‘A beautiful sight to see’: SpaceX successfully launches a rocket with a mysterious military payload on board

Daily Mail
May 1 2017

SpaceX today blasted off a secretive US government payload, known only as NROL-76, marking the first military launch for the aerospace company.

The payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which makes and operates spy satellites for the US, soared into the sky atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 7:15 am (11:15 GMT).

About 10 minutes after launch, the scorched first stage of the rocket came back to Earth and landed upright at Cape Canaveral, marking the fourth successful solid ground landing for SpaceX.

‘And we have touchdown,’ a SpaceX commentator said on the live webcast of the event as cheers broke out at mission control.

‘The first stage has landed back at Landing Zone 1.

‘Another good day for us at SpaceX. A beautiful sight to see.’

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This article was posted: Monday, May 1, 2017 at 9:12 am






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