Falcon 9 Dispatches 5th Iridium-NEXT Group to Orbit after Morning Launch from California

A flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 – the eighth of its kind to take flight – leapt of its Pacific-side launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base at sunrise on Friday to loft the fifth set of Iridium-NEXT communications satellites into orbit and take the largest constellation upgrade in history one step closer to the finish line.

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Flight-Proven Falcon 9 Completes Static Fire Test for 5th Iridium-NEXT Mission

A previously-used Falcon 9 booster soared to life at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base for its Static Fire test ahead of lifting the fifth set of Iridium-NEXT communications satellites on Thursday, marking the start of a string of Falcon 9 missions lined up for March and April.

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