| Advertisement |
May 27 (UPI) -- SpaceX confirmed Saturday it successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket and later deployed Saudi Arabia's Arabsat Badr 8 communications satellite into orbit. The company had originally planned the launch for earlier in the week, which had to be scrubbed due to weather, moving it to 12:30 a.m. EDT Saturday and streaming the operation live on its website.
Advertisement
The rocket was launched from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, hitting a top speed of 21,999 mph.
SpaceX later confirmed the satellite's successful deployment on Twitter.
This marks the 14th launch and landing for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, the company confirmed.
The communications satellite will provide TV broadcast and communications capabilities to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Saturday's launch was the company's 36th so far this year of a Falcon 9 rocket, with 26 of those dedicated to satellite launches.
The Badr 8 satellite will occupy the same orbital slot as Saudi Arabia's previous Badr 6, a fellow communications satellite launched in 2008. It will use its plasma thrusters to maneuver into a circular geostationary orbit before eventually becoming operational.
Saudi Arabia has said it expects the Badr 8 satellite to have an approximate 15-year lifespan and has spent a total of $300 million on the program.
