SpaceX Falcon 9 launches RRT-1 payload to orbit

On December 16, 2024, SpaceX launched a new Falcon 9 mission carrying a mysterious RRT-1 satellite payload to orbit. The mystery around this mission remains as there’s no additional information available about the satellite or its objectives after deployment.

Meanwhile, the company has successfully lifted off the rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The weather remained supportive of the engine ignition to send the launch vehicle from the ground.

This was the fourth flight for the first-stage booster. It previously launched Crew-9 human spaceflight and two Starlink missions to orbit.

After completing the full ascent, Falcon 9 conducted a hot-staging, flip-maneuver, and a boostback burn to reorient the rocket toward Earth. In the final seconds, the rocket exhausted the final burn and landed on a droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

(source)