SpaceX successfully launched the classified US military mission USSF-385 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday, marking the third such Space Force launch from this base in just 16 days. The lift-off occurred at 7 a.m. PDT, with the payload and mission specifics remaining undisclosed, as is typical for national-security launches.
The Falcon 9’s first-stage booster landed back on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Pacific Ocean about 8.5 minutes after launch, marking its tenth successful flight and landing.
This recent mission continues a series of launches believed to deploy government-use Starshield satellites, although the Space Force has not confirmed these details. The sequence of launches emphasizes the growing significance of space for national defense, particularly in areas such as military communications, intelligence, missile warning, and navigation, amid increasing global competition.
