CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Downrange from where SpaceX recently launched a spacecraft full of supplies to the International Space Station, the company early Sunday sent up another Falcon 9, this time with a spacecraft for satellite radio provider SiriusXM.
Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 40 took place at 12:26 a.m., at the front of a one hour and 59 minute launch window.
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The satellite, known as SXM-8, was built by Maxar Technologies in California and will deliver high-powered broadcast service to SiriusXM listeners.
The launch marked the 120th for Falcon 9, SpaceX’s workhorse rocket and its 80th rocket booster landing. The company also recovered the Falcon 9 first stage booster on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean, about 10 minutes after liftoff.
Falcon 9’s first stage booster has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship pic.twitter.com/gwz6GIdhns
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2021
On Thursday, SpaceX launched a Cargo Dragon capsule to the International Space Station which arrived Saturday morning, bringing about 7,500 pounds of supplies, including fresh groceries for the astronauts, research supplies and two new solar arrays to upgrade the ISS power supply.
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