SpaceX Plans Return to Flight on Jan. 8 Following Explosion

  • Liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base first since Sept. 1
  • Musk’s company still needs FAA license for launch Sunday

The Year in Space: Reusable Rockets

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Space Exploration Technologies Corp. expects to launch several Iridium communications satellites Jan. 8 from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California’s central coast, marking the company’s first return to flight since a Sept. 1 fireball destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket on a Florida launch pad.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates commercial space ventures, still is reviewing the mishap.