Watch the Launch

Additional Media

SXM-8 Mission

SpaceX is targeting Sunday, June 6 for Falcon 9’s launch of the SXM-8 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ...

SXM-8

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Mission: Communications

Geostationary Transfer Orbit Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Probability: 70%
B1061 - Just Read the Instructions

SXM-8 is a large high power broadcasting satellite for SiriusXM's digital audio radio service (DARS). Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) got in July 2016 the contract to build the two satellites based on their SSL-1300 bus - SXM-7 and SXM-8. Satellite design operates in the S-band spectrum. Each satellite will generate more than 20-kW of power and will have a large unfurlable antenna reflector, which enables broadcast to radios without the need for large dish-type antennas on the ground. SXM-8 is meant to replace the XM-4 satellite. SXM-7 was meant to replace the XM-3, but suffered a failure in orbit 6 weeks after its launch.

Updates

scottm3 • June 6, 2021, 12:38 p.m.

Launch successful via @Maxar twitter.



Nosu • June 3, 2021, 6:31 p.m.

Setting GO


Falcon 9

Family: Falcon
Configuration: Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

See Falcon Details
Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    1
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    70.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.65 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    549 T
  • Thrust
    7607 kN
Family
  • Name
    Falcon 9
  • Family
    Falcon
  • Variant
    Block 5
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Falcon 9 Block 5
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $52000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    22800 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8300 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Booster Info


B1061

Status: Active


Type: Core
Flight Proven: Yes
First Flight: November 16, 2020
Last Flight: February 23, 2024
Flights: 19
Landings Attempted: 19
Landings Successful: 19
Previous B1061 Flights

Landing Information

B1061 has successfully landed on ASDS JRTI after its third launch.

Result: Successful Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship landing at Just Read the Instructions.

SpaceX

Circle Image
CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 343 Failures: 11 Pending: 136

Agency Type: Commercial

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

INFO WIKI

Related News

Spaceflight Now

SpaceX delivers for SiriusXM with successful midnight hour launch

A Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral early Sunday with a high-power digital radio satellite for SiriusXM, marking SpaceX’s 18th Falcon 9 flight since Jan. 1, but just the third dedicated to external commercial customers in a year…

Spaceflight Now

Falcon 9 launch timeline with SXM 8

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral early Sunday, heading due east over the Atlantic Ocean to deliver the SXM 8 radio broadcasting satellite into orbit around 32 minutes later.

Spaceflight Now

SiriusXM to replenish radio broadcast fleet with launch early Sunday

SiriusXM will get a new radio broadcasting satellite with a launch scheduled early Sunday from Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, following the failure of an identical spacecraft after a launch last December.

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX launches 2nd mission in three days with SiriusXM-8

SpaceX launched its 18th mission of 2021 with the SiriusXM-8 (SXM-8) high-power broadcasting satellite.  A Falcon 9 rocket lofted the SXM-8 satellite to a sub-synchronous geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) after launching from Space Launch…

Teslarati

SpaceX set for second Falcon 9 launch in 60 hours

Update: After successfully docking Cargo Dragon to the ISS on June 5th, SpaceX is on track to complete its second Falcon 9...

Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

Space Launch Complex 40


Falcon 9
Success
9 hours, 9 minutes ago
Galileo L12 (FOC FM25 & FM27)
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Two satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation system. Originally planned for launch on Soyuz-ST and then Ariane 6 but both were unavailable. Gali…


Long March 2
Success
2 days, 20 hours ago
Shenzhou 18
Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Seventh crewed flight to the Chinese space station.


Electron
Success
4 days, 11 hours ago
Beginning Of The Swarm (ACS3 & NeonSat-1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is a technology demonstration mission tasked with deploying a composite boom solar sail. NeonSa…


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 11 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-53
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week ago
Yaogan 42-02
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 42-02 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 6-52
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 6-51
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
SuperView Neo 3-01
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Commercial Earth observation satellite built by CAST for China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology Co. Ltd, with 0.5 m resolution over 9 image wavele…


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 6-49
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 2 days ago
USSF-62
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

First Weather System Follow-on (WSF) satellite. WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) is the next-generation operational environmental sate…