spacetoday.net: SpaceX launches SXM-7 satellite radio spacecraft

SpaceX launches SXM-7 satellite radio spacecraft

Posted: Sat, Dec 19, 2020, 5:29 PM ET (2229 GMT)
Falcon 9 launch of SXM-7 (SpaceX)

SpaceX launched a satellite for SiriusXM Sunday. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 12:30 pm EST (1730 GMT) and deployed the SXM-7 satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit 31 minutes later. SpaceX scrubbed a launch attempt two days earlier just 30 seconds before liftoff because of a ground system issue. SXM-7 is a Maxar-built satellite weighing nearly seven tons that will replace the 15-year-old XM-3 satellite, providing satellite radio services across much of North America. The launch was the 24th orbital mission this year for SpaceX, but just the third where the primary customer was neither the US government nor SpaceX itself.