SpaceX Falcon 9 Live Landing Attempt
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https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...ss-8th-landing
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches and lands for 8th time, delivering 60 Starlink satellites to orbit
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a new batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit Thursday morning (March 4), and nailed its landing on a floating platform at sea to top off the long-awaited mission.....
A two-stage Falcon 9 booster, topped with the 60 broadband spacecraft, lifted off from Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 3:24 a.m. EST (0824 GMT). Approximately nine minutes later, the reusable rocket's first stage returned to Earth to attempt its eighth landing on SpaceX's drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" about 400 miles (630 kilometers) downrange, out in the Atlantic Ocean.
"And we have confirmation of our successful stage one landing," Youmei Zhou, a Dragon propulsion engineer at SpaceX, said during a live webcast of the launch. "This will mark our 75th successful recovery of an orbital class rocket and the eighth recovery of this particular booster."...
This latest mission marked the company's 20th Starlink mission and it's sixth mission overall for 2021 for SpaceX....
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches and lands for 8th time, delivering 60 Starlink satellites to orbit
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a new batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit Thursday morning (March 4), and nailed its landing on a floating platform at sea to top off the long-awaited mission.....
A two-stage Falcon 9 booster, topped with the 60 broadband spacecraft, lifted off from Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 3:24 a.m. EST (0824 GMT). Approximately nine minutes later, the reusable rocket's first stage returned to Earth to attempt its eighth landing on SpaceX's drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" about 400 miles (630 kilometers) downrange, out in the Atlantic Ocean.
"And we have confirmation of our successful stage one landing," Youmei Zhou, a Dragon propulsion engineer at SpaceX, said during a live webcast of the launch. "This will mark our 75th successful recovery of an orbital class rocket and the eighth recovery of this particular booster."...
This latest mission marked the company's 20th Starlink mission and it's sixth mission overall for 2021 for SpaceX....
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The Octagrabber.....
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021...y-octagrabber/
SpaceX evolving fairing recovery plans, taking advantage of Octagrabber in pursuit of rapid reusability
.....On several missions, the “Octagrabber” system on board both drone ships has made the difference between a successful recovery and losing a booster at sea.
On the morning of November 19, 2020, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 core B1061 returned to Port Canaveral aboard the deck of drone ship Just Read the Instructions. Just days before, B1061 and its second stage blasted the company’s first operational crewed mission, Crew-1, to orbit.
As B1061 appeared over the horizon, it was immediately noticeable that something was wrong. As the drone ship neared port, it became apparent that the booster was secure on the deck but leaning almost 10 degrees.
Around one month later, core B1051, which had just supported the SXM-7 mission, arrived in port with a similarly dire lean. This time, the lean was so bad that one of the booster’s four landing legs was not even resting on the drone ship’s deck.
Often battered by high seas, howling winds, and raging storms, the drone ships and their recovery crews face a difficult task during the several day journey to and from recovery zones at sea. Landed boosters are kept secure thanks to a massive white robot dubbed “Octagrabber.”....
When not needed to secure a booster, Octagrabber rests safely in its garage, hidden behind the drone ship’s blast wall.....
After a landing, Octagrabber rolls on its two massive treads from its garage and stops directly underneath the booster. Four arms then connect to Falcon 9’s base, called the octaweb. These arms connect to the same hold-down points used to secure the rocket to its launch pad before liftoff.
While Octagrabber is quite small compared to a Falcon 9 booster, it still provides a strong enough grip that prevents the booster from sliding or falling off the deck because a Falcon 9 is quite light after landing; now empty of fuel, most of the booster’s mass is at the bottom where the nine Merlin engines are located.
Octagrabber itself is very large and flat, providing a stable base for the rocket to be secured to versus resting solely on its landing legs.......
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021...y-octagrabber/
SpaceX evolving fairing recovery plans, taking advantage of Octagrabber in pursuit of rapid reusability
.....On several missions, the “Octagrabber” system on board both drone ships has made the difference between a successful recovery and losing a booster at sea.
On the morning of November 19, 2020, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 core B1061 returned to Port Canaveral aboard the deck of drone ship Just Read the Instructions. Just days before, B1061 and its second stage blasted the company’s first operational crewed mission, Crew-1, to orbit.
As B1061 appeared over the horizon, it was immediately noticeable that something was wrong. As the drone ship neared port, it became apparent that the booster was secure on the deck but leaning almost 10 degrees.
Around one month later, core B1051, which had just supported the SXM-7 mission, arrived in port with a similarly dire lean. This time, the lean was so bad that one of the booster’s four landing legs was not even resting on the drone ship’s deck.
Often battered by high seas, howling winds, and raging storms, the drone ships and their recovery crews face a difficult task during the several day journey to and from recovery zones at sea. Landed boosters are kept secure thanks to a massive white robot dubbed “Octagrabber.”....
When not needed to secure a booster, Octagrabber rests safely in its garage, hidden behind the drone ship’s blast wall.....
After a landing, Octagrabber rolls on its two massive treads from its garage and stops directly underneath the booster. Four arms then connect to Falcon 9’s base, called the octaweb. These arms connect to the same hold-down points used to secure the rocket to its launch pad before liftoff.
While Octagrabber is quite small compared to a Falcon 9 booster, it still provides a strong enough grip that prevents the booster from sliding or falling off the deck because a Falcon 9 is quite light after landing; now empty of fuel, most of the booster’s mass is at the bottom where the nine Merlin engines are located.
Octagrabber itself is very large and flat, providing a stable base for the rocket to be secured to versus resting solely on its landing legs.......
Another success today. The 6th time this booster has landed.
Last edited by TURIN; 11th Mar 2021 at 22:54.
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Thread Starter
Definitely getting their monies worth out of it.....
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...launch-webcast
SpaceX to attempt record 9th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket with Starlink launch on Sunday
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is gearing up to launch a third batch of Starlink satellites in as many weeks on Sunday (March 14) and you can watch the action live online.
The Hawthorne, California-based company is planning to fly one of its veteran Falcon 9 rockets for a record nine times with the mission, which comes just days after SpaceX's last launch. The two-stage launcher will blast off from the historic Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center here in Florida at 6:01 a.m. EDT (1101 GMT). .....
The booster, B1051, is one of two fleet leaders in SpaceX's stable of reusable rockets. It first flew in March of 2019, lofting an uncrewed Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a demonstration mission.
Following that successful debut, B1051 trekked across the country to launch a trio of Earth-observing satellites for Canada from SpaceX's facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The booster then flew a total of five times from Florida in 2020, carrying five different Starlink missions and a broadband satellite for Sirius XM.
Sunday's mission marks the second flight for B1051 this year, and its second Starlink mission so far in 2021.
After its last flight took off on Jan. 20, SpaceX engineers were able to turn around the booster and get it ready for its historic ninth flight in just 53 days — the second quickest turnaround time for this particular booster. (The fastest was between flights 7 and 8, which took off just 38 days apart.)......
This particular flight, Starlink 21, is the 22nd set of internet-beaming satellites that SpaceX has delivered to space, including a set of initial prototypes in 2019.
The company planned for its initial constellation to be 1,440 strong, and while SpaceX is well on its way to achieving that milestone, the company has already been granted approval for as many as 30,000 with the option for evenmore at a later time.
The latest stack of 60 satellites will join the fleet already in orbit, bringing the total number launched over 1,300.......
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...launch-webcast
SpaceX to attempt record 9th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket with Starlink launch on Sunday
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is gearing up to launch a third batch of Starlink satellites in as many weeks on Sunday (March 14) and you can watch the action live online.
The Hawthorne, California-based company is planning to fly one of its veteran Falcon 9 rockets for a record nine times with the mission, which comes just days after SpaceX's last launch. The two-stage launcher will blast off from the historic Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center here in Florida at 6:01 a.m. EDT (1101 GMT). .....
The booster, B1051, is one of two fleet leaders in SpaceX's stable of reusable rockets. It first flew in March of 2019, lofting an uncrewed Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a demonstration mission.
Following that successful debut, B1051 trekked across the country to launch a trio of Earth-observing satellites for Canada from SpaceX's facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The booster then flew a total of five times from Florida in 2020, carrying five different Starlink missions and a broadband satellite for Sirius XM.
Sunday's mission marks the second flight for B1051 this year, and its second Starlink mission so far in 2021.
After its last flight took off on Jan. 20, SpaceX engineers were able to turn around the booster and get it ready for its historic ninth flight in just 53 days — the second quickest turnaround time for this particular booster. (The fastest was between flights 7 and 8, which took off just 38 days apart.)......
This particular flight, Starlink 21, is the 22nd set of internet-beaming satellites that SpaceX has delivered to space, including a set of initial prototypes in 2019.
The company planned for its initial constellation to be 1,440 strong, and while SpaceX is well on its way to achieving that milestone, the company has already been granted approval for as many as 30,000 with the option for evenmore at a later time.
The latest stack of 60 satellites will join the fleet already in orbit, bringing the total number launched over 1,300.......
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Thread Starter
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...anding-success
SpaceX launches 60 new Starlink internet satellites, nails latest rocket landing at sea
There are now more than 1,300 Starlink satellites in orbit.
SpaceX launches 60 new Starlink internet satellites, nails latest rocket landing at sea
There are now more than 1,300 Starlink satellites in orbit.
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Thread Starter
Listening to the commentators on the NASA site whilst waiting for the, scrubbed, SN11 launch, they discussed plans for future Starlink launches.
Spacex has now launched 1300 satellites out if a planned 1500, at their current launch rate that should be finished in 6-8 weeks (which is mind blowing in itself).
At which point they will reportedly switch to regular polar launches out of Vandenberg - which should provide good views in the higher latitudes.
The first 10 were launched on 24th January Transporter-1 mission which launched 133 satellites for various customers. The 10 were launched to an altitude of approximately 500-kilometers above Earth to operate in Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
The polar satellites transfer data between them using lasers so no ground stations are needed in the polar regions.
https://spacenews.com/spacex-adds-la...nk-satellites/
https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/26/2...rctic-military
OneWeb and SpaceX are racing to beam internet to the Arctic
Spacex has now launched 1300 satellites out if a planned 1500, at their current launch rate that should be finished in 6-8 weeks (which is mind blowing in itself).
At which point they will reportedly switch to regular polar launches out of Vandenberg - which should provide good views in the higher latitudes.
The first 10 were launched on 24th January Transporter-1 mission which launched 133 satellites for various customers. The 10 were launched to an altitude of approximately 500-kilometers above Earth to operate in Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
The polar satellites transfer data between them using lasers so no ground stations are needed in the polar regions.
https://spacenews.com/spacex-adds-la...nk-satellites/
https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/26/2...rctic-military
OneWeb and SpaceX are racing to beam internet to the Arctic
Last edited by ORAC; 27th Mar 2021 at 08:07.
Another successful launch and recovery of the stage 1 Falcon 9.
Some good images of the landing on this one.
Some good images of the landing on this one.
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Rocket Report: SpaceX abandons catching fairings
Over the last couple of years, SpaceX has experimented with two ships with large nets, Ms. Chief and Ms. Tree, to catch Falcon 9 payload fairings returning from space beneath a parafoil. However, as the SpaceXfleet.com website notes, these efforts have not proven to be as reliable as SpaceX engineers likely imagined. "Catching" also proved dangerous to the recovery ships themselves.
As a result, SpaceX has transitioned to "wet recovery" of the fairings, in which the Dragon recovery ships GO Searcher and GO Navigator quickly pluck the two halves from the ocean after splashdown. But those vehicles are increasingly needed for Dragon missions, so as a result the SpaceX fleet is changing.
Both Ms. Chief and Ms. Tree have undergone a decommissioning process, and SpaceX has charted a much larger ship, the Shelia Bordelon, to begin pulling fairing halves from the ocean with its 50-ton crane. This, too, seems to be something of a stopgap measure.
Over the last couple of years, SpaceX has experimented with two ships with large nets, Ms. Chief and Ms. Tree, to catch Falcon 9 payload fairings returning from space beneath a parafoil. However, as the SpaceXfleet.com website notes, these efforts have not proven to be as reliable as SpaceX engineers likely imagined. "Catching" also proved dangerous to the recovery ships themselves.
As a result, SpaceX has transitioned to "wet recovery" of the fairings, in which the Dragon recovery ships GO Searcher and GO Navigator quickly pluck the two halves from the ocean after splashdown. But those vehicles are increasingly needed for Dragon missions, so as a result the SpaceX fleet is changing.
Both Ms. Chief and Ms. Tree have undergone a decommissioning process, and SpaceX has charted a much larger ship, the Shelia Bordelon, to begin pulling fairing halves from the ocean with its 50-ton crane. This, too, seems to be something of a stopgap measure.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-eig...ix-weeks-2021/
SpaceX on track to launch eight Falcon 9 rockets in six weeks
After yesterday’s successful Starlink-26 launch, SpaceX is now more than half of the way to completing eight orbital Falcon 9 launches in six weeks.
On April 23rd, after a one-day delay for bad weather, SpaceX launched four astronauts on a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster – and in a flight-proven Dragon capsule – in a historic spaceflight first.
Six days later, the company aced its 24th operational Starlink launch, followed by two more 60-satellite Starlink missions on May 4th and May 9th – the latter of which marked the first time a single Falcon 9 booster completed ten orbital-class launches.
Finally, Falcon 9 completed yet another Starlink launch on May 15th – this time carrying 52 flat-packed internet satellites and two third-party payloads as part of SpaceX’s fourth Starlink rideshare mission.
However, after launching 234 satellites, four astronauts, and five Falcon 9s – and recovering all five boosters – in 22 days, SpaceX is far from finished…..
Unsurprisingly another Starlink mission, Starlink-28 is now scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 2:59 pm EDT (18:59 UTC) on May 26th – 11 days after Starlink-26…
Up next, SiriusXM’s 7-ton SXM-8 radio satellite arrived at SpaceX’s payload integration facilities in Florida earlier this month and is scheduled to launch as early as 12:25 am EDT (4:25 UTC) on June 1st. The mission could slip a few days but is still likely to launch in early June.
Less than three days later, a rare new Falcon 9 booster could launch SpaceX’s second upgraded Cargo Dragon spacecraft – also new – on NASA’s CRS-22 space station resupply mission. Earlier today, NASA confirmed that the mission is on track to launch on June 3rd – likely around 1pm EDT (15:00 UTC).
If the weather, space station, and SpaceX’s rockets, spacecraft, and pad facilities cooperate, the completion of those three upcoming missions would mark eight successful Falcon 9 launches – carrying two Dragon spacecraft, four astronauts, and almost 300 satellites to orbit – in less than six weeks (41 days)…..
In the same period, a SpaceX Crew Dragon also safely returned four astronauts to Earth after the longest crewed spaceflight in US history (May 2nd) and the company successfully launched and landed a full-size Starship prototype for the first time (May 5th)….
SpaceX on track to launch eight Falcon 9 rockets in six weeks
After yesterday’s successful Starlink-26 launch, SpaceX is now more than half of the way to completing eight orbital Falcon 9 launches in six weeks.
On April 23rd, after a one-day delay for bad weather, SpaceX launched four astronauts on a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster – and in a flight-proven Dragon capsule – in a historic spaceflight first.
Six days later, the company aced its 24th operational Starlink launch, followed by two more 60-satellite Starlink missions on May 4th and May 9th – the latter of which marked the first time a single Falcon 9 booster completed ten orbital-class launches.
Finally, Falcon 9 completed yet another Starlink launch on May 15th – this time carrying 52 flat-packed internet satellites and two third-party payloads as part of SpaceX’s fourth Starlink rideshare mission.
However, after launching 234 satellites, four astronauts, and five Falcon 9s – and recovering all five boosters – in 22 days, SpaceX is far from finished…..
Unsurprisingly another Starlink mission, Starlink-28 is now scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 2:59 pm EDT (18:59 UTC) on May 26th – 11 days after Starlink-26…
Up next, SiriusXM’s 7-ton SXM-8 radio satellite arrived at SpaceX’s payload integration facilities in Florida earlier this month and is scheduled to launch as early as 12:25 am EDT (4:25 UTC) on June 1st. The mission could slip a few days but is still likely to launch in early June.
Less than three days later, a rare new Falcon 9 booster could launch SpaceX’s second upgraded Cargo Dragon spacecraft – also new – on NASA’s CRS-22 space station resupply mission. Earlier today, NASA confirmed that the mission is on track to launch on June 3rd – likely around 1pm EDT (15:00 UTC).
If the weather, space station, and SpaceX’s rockets, spacecraft, and pad facilities cooperate, the completion of those three upcoming missions would mark eight successful Falcon 9 launches – carrying two Dragon spacecraft, four astronauts, and almost 300 satellites to orbit – in less than six weeks (41 days)…..
In the same period, a SpaceX Crew Dragon also safely returned four astronauts to Earth after the longest crewed spaceflight in US history (May 2nd) and the company successfully launched and landed a full-size Starship prototype for the first time (May 5th)….
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Thread Starter
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...anding-success
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60 new Starlink satellites, nails its 2nd drone ship landing at sea
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021...n-a-row-today/
Falcon 9 completes its 100th successful flight in a row
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60 new Starlink satellites, nails its 2nd drone ship landing at sea
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021...n-a-row-today/
Falcon 9 completes its 100th successful flight in a row
It's getting so routine I missed this one. 😁
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Thread Starter
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, June 3 for Falcon 9’s launch of the twenty-second Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-22).
Liftoff is targeted for 1:29 p.m. EDT, or 17:29 UTC, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
A backup launch opportunity is available on Friday, June 4 at 1:03 p.m. EDT, or 17:03 UTC.
Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be located in the Atlantic Ocean.
Dragon will separate from Falcon 9’s second stage about twelve minutes after liftoff and autonomously dock to the space station on Saturday, June 5.
Liftoff is targeted for 1:29 p.m. EDT, or 17:29 UTC, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
A backup launch opportunity is available on Friday, June 4 at 1:03 p.m. EDT, or 17:03 UTC.
Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be located in the Atlantic Ocean.
Dragon will separate from Falcon 9’s second stage about twelve minutes after liftoff and autonomously dock to the space station on Saturday, June 5.
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Thread Starter
Another successful launch and booster recovery. Awesome live coverage of the booster landing from the booster all the way down to touchdown on the deck.
Dragon en-route to the space station with two new rolled up solar arrays as outside cargo. You only appreciate the size of the thing when comparing the in orbit shots against the one from the lab with two technicians standing beneath them.
Dragon en-route to the space station with two new rolled up solar arrays as outside cargo. You only appreciate the size of the thing when comparing the in orbit shots against the one from the lab with two technicians standing beneath them.
Last edited by ORAC; 3rd Jun 2021 at 18:10.
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Next launch Sunday, 6th June, at 0426 UTC. Sirius XM satellite to GTO.
https://everydayastronaut.com/sirius...con-9-block-5/
https://everydayastronaut.com/sirius...con-9-block-5/
That booster return video is incredible.
A mini burn-back too. Not sure why, I missed that bit.
A mini burn-back too. Not sure why, I missed that bit.
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Thread Starter
Dragon has docked at the ISS with the new solar arrays.
https://electrek.co/2021/06/07/space...space-station/
An uncrewed SpaceX Dragon CRS-22 cargo ship launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 3 and arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) two days later. It was carrying, among many other things, two new solar arrays that will power the ISS.….
Astronauts will install the two iROSA on spacewalks on June 16 and 20.…..
https://electrek.co/2021/06/07/space...space-station/
An uncrewed SpaceX Dragon CRS-22 cargo ship launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 3 and arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) two days later. It was carrying, among many other things, two new solar arrays that will power the ISS.….
Astronauts will install the two iROSA on spacewalks on June 16 and 20.…..
I wonder what kind of condition the ISS interior is in these days; considering it's been in orbit for twenty-odd years now. Presumably there are one or two dents and scrapes. Wear and tear from a relatively small space being continuously crewed for so long.