On December 17, 2024, SpaceX successfully launched two communication satellites for SES, a Luxembourg-based company, from Florida's Space Coast, as per reports. This launch marked the second in a doubleheader of missions for the company on the same day. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 5:26 p.m. EDT, carrying the O3b mPOWER 7 and 8 satellites into medium Earth orbit (MEO), roughly 5,000 miles above Earth. The mission was part of the ongoing expansion of SES's mPOWER constellation.
First Stage Return and Deployment of Satellites
As reported by SpaceX, the Falcon 9's first stage successfully returned to Earth, touching down on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship approximately 8.5 minutes after launch. This mission marked the first flight for this specific booster. Meanwhile, the rocket's upper stage continued its journey, deploying the O3b mPOWER 7 satellite around 113 minutes after launch, followed by the deployment of the second satellite just seven minutes later.
The O3b mPOWER constellation is designed to provide broadband communications from MEO and will consist of 11 satellites upon completion. According to reports, the satellites are being built by Boeing, each weighing approximately 1,700 kilograms. This launch is part of SES's long-term plan to expand its network, which had already been operational with six satellites deployed in previous missions between December 2022 and November 2023.
A Day of Double Launches for SpaceX
The successful deployment of the O3b mPOWER satellites came on the heels of another Falcon 9 launch earlier in the day. That mission, which took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carried out the NROL-149 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. With this latest launch, SpaceX has completed more than 120 Falcon 9 missions in 2024 alone, with a large portion of these dedicated to expanding the Starlink broadband network in low Earth orbit.
According to sources, the O3b mPOWER constellation is expected to continue growing, with all future satellites launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.
