SpaceX successfully launched three telecom satellites into orbit on September 13, marking a significant milestone for the company. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:49 p.m. EDT (1849 GMT). This launch carried the final three satellites for SES's O3b mPOWER constellation, bringing the total to 10 O3b mPOWER satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO).
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This mission was notable as it represented the 700th flight for SpaceX's Falcon rocket family, which began with the Falcon 1 in March 2006. The Falcon 1 completed five flights, with two successful missions, before the introduction of Falcon 9 in 2010, which has conducted the majority of the launches. The Falcon Heavy, the only other vehicle in the Falcon family, has conducted 13 missions to date.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket landed successfully in the Atlantic Ocean about nine minutes after launch, utilizing the SpaceX drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas." This was the 29th flight for the booster designated B1080. Meanwhile, the upper stage of the rocket delivered the O3b mPOWER satellites to their designated orbit, deploying them over a 14-minute period at an altitude of 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers).
The O3b mPOWER constellation is designed to provide reliable low latency and high throughput for industries reliant on continuous connectivity. According to SES, the constellation combines advanced software-defined satellites with a sophisticated ground infrastructure to meet increasing global bandwidth demands. The satellites, manufactured by Boeing, each weigh around 3,750 pounds (1,700 kilograms).
This launch is part of a busy year for SpaceX, with a total of 107 orbital missions planned for 2026; of these, 105 have been conducted by the Falcon 9. SpaceX has also carried out two suborbital test flights of its Starship megarocket this year and is preparing for a third flight aimed at reaching orbit.