Payloads carrying cremated human remains, research technology for the nation’s spy satellite agency, and spacecraft to perform various other missions arrived in orbit early Saturday following SpaceX’s second launch in three days from the West Coast.

After lifting off at 11:43 p.m. Friday from south Vandenberg Space Force Base, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster returned to land nearby more than seven minutes later with sonic booms sounding the return. 

The Transporter-13 mission delivered 74 payloads, all of which deployed less than three hours after launch.

The National Reconnaissance Office said the rocket delivered the agency’s research and development demonstrator with two CubeSats to conduct an experimental technology mission.

This mission is the second NRO demonstrator launched in 2025, with the first flying on the Transporter-12 rideshare mission in January from Vandenberg.

“The NRO’s commitment to demonstrating experimental technology in orbit allows us to stay at the forefront of innovation,” said the NRO’s Aaron Weiner. 

Just days after seeing five other NASA satellites launch from Vandenberg, the space agency also had three small satellites on board Friday night’s Falcon.

The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer, or EZIE mission, will study the auroral electrojets or the currents between the Earth’s upper atmosphere that drive the aurora. 

NASA scientists said they hope to learn more about the puzzling phenomenon as they look to better understand and forecast space weather, which can affect life on Earth by interfering with power grid systems and satellites used for navigation and more. 

Falcon also delivered an ION Satellite Carrier, Italy-based D-Orbit’s space vehicle capable of transporting and releasing satellites into distinct orbital slots.

Along with various missions to test technology in space, the carrier had a payload from Beyond Burials, carrying a symbolic portion of cremated human remains on an “orbital journey before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere in a final celestial tribute.”

For the Shooting Star Memorial Mission, the cremains stowed in a small container orbit Earth for months or years.

“Our technology allows you to track the location of your or your loved one’s remains while they orbit the earth until it is time to reenter the earth’s atmosphere as a shooting star,” the firm’s website says.

“Beyond Burials Shooting Star Memorial is engineered to avoid creating any orbital debris.”

Friday night’s rocket launch marked the second of the week from Vandenberg, where five NASA satellites for science missions traveled to space Tuesday night. 

While the week’s first mission for SpaceX at Vandenberg encountered various troubles before finally departing, Transporter-13 occurred without delays despite the team facing rainy and windy weather.

Transporter-13 also occurred during a busy 13-hour stretch for the SpaceX team, which conducted three Falcon 9 rocket launches, with the other two from Florida.