SpaceX achieved a remarkable feat on December 17th, successfully launching two separate missions on the same day. The second launch, originating from Florida’s Space Coast, involved the deployment of two communication satellites for SES, a Luxembourg-based company.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, carrying the O3b mPOWER 7 and 8 satellites into medium Earth orbit (MEO), approximately 5,000 miles above Earth. This mission marks a significant step in expanding SES’s mPOWER constellation, a network designed to provide high-performance broadband communications from MEO.
Following the launch, the Falcon 9’s first stage executed a picture-perfect return to Earth, landing on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the inaugural flight for this particular booster, showcasing SpaceX’s ongoing commitment to reusable rocket technology.
Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage continued its journey, deploying the O3b mPOWER 7 satellite approximately 113 minutes after liftoff. The second satellite, O3b mPOWER 8, was deployed just seven minutes later.
Upon completion, the O3b mPOWER constellation will consist of 11 satellites, each weighing around 1,700 kilograms and built by Boeing. This launch builds upon the existing network of six satellites already in orbit, deployed between December 2022 and November 2023.
Earlier that same day, SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying out a classified mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. This doubleheader of launches highlights SpaceX’s impressive launch cadence and its ability to support a diverse range of missions.
With this latest launch, SpaceX has now completed over 120 Falcon 9 missions in 2024 alone. A significant portion of these missions have focused on expanding the company’s own Starlink broadband network in low Earth orbit.
As for SES’s O3b mPOWER constellation, it is expected to continue growing, with all future satellite launches entrusted to SpaceX’s reliable Falcon 9 rockets.