--- description: The rocket was carrying a six-ton Hispasat Spanish-language communications satellite that's "almost the size of a bus" title: SpaceX Just Launched Its 50th Falcon 9 Rocket Into Space image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5da54451ec0d101f/6988f7638fd2ee51d035a3de/gettyimages-691964694.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [SpaceX](/tag/spacex/) ## SpaceX Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # SpaceX Just Launched Its 50th Falcon 9 Rocket Into Space ## Video: Watch SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Launch in Two Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Watch SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Launch in Two Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/g5wqfCWJ.m3u8) (1:48)  _Published 2018-02-07. Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launched what it called the world’s most powerful operational rocket into space Tuesday. Watch the entire launch in under two minutes above._ by [Flora Carr](/author/flora-carr/) ## Flora Carr Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 6, 2018 1:49 PM CUT  In this handout provided by NASA, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center on June 3, 2017. In this handout provided by NASA, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center on June 3, 2017.Bill Ingalls—NASA/Getty Images by [Flora Carr](/author/flora-carr/) ## Flora Carr Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 6, 2018 1:49 PM CUT [SpaceX](http://time.com/space-x-ten-things-to-know/ "undefined") has launched its 50th Falcon 9 Rocket, with the largest satellite payload the firm has sent into space so far. The rocket was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Tuesday 12:33 am EST. It was carrying a six-ton Hispasat Spanish-language communications satellite that’s “almost the size of a city bus,” according to [Elon Musk](http://time.com/money/5173291/how-much-bitcoin-does-elon-musk-bitcoin-own/ "undefined"), SpaceX CEO and founder, who took to Twitter ahead of the launch. > [](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/970747812311740416) The satellite was deployed into geo-stationary orbit roughly half an hour into the flight, SpaceX said in a live webcast. A SpaceX spokesperson [wrote on Twitter:](https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/970903737085542400 "undefined") “Successful deployment of Hispasat 30W-6 to a geostationary transfer orbit confirmed.” The 50th Falcon 9 mission marks a milestone for the rocket, which had its first [successful maiden flight](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10209704 "undefined") in 2010\. The new satellite will improve television, broadband and telecommunications services in Europe and Northwest Africa. In February, Space X [successfully launched](http://time.com/5137135/falcon-heavy-core-landing-spacex/ "undefined") its Falcon Heavy rocket, which was carrying an unusual payload: a cherry red Tesla roadster. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5187464/spacex-50th-falcon-9/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5187464/spacex-50th-falcon-9/"},"headline":"SpaceX Just Launched Its 50th Falcon 9 Rocket Into Space","datePublished":"2018-03-06T13:49:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:32:37.665Z","description":"Its payload was a satellite \"almost the size of a city bus\"","url":"https://time.com/5187464/spacex-50th-falcon-9/","keywords":["SpaceX","Space","Elon Musk","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5da54451ec0d101f/6988f7638fd2ee51d035a3de/gettyimages-691964694.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Flora Carr","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/flora-carr/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5da54451ec0d101f/6988f7638fd2ee51d035a3de/gettyimages-691964694.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Eleventh Commercial Resupply Services Mission","caption":"Eleventh Commercial Resupply Services Mission","creditText":"Bill Ingalls—NASA/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/spacex/","name":"SpaceX"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5187464/spacex-50th-falcon-9/","name":"SpaceX Just Launched Its 50th Falcon 9 Rocket Into Space"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Launch in Two Minutes","description":"Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launched what it called the world’s most powerful operational rocket into space Tuesday. 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