceX launches biggest US ‘rideshare’ mission with 64 satellites
The mission, dubbed SSO-A, also marked the third voyage to space for the same Falcon 9 rocket - another milestone for SpaceX's cost-cutting reusable rocket technology.
- After the launch, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster returned to earth as planned, landing on a ship off the coast of southern California, according to a live video of the flight.
- The Falcon 9 blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 10:34am local time (18:34 GMT) carrying satellites from 34 different companies, government agencies, and universities, including the University of Illinois.