SpaceX launched a rocket carrying the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer E mission into orbit Thursday afternoon from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 1:32 p.m.
WATCH:
Watch Falcon 9 launch the @SemperCitiusSDA’s third Tranche 1 data transport mission to low-Earth orbit https://t.co/Hp8mpjQU3j
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 16, 2026
After the rocket separated from its first stage booster, the booster returned to Earth, landing on a droneship in the Pacific Ocean.
The Space Development Agency's Tranche missions are building a constellation of satellites for U.S. military communications.
