On the morning of December 24th, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The purpose of this mission, known as SARah-2, was to deploy two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites for the German military. These satellites are part of an ongoing effort to replace the aging SAR-Lupe constellation.

The SARah-2 mission included two reflector antenna satellites, SARah 2 and SARah 3. These satellites will fly in formation with SARah 1, enhancing the constellation’s resolution. The Falcon 9 rocket used for this mission had previously launched seven times before, making it the eighth liftoff for its first stage. Impressively, the booster successfully landed for the eighth time, touching down at Vandenberg shortly after launch.

Approximately 20 minutes and 25 minutes after liftoff, SARah 2 and SARah 3 were planned to be deployed into low Earth orbit (LEO) from the Falcon 9’s upper stage. This launch marked another milestone in SpaceX’s 2023 timeline, as the company has already completed 94 orbital missions this year. Additionally, they conducted two test flights of the massive Starship rocket, despite not reaching orbit.

As the year comes to a close, SpaceX shows no signs of slowing down. They have an upcoming launch scheduled for December 28th, where the Falcon Heavy rocket will carry the U.S. Space Force’s X-37B space plane into orbit.