Photo by John Schreiber.
Hawthorne-based SpaceX sent up a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a spy satellite Monday on a mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, then brought back the rocket’s first stage for possible re-use.
The 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:15 a.m. Eastern Time, according to reports from the site.
The flight appeared to be off to a good start, but SpaceX cut off its launch broadcast a few minutes into the flight to help preserve its secrecy, as is standard practice during NRO missions, USA Monday reported.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that the mission launched successfully after nearly being scrubbed by strong high-altitude winds.
“Launch and landing of the NRO spy satellite was good,î he said after liftoff.
Musk believes reusable rockets are the key to drastically cutting launch costs, eventually making it possible to fulfill his vision of colonizing Mars.
Monday’s launch, after a sensor problem scrubbed a first try Sunday, was SpaceXís first dedicated mission for the NRO, the intelligence agency responsible for satellites.
—City News Service
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