The private aerospace company headed by Elon Musk said the rocket carried two earth monitoring satellites used for tracking the movement of the Earth’s mass, plus five communication satellites for Iridium, which SpaceX called the “only satellite communications network that spans the entire globe”.
It said the Iridium satellites are part of the the company’s “campaign to replace the world’s largest commercial satellite network”.
The launch occurred at 12:47 p.m. local time (1947 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base north of Santa Barbara.
SpaceX said data from the twin GRACE satellites can be used to monitor “changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, water in large lakes and rivers, and sea level, providing a unique view of Earth’s evolving climate”.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.