SpaceX launched a
communications satellite and landed the returning rocket on a ship at sea on Wednesday (June 8).
Two-stage Falcon 9 rocket
carrying Nilesat 301, a satellite that will be operated by the Egyptian company Nilesat, launched from Cape Canaveral
The Falcon 9's first
stage came back to Earth about 8 minutes and 45 seconds after launch, touching down on the SpaceX droneship
The booster previously
helped loft two GPS satellites, two batches of SpaceX's Starlink internet spacecraft and two private crewed missions
The Falcon 9'
continued hauling Nilesat 301 to a geostationary transfer orbit,deploying the satellite there 33 minutes after liftoff
The Nilesat 301 launch
continues a very busy stretch for SpaceX; Elon Musk's company has now launched 23 orbital missions in 2022,