SpaceX launches classified US Space Force mission from California

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a classified payload for the US Space Force from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday.

The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East as part of the USSF-627 mission, whose payload and specific objectives have not been publicly disclosed.

The launch followed two postponements. Originally scheduled for Monday, the mission was delayed to Tuesday before being rescheduled for Wednesday.

The mission marked the seventh flight of the Falcon 9's first-stage booster, which previously supported a US National Reconnaissance Office mission, two Space Development Agency missions and three Starlink satellite launches.

Following stage separation, the reusable booster landed on a SpaceX droneship in the Pacific Ocean.

The mission is part of the US military's continued use of commercial launch providers to deploy national security payloads into orbit.