Ten new communications satellites are now in orbit around the earth, after being successfully launched from the Central Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base just after 7:30 Friday morning. It carried 10 Iridium Next satellites into a low earth orbit.
The eighth in a series of launches over a two year period completes Iridium’s deployment of more than 70 small satellites to create an advanced global communications network.
After completing its mission, the unmanned rocket was successfully landed on a barge off the Pacific Coast for reuse.
SpaceX has now successfully landed its rockets for reuse more than 30 times.
