Falcon 9 Return to Flight
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Saturday, January 14 on its first mission after the dramatic Sept. 1, 2016 explosion of a Falcon 9 during a pre-launch testing accident in Florida. Lifting its heaviest payload to date, Falcon 9 will be tasked with delivering the first ten Iridium-NEXT communications satellites to orbit to inaugurate Mobile Satellite Communications provider Iridium's second satellite constellation.
An attempt is planned to land the first stage booster on the drone ship 'Just Read The Instructions' in SpaceX's continued re-use aspirations.
Live Video by SpaceX (Click here for the Hosted Webcast)
Launch Date: January 14, 2017 | Launch Updates |
Time: 17:54:39 UTC | Iridium-NEXT Overview |
Launch Site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg | Falcon 9 FT |
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 FT | Countdown Timeline |
Payload: 10 Iridium-NEXT (860kg each) | Launch Profile |
Ascent Duration: 74 Minutes | SpaceX Archive |
Target Orbit: 625km Circular, 86.66° | |