SpaceX sticks the landing again!!

Here’s a replay: http://www.floridatoday.com/media/cinematic/video/85057174/

At 2:39 PST, a Falcon 9 v1.2 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex-40, Cape Canaveral, FL. The rocket carried a telecommunications satellite for Thai satellite operator Thaicom.

Then, at 2:47 PST to loud cheers at SpaceX and elsewhere, the first stage landed upright on the “Of Course I Still Love You” drone ship, 400 mi (680 km) off the coast of Florida. This is the second of hopefully many ocean landings! The first stage had to survive a much faster and hotter re-entry with much less fuel for landing, as with the previous successful landing.

And finally, at 3:11 pm, Thaicom 8 was deployed, ultimately to circle the Earth at 36000 km Super Synchronous Transfer Orbit. By contrast, the International Space Station is at a close 350 km (in LEO). Thaicom 8 will provide service to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The satellite is over 3000 kg and is designed to operate for 15 years.

On the telecast, SpaceX personnel noted that they would soon attempt to land and reuse the payload fairing. Where are they going to find space for them, with all of those recovered 1st stages?

Congratulations to SpaceX on another success!

UPDATE: The spacecraft has acquired signal – confirmed by Orbital ATK

This entry was posted in OASIS and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.