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Falcon 9 booster, first recovered off West Coast, back in port
The first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket launched Saturday has returned to port in Southern California after landing on a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean, ready for refurbishment and potential reuse on a future mission.
Fresh views of Saturday’s Falcon 9 rocket launch
Check out more imagery of Saturday's liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, including pictures from remote cameras at the launch pad and new video released by the U.S. Air Force.
Photos: Falcon 9 returns to flight with weekend launch from California
Launching for the first time in four-and-a-half months, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Saturday morning with 10 satellites for Iridium's space-based message relay network.
Watch as Falcon 9 launches with 10 Iridium satellites and its first stage lands
Watch the first SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch since a catastrophic launch pad explosion at Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9 first stage was successfully recovered after landing on a floating platform in the Pacific.
SpaceX resumes flights with on-target launch for Iridium
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket climbed into orbit from California's Central Coast on Saturday, resuming service after an explosive setback last year and delivering much-needed reinforcements to Iridium's satellite constellation providing communications by land, sea and sky.
Skywatchers: Get your Iridium flare fix now
The launch of the first batch of new-generation Iridium communications satellites Saturday marked the beginning of the end for the predictable, spectacular flares of reflected sunlight produced by the old-design craft, a favorite of amateur skywatchers for nearly two decades.
VideoLive coverage: SpaceX resumes launches from California
SpaceX's first launch since August took off Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A Falcon 9 rocket deployed the first 10 next-generation Iridium communications satellites, part of a $3 billion upgrade to the company's space network. Liftoff occurred at 9:54 a.m. PST (12:54 p.m. EST; 1754 GMT), and the Falcon 9's first stage landed on a barge in the Pacific a few minutes later.
Timeline for Falcon 9 rocket’s launch of 10 Iridium satellites
Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket's ascent to orbit with the first 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium's voice and data relay fleet.
Falcon 9 rocket ready for all-important return to service Saturday
SpaceX rolled a fully-assembled Falcon 9 booster out of its hangar and lifted it on top of a launch pad Friday for the first time since an explosion grounded the commercial rocket last year, setting the stage for a one-second launch window Saturday to take off from California's Central Coast and deploy the first 10 satellites in orbit for a $3 billion upgrade to Iridium's globe-spanning message relay network.
Q&A with Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium (members only)
Iridium chief executive Matt Desch spoke with Spaceflight Now on the eve of the first launch for the company’s next-generation satellite fleet, discussing the $3 billion upgrade’s technical and financial ramifications and his feelings before deployments begin in orbit.