‘Satellite launched into orbit by SpaceX’

On Saturday, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket supporting the Eutelstat 36D mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket took off at 5:52 p.m. EST within the designated two-hour launch window.

The payload for this mission is the Eutelsat 36D geostationary telecommunications satellite, designed to provide TV broadcasting and government services to customers in Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia.

During the launch, about three minutes in, the Falcon 9 separated from the payload and safely landed aboard the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean at 6:01 p.m. The second stage burner separated from the payload at 6:26 p.m.

This launch marked the Falcon 9’s 12th mission, with SpaceX emphasizing the importance of reusing the first stage rocket to lower the cost of space travel. The first stage booster had previously been used in six Starlink satellite missions.