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Jun 16, 2021 2 mins, 9 secs
military payload to ride a reused SpaceX booster on a launch from Florida Thursday, laying the groundwork for future national security missions to save money by incorporating recycled rocket parts.

But the launch Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will be the first time military officials have entrusted a high-priority national security payload with a ride on a reused first stage.

The certification of reused Falcon 9 boosters for national security payloads could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in the next few years.

“In preparation for this first-time event, we’ve worked closely with SpaceX understand the refurbishment processes and are confident that this rocket is ready for its next flight,” said Walter Lauderdale, the deputy mission director and Falcon division chief at the Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center.

Before that mission, military officials said the rocket would be reused on the next GPS launch.

Lauderdale said the military has been working since 2016 on certifying the use of reused rocket hardware on national security satellite launches.

SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, the Space Force’s two primary space launch providers, can propose to use previously-flown hardware on all national security missions under new contracts awarded last August.

But the Space Force agreed to begin launching GPS missions on reused rockets earlier than planned.

A military launch in 2019 of a Falcon Heavy rocket, which SpaceX created by bolting together three Falcon 9 cores, used two previously-flown side boosters.

Since agreeing to put the GPS 3 SV05 spacecraft on a reused booster, the Space Force formally certified SpaceX’s recovery and refurbishment processes.

That non-recurring work will make it easier to regularly fly national security payloads on reused Falcon 9s in the future, Lauderdale said.

Compared to many commercial satellite operators, the Space Force performs additional oversight of its launch contractors due to the high cost and criticality of its payloads for U.S.

The work included establishing how to evaluate the remaining life of a Falcon 9 booster by analyzing the stress it encounters during launch and re-entry back into the atmosphere.

The Space Force “will continue to evaluate that data as we look at potential for going beyond the second flight of a particular booster,” he said.

Meanwhile, SpaceX ground crews at pad 40 rolled the Falcon 9 rocket to its launch mount and raised it vertical for a brief test-firing Saturday.

Another GPS 3 satellite lifted off on Delta 4 rocket from SpaceX rival United Launch Alliance.

The Space Force’s next GPS launch in 2022 will use a different previously-flown Falcon 9 rocket.

Space Force clears reused SpaceX rocket for launch with GPS satellite

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