On Sunday, April 17th, a spy satellite was successfully launched by SpaceX.
The NROL mission was launched from the California base. The time is 9:47 a.m. The time is 3:20.
The early stages of the flight were streamed on the channel. The broadcast ended before the deployment because of the classified nature of the mission.
The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket was included in the footage.
The stage separation happened about two-and-a-half minutes into the flight.
The first-stage booster made a perfect touchdown about eight minutes after launch, paving the way for another mission using the same booster.
The mission marked the 114th successful recovery of a Falcon 9 first-stage booster, and the NRO's fourth launch using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It was the first time that an NRO satellite flew on a used rocket after the Falcon 9 booster supported the NROL-87 mission in February.
The director of the Office of Space Launch said in a release that all launches are exciting, but this one is the first ever reuse.
The booster shows we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible while delivering greater value. Our commitment to using taxpayer dollars is reflected in the reduction of our costs. This is an example of how the NRO is working to be a leader in space stewardship.
Sunday's launch was the 14th mission for the California-based company, which is on track to break its own record of 31 launches achieved last year.
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