SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Christmas Eve
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. - A SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket successfully launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base early Sunday morning, carrying a payload of satellites for Germany's military as part of the SARah-2 mission.
The rocket took off at 5:11 a.m., right at the beginning of the launch window. Several minutes later, the first-stage booster returned to Vandenberg, touching down on Landing Zone 4. It was the eighth flight supported by the reusable first-stage booster.
The SARah-2 Mission was confirmed a success by both SpaceX and OHB, the German company behind the two reconnaissance satellites. "It is a wonderful and relieving feeling to know that the two satellites are safely in orbit after all the hard work," wrote OHB's SARah-2 project manager in a statement released shortly after the launch.
SpaceX will look to pull off another launch from Vandenberg before 2023 comes to a close. The company's website says it's targeting Saturday, December 30th for a Falcon 9 launch carrying 21 Starlink Satellites into orbit. The launch window on that day runs from 7:17 p.m. to 11:16 p.m. local time. If needed, a backup opportunity is available in the new year, with the company targeting Tuesday, January 2nd at 6:13 p.m. A live webcast of the launch can be found on X, formerly known as Twitter, 15 minutes prior to liftoff.
