SpaceX achieved a new record in rocket reusability on Friday morning with the successful launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, dubbed NROL-57. The mission took off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at 2:49 a.m. EDT (0649 GMT) and successfully landed the first stage booster just seven minutes after lift-off.
The NROL-57 mission marks the eighth launch in less than two months of the “proliferated architecture” network, which features smaller satellites designed for capability and resilience. The satellites are thought to be versions of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband craft modified for reconnaissance work, as part of the US National Reconnaissance Office’s fleet.
The previous Falcon 9 turnaround record was 14 days, but NROL-57 surpassed that mark with a launch in under nine days. This achievement solidifies SpaceX’s position as a leader in rocket reusability and payload efficiency.
This mission follows seven previous “proliferated architecture” launches from Vandenberg on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, starting between May 2024 and January of this year. The booster that landed after the NROL-57 launch was the fourth mission for its particular first stage.
The upper stage continued carrying the NROL-57 payloads to orbit, but the exact deployment location and timing remain classified due to security concerns.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-to-launch-8th-batch-of-next-gen-us-spy-satellites-early-march-21