#nextevolution

Spectacular images of the Falcon 9 launching ten next-generation Iridium satellites into orbit on SpaceX’s return to flight mission, January 14, 2017. Launch occurred at 9:54am PST from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. 

SpaceX is preparing for their return to flight mission following September’s Amos-6 incident. While there is no official launch date released from either SpaceX or the Federal Aviation Administration, recent activity at Vandenberg Air Force Base has shown that the return to flight mission is upcoming. The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage arrived in late November, and the satellites were fueled and encapsulated in the payload fairing Christmas week. In the image above, released by Iridium, shows the ten satellites of their NEXT constellation as they undergo stacking prior to encapsulation. Falcon 9 will loft all ten satellites at once in a dispenser specially designed by SpaceX. A total of 81 satellites will replace Iridium’s original constellation of telecommunication satellites over the course of a year and a half. The Amos-6 explosion heavily damaged SpaceX’s Florida launch pad at SLC-40. LC-39A, also owned by SpaceX, spent the latter half of 2016 undergoing final preparations for activation, and will see a launch in early 2017. SpaceX will use LC-39A for all Florida-based launches until SLC-40 has been repaired. SpaceX operates SLC-3W at Vandenberg in California, where they have launched two missions thus far.

The Falcon 9 rocket that will launch the first Iridium NEXT constellation is seen arriving at Vandenberg Air Force Base’s SLC-3W in November.

Artists impression of an Iridium NEXT satellite on-orbit with solar arrays deployed.