CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a new SiriusXM satellite lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:26 a.m. Sunday.

What You Need To Know

  • Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at 12:26 a.m. Sunday

  • The rocket sent a SiriusXM satellite into space

  • The rocket landed successfully on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean

  • The satellite was deployed as expected, SpaceX announced

The SXM-8 mission put into orbit the geostationary satellite using the first-stage Falcon 9 booster that was previously used in the Crew-1 and Crew-2 launches, which sent astronauts to the International Space Station. It marked the fifth launch for the rocket.

The Falcon 9 took off from Space Launch Complex 40.

Following separation during Sunday's launch, the first-stage booster successfully landed on the "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. 

The nearly 7,000 kg (more than 15,000 pound) satellite is the ninth built by Maxar for SiriusXM since the year 2000. SpaceX confirmed that it was successfully deployed.

The SXM-8 satellite is designed to function in orbit for at least 15 years, Maxar said in a statement on its website. Once deployed "the reflector will allow SiriusXM programming to reach mobile radios, such as those in moving vehicles," the statement said.

According to Maxar, the satellite is twice as large and as powerful as first-generation craft originally built by the company for SiriusXM. 

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