WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Oct. 15 launched 21 satellites to low Earth orbit for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency. This was the second deployment of satellites for SDA’s mesh network known as the Transport Layer.

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) overrides environmental objections from a California commission to approve up to 100 rocket launches per year from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

SpaceX plans to launch 21 satellites for an advanced new U.S. military constellation this evening (Oct. 15), and you can watch the action live.

After both onshore and offshore weather headaches in the past week, SpaceX was back Monday (Oct. 13) night to finish up its third of three contracted launches of competitor Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites.

The Cape's October launch schedule will feature the usual heavy dose of SpaceX Starlink internet satellite missions, along with a competing Amazon Project Kuiper mission. Later this month, space fans anticipate Blue Origin's second New Glenn rocket liftoff carrying NASA's ESCAPADE spacecraft,

SpaceX is planning a mission from California to deploy more military satellites into orbit on behalf of the Space Development Agency.

SpaceX and United Launch Alliance will share in $1.1 billion for seven missions, the latest round of deals in the National Security Space Launch program.