A SpaceX rocket has delivered 10 satellites to low-Earth orbit, completing a two-year campaign by Iridium Communications Inc. to replace its original fleet with a new generation of mobile communication technology and added global aircraft tracking capability, NEWS.COM.AU reported.
SpaceX launches communications satellites
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Friday morning and arced over the Pacific west of Los Angeles.
The previously used first stage was recovered again with a bullseye landing on a "droneship" in the ocean while the upper stage continued on to orbit.
The eighth and final launch of the $US3 billion ($A4.2b) Iridium NEXT project completed delivery of 75 new satellites to orbit.
Sixty-six will be operational and nine will serve as in-orbit spares. Six other satellites remain on the ground as spares.
