As the sun rise on the Kennedy Space Center this morning , a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set up with a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office ( NRO ) , the US Government agency in tutelage of intelligence operation spy satellites .
Just 2 minutes 25 seconds into the launch , the garden rocket ’s first stage separated from its second stage , the part of the rocket that contained the secret NRO load . Around the 9 minute mark , the first stage then returned to Earth and nailed its uprighting landing in Cape Canaveral .
Despite the second degree of the launching being becloud in silence , the rest of the launch ironically provided some of the clearest and most gorgeous shots of any of SpaceX ’s recent feats . you may watch the whole launch on the official launch webcast below and see its flawless landing at the bottom of the Thomas Nelson Page .
SpaceX could n’t cater any more details about the satellite or its orbit due to the nature of their node ’s study . The NRO uses satellites to provide data for insurance policy makers , the Armed Services , the Intelligence Community , and civil agencies for a whole range of service . Some of their previous satelliteshave been used to assess damage follow natural disasters , provide the US military with genuine - time imagination , and go after terrorist or criminal organizations .
The projectile was set to found on Sunday but had to be reschedule at the last second due to a rocket engine detector bug . Despite some more or less troublesome wind , in the end , all appeared to go smoothly .
“ Winds aloft are remarkably high ( still within structural safety bounds ) . Worrying , but not a show-stopper , ” Elon Musk , SpaceX laminitis , said on Twitterjust before the launching .
A central part of SpaceX ’s vision has been the role of rockets capable of landing and being re - establish . This holds the potential to massively cut down on the cost of launches as some of the rockets ' most expensive components can be reused . SpaceX managed torelaunch one of their reusable rocketsfor the first time in March this year .
With these great - money contracts wheel in , consecutive successful missions , and historical firsts under their knock , it seemsnot much can finish SpaceXat the import .
