SpaceX successfully launches EU navigation satellite constellation

SpaceX successfully launched a European Union navigation satellite constellation this morning from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

At 6:50 p.m. EDT last night, SpaceX lifted off the Galileo L-13 mission from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9 first-stage booster with tail number B1067 supported the mission.

It was the 22nd flight for this particular Falcon 9 booster, which has been used for 12 Starlink missions and two cargo missions to the International Space Station.

The Galileo missions are managed and operated by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). They are used for what the EUSPA calls “the world’s most accurate positioning system.”

EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa said (via Spaceflight Now):

“With the European Commission, EUSPA, and ESA collaborating closely, Galileo goes beyond just satellites; it stands as proof of our united dedication to innovation, security, and progress. Each addition not only improves availability and navigation robustness for over 4 billion users but also reinforce new market opportunities for European businesses, SMEs, and entrepreneurs.”

Deployment of the Galileo L13 was confirmed by SpaceX at 10:26 p.m. EDT last night, around three-and-a-half hours after liftoff.

The first stage of the Falcon 9 landed on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ droneship just after 7 p.m.

This was SpaceX’s 90th launch of the year, and it won’t be long until that number increases.

Tomorrow, SpaceX has the Starlink 9-17 launch scheduled for 7:12 a.m. PDT from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This will put another batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

The first stage booster of that particular Falcon 9 first stage is expected to land on the ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ droneship in the Pacific Ocean.

One week after that, SpaceX will launch another Falcon 9 with a Dragon spacecraft to carry another crew of four to the ISS. This launch is currently slated for September 26 at 2:05 p.m. EDT, but this all depends on the weather.

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