CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE — While many were disappointed they could not kick off Valentine’s Day with the IM-1 launch, space lovers still had the opportunity to enjoy a SpaceX launch of top secret satellites.

For the USSF-124 mission, SpaceX sent up its Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated the company.

The four-hour launch window opened at 5:30 p.m. ET and took off shortly after.

For the Valentine’s Day launch, the 45th Weather Squadron gave about a 95% positive forecast. The only concern was the thick cloud layers rule.

Going into the black

The Falcon 9 first-stage booster used for this mission, named B1078, has six impressive missions.

• Crew-6
• SES O3b mPOWER
• Starlink 6-4
• Starlink 6-8
• Starlink 6-16
• Starlink 6-31

After the stage separation, the first-stage booster is expected to land at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. That means people may expect some windows rattling from the sonic boom it will make when it comes in for the landing.

About the mission

Much is not known about the USSF-124 mission, which is for the U.S. Space Force. It will be sent to low-Earth orbit.

“Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Assured Access to Space (AATS) launch team and its mission partners are in final preparations for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) of the U.S. Space Force (USSF)-124 mission …,” stated U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command in a press release emailed to the media. “A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and four satellites for the Space Development Agency (SDA) into Earth orbit.”

SSC stated this is the eighth National Security Space Launch by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket since December 2018.