The SpaceX rocket launcher that carried two astronauts of NASA on a historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS) eight weeks ago took flight once more on Monday evening – this time to booster a heavy communications satellite into orbit. The rocket took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station of Florida, about 05:30 pm ET.
The SpaceX rocket booster that carried two NASA astronauts on a historic journey to the International Space Station two months ago took flight once again on Monday evening… #SpaceX #space #NASA. https://t.co/7pDX2xcBD8
— India One News (@indiaonenews2) July 21, 2020
Inside the round nose cone at the tip of the rocket was a communications satellite of the military of South Korea. The space agency didn’t demonstrate the satellite deploying from the rocket, something the firm typically excludes its webcasts while bringing sensitive national security-related cargo to space.
However, the agency did demonstrate the landing stage of its first-stage booster. The extreme-bottom portion of the rocket loaded with nine gigantic engines provided the initial thrust if Falcon 9 rocket at launch. Monday’s mission used the rocket booster SpaceX that previously flown on the first-ever mission of SpaceX with humans on board.
Comet NEOWISE over Falcon 9 and ANASIS-II vertical on SLC-40. Today’s launch window opens at 5:00 p.m. EDT and closes at 8:55 p.m. EDT, and weather is looking 70% favorable → https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK pic.twitter.com/5ITydgvQVI
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 20, 2020
Bob Behnken and Douglas Hurley projected to return in August from ISS
On 30th May, the same rocket vaulted a spacecraft with gumdrop shape, Crew Dragon, into orbit carrying Bob Behnken and Douglas Hurley, the astronauts of NASA. The cosmonauts projected to return form ISS mission on 2nd August 2020.
The Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX is the only launching vehicle globally that is capable of a reusable first-stage booster. For many years, the agency usually recovered the boosters: After the first stage of the rocket that spends most of its fuel, it disconnects from the second stage of the rocket and then gears itself back to a straight landing on a ground pad or seafaring platforms. The non-usable, the second stage of the rocket, then starts its own engine to complete the mission.
Refurbishing, recapturing, and reflying the hardware of the rocket saves the money of SpaceX, the company explains. It is at the core of the mission of Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, to cut down the cost of launching satellites – or satellites carrying people – into outer space. Moreover, the success of the company in establishing reusable rocket technology overturned an honestly uncompetitive industry, and several of its competitors, like legacy rocket manufacturer United Launch Alliance & new arrival Blue Origin, are trying to build reusable vehicles of their own.
The latest version of the first-stage of Falcon 9 may fly around 10 times
SpaceX flew one rocket booster around five times, and Musk said that the recent version of the Falcon 9 first-stage might fly around ten times with slight repairs needed between launches. During the latest mission of Monday, the first-stage booster fired its engines for almost two and half minutes before breaking off and directing itself back toward one of the remote-controlled platforms of the company, termed as Just Read the Instructions. The name took from one of the favorite science fiction books of Musk. The whole procedure will take almost eight and a half minutes.
Source: Web
SpaceX stated that the satellite of South Korea called Anasis II and built under a Lockheed Martin-Airbus agreement, deployed from the second stage of the rocket about half an hour after launch. The company scheduled to launch the satellite last week, whereas SpaceX delayed the mission to examine the second stage of the rocket, according to the tweet of the company.
Standing down from tomorrow’s launch of ANASIS-II to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed. Will announce new target launch date once confirmed on the Range
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 13, 2020
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