SpaceX successfully launches 4 Astranis satellites in second attempt - VIDEO

SpaceX successfully launched a fleet of four "MicroGEO" communications satellites into orbit on December 29, marking a triumphant second attempt after a last-second abort delayed the previous flight.

The launch took place at 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, using a Falcon 9 rocket for the mission, which was contracted by the company Astranis, News.Az reports, citing Space.com.

The midnight launch marked SpaceX's second attempt to launch the MicroGEO satellites for Astranis after a Dec. 21 launch attempt ended in a last-second abort just as the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage engines ignited. In a post on the social media site X, Astranis vice president Christian Keil said SpaceX swapped out Falcon 9 rocket boosters for the flight.



SpaceX's MicroGEO satellite launch, called "Astranis: From One to Many," was the second of three planned SpaceX launches in three days this weekend. The company successfully launched 22 Starlink internet satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday (Dec. 28), then launch another 21 Starlink satellites from another Florida pad on Monday (Dec. 30).

"Targeting a Falcon 9 launch from all three launch pads in Florida and California over the next three days," SpaceX wrote in an X social media post Friday (Dec. 27).

The MicroGEO satellites launched Sunday were built by San Francisco-based Astranis to provide satellite communications services for a variety of customers. Two of the four satellites will serve the Colorado-based firm Anuvu for in-flight connectivity on planes, ships or other transportation, while another — called Agila — will be a dedicated communications satellite for the Philippines. The fourth satellite, known as UtilitySat, will serve multiple customers over its lifetime.

"These are our most advanced satellites yet, with a number of improvements that will generate increased capacity and affordability," Astranis CEO John Gedmark said in a statement before launch.

News.Az