WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Spaceflight firm SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a SES 11/EchoStar 105 communications satellite on Wednesday night.
The private firm, founded by billionaire investor Elon Musk, announced the liftoff on Twitter. The televised launch from the NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida took place at 6:53 pm EDT (22:53GMT).
Falcon 9 and EchoStar 105/SES-11 went vertical last night on Pad 39A. pic.twitter.com/WWLoIobQb3
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11 октября 2017 г.
The payload was put into the targeted orbit approximately half an hour later. It is a dual-mission commercial satellite for US-based operator EchoStar and Luxembourg-based operator SES.
Successful deployment of EchoStar 105/SES-11 to geostationary transfer orbit confirmed. pic.twitter.com/gRA7Rb1MM4
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11 октября 2017 г.
"Successful deployment of EchoStar 105/SES-11 to geostationary transfer orbit confirmed," SpaceX tweeted.
Following the separation, the rocket's reusable first stage landed on the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
The company stressed this was the third successful mission with a "flight-proven orbital class rocket." It previously supported SpaceX’s 10th resupply mission to the International Space Station last February.
