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A rocket designed by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX sent a US spy satellite into space Sunday when the National Reconnaissance Office first reused a rocket booster that had previously been used on another mission.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is the U.S. government agency responsible for designing, building, launching and maintaining America’s intelligence satellites.
NRO officials said in a statement that the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, successfully returned after delivering the satellite into orbit. The first stage of the rocket made a vertical landing on the base only eight minutes after launch.
NRO officials said the launch mission, designated NROL-85, is an example of how the agency saves taxpayer money while fulfilling its mission.
“It reduces our costs, which reflects our commitment to use taxpayer dollars responsibly,” said Colonel Chad Davis, director of the NRO’s Space Launch Office. “We continue to push the boundaries of what is possible while delivering more value.”
NROL-85 is NRO’s fourth launch from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. NRO officials said in a statement that the satellite will “provide a wide range of timely intelligence information to national decision-makers, combatants and intelligence analysts.”
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