SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 Rocket; Deploys 64 Satellites

Yesterday was an amazing day for astrology and cosmology, with numerous successful launches and landings, and SpaceX’s SSO-A mission is one of them.

After weeks of delays due to weather conditions and extra diagnostics checks, SpaceX finally executed their SSO-A flight mission. The mission, carried out by their Block 5 powered Falcon 9 spacecraft, launched out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at around 1:30 PM EST yesterday.

The mission served as SpaceX’s very first fully dedicated ride-share mission, and the Falcon 9 was packed with a whopping 64 small satellites. After the Falcon 9 completed its mission and successfully deployed all 64 satellites, it then made a successful landing on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

This was a historic day for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, for a number of reasons. The completion of SSO-A marks the successful launch and landing of the same Falcon 9 rocket this year. This is also SpaceX’s 19th successful mission of the year, setting a new high by beating out last year’s record by 1 mission. Finally, at 64 satellites, this was the biggest batch from a single launch in U.S. history.

As impressive as this is, the eccentric Musk has stated that the Falcon 9 is capable of much more. He estimates that each rocket should be capable of 10 flights before needing maintenance. Milestones to look out for in the future are multiple launches and landings in a single day, and a lifespan of 100 flights. Bold claims indeed, but I’m not doubting the guy who made a flamethrower for fun. We’ll just have to wait and see what SpaceX has in store for the public in 2019.