Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket lifts off with three satellites

The U.S. Space Force says it will launch two GPS navigation satellites on reused Falcon 9 boosters next year through a restructured contract with SpaceX that saved taxpayers $52 million, the first time the military has agreed to fly operational national security payloads on previously-flown rockets.

The Starlink 8-19 mission came at the end of the week kicked off by the launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, a Falcon Heavy rocket and two other Falcon 9 rockets. Liftoff happened at 7:31 p.m. EDT (2331 UTC) on Friday, Oct. 18.

Rocket Lab will bypass its current launch window to resolve a recurring problem with a motor controller on the company’s light-class Electron rocket, likely postponing its first commercial satellite launch at least a few weeks.