Sunday, June 25, 2017

SpaceX Is Crushing 2017

 

For the majority of Americans, 2017 has not been a year to celebrate, nor a year that would warrant much optimism for our future. 

 

That is why it's crucial to highlight successes and technological advances - especially those that are space-related - lest they get lost or drowned out by the horrifying events that define our current political landscape. 

 

Based on the first six months of the year, SpaceX is having its most successful year to date, with an impressive line-up of nine (!) launches and seven landings, all of which have been a resounding success. The month of June alone saw three SpaceX missions - two of them this past weekend launched from opposite coasts within 48 hours of each other. 

 

Almost every one of these nine missions included historic milestone achievements for SpaceX as well as spaceflight in general. Below is a list of the nine SpaceX missions through the month of June, with information about them and historic milestones marked as these missions achieved their objectives, one after the other. 

 

SpaceX's 10th mission of the year, the launch of an Intelsat satellite from Cape Canaveral, is currently scheduled for no earlier than July 2.

 

 

1. January 14, 2017

From: Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, Space Launch Complex 4E

Payload: First of multiple missions to deploy Iridium NEXT satellites

Client: Iridium Communications, McLean, VA

Landing: Drone ship in the Pacific, Just Read The Instructions

Historic milestones:

1. Return-to-flight mission after the loss of the Amos-6 payload in September 2016

2. First successful drone ship landing in the Pacific

 

 

Image credit: SpaceX

Iridium-1 mission, January 14, 2107


Image credit: SpaceX

Iridium-1 mission, January 14, 2107

 

 

 

2. February 19, 2017

From: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Launch Complex 39A

Payload: CRS-10, 10th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station

Client: NASA, Houston, TX

Landing: Ground pad at Kennedy Space Center

 

 SpaceX's technical webcast for the CRS-10 mission

February 19, 2017

 

 

3. March 16, 2107

From: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Launch Complex 39A

Payload: EchoStar 23 communications satellite

Client: EchoStar, Englewood, CO

Landing: No attempt made


Image credit: SpaceX

Iridium mission, March 16, 2107


 

 

4. March 30, 2017

From: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Launch Complex 39A

Payload: SES-10 communications satellite

Client: SES, Luxembourg

Landing: Drone ship in the Atlantic, Of Course I Still Love You

Historic milestones

1. First re-use of a recovered Stage 1 rocket (B1021), which also landed again. The rocket was first flown during the CRS-8 mission to the ISS in April, 2016.

2. The payload fairing also remained intact, as SpaceX began testing reusable fairings during missions. The fairing was equipped with thrusters and parachutes for landing maneuvers.

 


World's First Reflight of an Orbital Class Rocket Hosted Webcast
March 30, 2017

 

 

5. May 1, 2017

From: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Launch Complex 39A

Payload: NROL-76 (classified)

Client: National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Chantilly, VA

Landing: Ground pad at Kennedy Space Center

Historic milestone

SpaceX's first launch under its certification for national security missions.

 

Image credit: SpaceX

NROL-76 mission, May 1, 2017

 

 

 

6. May 15, 2017

From: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Launch Complex 39A

Payload: Inmarsat-5 communications satellite

Client: Inmarsat, London

Landing: No attempt made

Historic milestone:

Heaviest payload (6,070 kg) launched to geostationary transfer orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket to date.

 


Image credit: SpaceX
Inmarsat-5 mission, May 15, 2015




7. June 3, 2017

From: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Launch Complex 39A

Payload: CRS-11, 11th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. Delivery of NICER, MUSES and ROSA science instruments to the ISS.

Client: NASA, Houston, TX

Landing: Ground pad at Kennedy Space Center

Historic milestone:

First re-use of a refurbished Dragon capsule (C106), which first flew as part of the CRS-4 mission in September 2014.

 


Image credit: SpaceX
CRS-11 mission, June 3, 2017



Image credit: SpaceX
CRS-11 mission, June 3, 2017




8. June 23, 2017

From: Kennedy Space Center, FL, Launch Complex 39A

Payload: BulgariaSat communications satellite

Client: Bulsatcom, Sofia, Bulgaria

Landing: Drone ship in the Atlantic, Of Course I Still Love You

Historic milestones:

1. Second re-use of a booster (B1029) that initially flew five months earlier in January 2017 during the first Iridium NEXT mission.

2. Launch of the first Bulgarian-owned commercial communications satellite.

 

Image credit: SpaceX  

BulgariaSat mission, June 23, 2017

 

 

9. June 25, 2017

From: Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, Space Launch Complex 4E

Payload: Second of multiple missions to deploy Iridium NEXT satellites

Client: Iridium Communications, McLean, VA

Landing: Drone ship in the Pacific, Just Read The Instructions

Historic milestones:

1. Third successful Falcon 9 launch and landing in a single month and the first to launch within 48 hours of a previous mission.

2. First use of new titanium landing grid fins during a mission. The titanium fins are much more durable than previously used aluminum fins and require almost no maintenance.

 



 Image credit: SpaceX

New titanium grid fins used to land Falcon 9 rockets 

 

 Image credit: SpaceX

Iridium-2 mission, June 25, 2017

 

  Image credit: SpaceX

Iridium-2 mission, June 25, 2017 

 

 

 

Sunday, January 15, 2017

SpaceX Is Back!


Our American political future may seem bleak these days, but that did not stop the ingenuity of American rocket science from prevailing, showcasing a jaw-dropping return-to-flight launch this past Saturday, January 14, 2017. Following a week of launch delays due to major rain storms that may just have solved California's drought problem, Falcon 9 carrying the first of its Iridium satellite payloads received the all clear, performing flawlessly against a bright, blue sky.






Not only did Falcon 9 deliver the first 10 of at least 70 next-gen Iridium satellites into orbit, the rocket's first stage returned to Earth, sticking the landing right on top of the X painted on SpaceX's ocean-going barge in the Pacific, downrange from Vandenberg Air Force Base. SpaceX has launch pads both at Vandenberg in Southern California and at Cape Canaveral on Florida's Space Coast.

You can learn more about Iridium Corporation and its fleet of satellites here.

Below is SpaceX's live webcast from countdown to satellite deployment to landing. Enjoy!









Friday, January 6, 2017

SpaceX Returns To Flight


Update January 8, 2017: Given the massive winter rain storm looming in Southern California's forecast, it's not surprising that SpaceX's Iridium-1 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base has been  postponed to Saturday, January 14, 2017, at 9:54 a.m. PST (6:54 a.m. EST; 18:54 CET). Launch details below.




Following completion of a successful static-fire test yesterday, Iridium Corporation announced that it will target Monday, January 9, 2017 to launch the first ten of its Iridium Next satellites into orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Southern California's Vandenberg Airforce Base. Launch time is set for 10:22 a.m. PST (1:22 p.m. EST; 19:22 CET).

Iridium has contracted with SpaceX to deliver its second generation global satellite constellation into orbit, over the course of seven missions, including the current one. The new 3-billion-dollar satellite array will replace Iridium's existing satellite network dating to the 1990s and 2000s and provide satellite and cell phone services.

Yesterday the Federal Aviation Administration also accepted Space X's accident report on last September's on-pad explosion of a Falcon 9 rocket and its payload during a pre-launch static fire test. SpaceX traced the failure to one of three composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs). More info here.

Thursday's test fire of the rocket that will launch Iridium's satellites was performed without the payload atop the rocket. It will be installed at Vandenberg over the weekend for a Monday morning launch window.

This mission will include a landing attempt of the rocket's first stage on a barge in the Pacific downrange from VAFB. If you are anywhere in Southern California with an unobstructed ocean view at launch time, you may well be able to see the launch and perhaps the burns by the returning rocket as it maneuvers itself to touch down on an ocean-going barge. The weather, however, may not cooperate. Southern California is expecting a winter storm with potentially heavy rain that is forecast to linger through Monday. Still, it's great news to know that SpaceX is back on track and back on the pad, preparing to return to flight.