SpaceX Falcon 9 launches JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 satellite on Dec. 16, 2019, carrying payloads for Sky Perfect JSAT and Kacific. Photo: Kacific

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 satellite from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Monday, Dec. 16, at 7:10 p.m. EST. It was SpaceX’s 13th launch of the year. The JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 was placed into its target geostationary transfer orbit 33 minutes following initial ignition.

Following stage separation, SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You recovered Falcon 9’s first stage. However, SpaceX recovery vessels were not able to recover the fairing halves. “Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief narrowly missed catching the fairing halves — team is working to recover them for potential use on a future flight,” Space X tweeted Monday. 

The Boeing-built, JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 satellite carried payloads for Sky Perfect JSAT and Kacific Broadband Satellites Group (Kacific). Sky Perfect JSAT is a provider of multi-channel paid television broadcast services in Japan, a SpaceX representative said in the launch livestream. The satellite will provide Ku-band coverage and improve mobile and broadband services for customers in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The launch was a first for Kacific, a broadband satellite operator for the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The satellite will connect unserved and underserved populations in Southeast Asia with broadband internet. The satellite is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the first quarter of 2020.

“Celebrating this launch with Kacific’s international supporters has been an incredible and affirming experience. I’m very thankful for the wonderful energy they have brought to this unforgettable moment,” Christian Patouraux, Kacific founder and CEO said in a statement.