Live coverage: Kennedy Space Center to reopen Friday

The lunar operation marks the longest commercial mission on the Moon to date. Firefly Aerospace is in the midst of preparing for its next trip to the Moon, which is set to launch in 2026.

The mission featured Luxembourg’s NAOS satellite along with seven other secondary satellites. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 11:53 a.m. PDT (2:53 p.m. EDT / 1853 UTC).

The Starlink 10-52 mission was SpaceX’s 130th Falcon 9 launch of the year. The rocket’s liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened Thursday, Oct. 16, at 5:27 a.m. EDT (0927 UTC).