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SpaceX Launches Two O3b mPOWER Satellites, Successfully Lands Falcon 9 Booster at Sea

SpaceX Launches Two O3b mPOWER Satellites, Successfully Lands Falcon 9 Booster at Sea

SpaceX launched SES's O3b mPOWER 9 and 10 satellites and landed its Falcon 9 booster on a droneship at sea.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 23 July 2025 22:07 IST

SpaceX Launches Two O3b mPOWER Satellites, Successfully Lands Falcon 9 Booster at Sea

Photo Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launches SES’s mPOWER 9 and 10 satellites from Florida

Highlights

SpaceX launches two SES O3b mPOWER satellites into medium Earth orbit
Falcon 9 lands on droneship after sixth flight, extending reuse streak
Mission delayed by 11-second abort; SpaceX resumes launch next day

The Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to MEO on July 22, at 5:12 p.m. EDT (2112 GMT) with two SES communication satellites — O3b mPOWER 9 and 10. About 8.5 minutes after launch, the rocket's first stage returned to Earth, landing gently on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the sixth launch and landing for the booster and extended a run of spot-on recoveries and frequent orbital missions for SpaceX.

SpaceX Expands SES's mPOWER Constellation with 89th Falcon Launch of 2025

According to a SpaceX mission update, the Falcon 9's second stage will fire again to beat the satellites out into MEO — slowing down the satellites' relative speed to Earth, tricks mission planners can use to reduce the moment magnitude before the ground impact. The launch was scrubbed by the abort itself but was aborted 11 seconds before the abort was actually supposed to happen. The abort was not immediately explained, and SpaceX did not immediately request help troubleshooting the issue. The satellites would bring the SES O3b mPOWER constellation up to 100 satellites, a constellation already taking shape with four launches with SpaceX in 2022 and 2024.

The spacecraft are all out of Boeing's assembly line and weigh about 3,700 pounds each. Today's successful launch means that SES has 10 satellites in orbit, of which 3 more are currently under construction for launch to orbit within the next 12 months. mPOWER provides a high-capacity internet service across the globe, especially in less connected parts, on-the-go assets, and industrial and large enterprise facilities.

Earth to Spin Faster on July 22 to Place It Among Shortest Days in History

SpaceX's 89th Falcon launch of 2025 and a trio of Starship test hops are part of a new reliability and cadence standard. Also part of the deal is the company's delivery of reusable launch capabilities for commercial and deep space missions.

The buildup of SES's mPOWER fleet is a significant step toward a 13-satellite constellation and a validation of SpaceX's role as a force in the commercial satellite and internet infrastructure business.

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