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SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts new SiriusXM satellite to orbit

The latest launch for the attention-grabbing company was routine, but notable for satellite radio fans.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
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Eric Mack

Following the first high-altitude test flight of its latest Starship prototype, which ended with some serious fireworks, SpaceX is back to business as usual with the latest launch of one of its workhorse Falcon 9 rockets.

Elon Musk's rocket company sent a new SiriusXM satellite to orbit from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 9:30 a.m. PT Sunday. The satellite is labeled SXM-7 and will replace the company's XM-3 satellite.

The launch was originally set for blastoff Friday, but the launch got scrubbed with just 30 seconds left on the countdown clock.

SXM-7 was built by contractor Maxar, which said in a statement that it "will deliver the highest power density of any commercial satellite on-orbit, sending more than 8,000 watts of content to the continental US, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, increasing the quality of signal for SiriusXM subscribers."

For the job, SpaceX used a veteran first stage booster that had flown on six previous missions. It successfully landed for the seventh time on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic not long after liftoff.

You can watch a replay of the livestream above.

SpaceX currently has one more launch scheduled for 2020, a National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite is set to blast off atop a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on Thursday, Dec. 17.