SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday night.
The rocket lifted off at 8:14 p.m
Friday night’s mission, called NROL-186, involved transporting a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with designing and building spy satellites for the US.
After launching vertically, the Falcon began a gradual turn as it continued to climb into orbit.
After phase separation after liftoff, the Falcon’s reusable booster made a precision landing on the spaceport drone ship, Of Course I Still Love You, which is stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
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SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with building U.S. spy satellites on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with building U.S. spy satellites on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with building U.S. spy satellites on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with building U.S. spy satellites on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with building U.S. spy satellites on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with building U.S. spy satellites on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket returned to Earth and made a quick landing on the space drone ship, “Of Course I Still Love You,” in the Pacific Ocean on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket returned to Earth and made a quick landing on the space drone ship, “Of Course I Still Love You,” in the Pacific Ocean on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX) -
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a government agency tasked with building U.S. spy satellites on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX)
The first stage booster on this particular Falcon 9 rocket has completed eight lifts so far.
The booster has previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, EarthCARE and two Starlink missions.
Friday night’s launch could be visible from hundreds of miles away along the Southern California coast.
The mission was Falcon 9’s 66th flight in 2024. So far, 47 of the rocket’s launches have been dedicated to building SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellite network in low Earth orbit.