SpaceX launched a Spanish communications satellite atop a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday night from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in a rare expendable mission.

The rocket deployed the SpainSat NG 2 satellite about 35 minutes after launch above the island of Madagascar, and headed into geostationary orbit about 23,000 miles above the Earth.

The V10 76 first-stage reusable fuel booster, which typically returns to a droneship, was used for the 21st and final time, and is being retired.

Since the first-stage booster was expendable, it was not fitted with landing legs or grid fins that are typically used to guide the rocket back to the waiting droneship.

The lack of those devices meant the rocket was lighter, adding to its lift capacity at launch and saved a modest amount of fuel.

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