SpaceX has launched and landed a first-stage Falcon 9 booster for a document twenty first time.
The record-breaking mission received underway from the Kennedy House Middle in Florida on Friday night time and deployed 23 Starlink web satellites into orbit.
The primary-stage booster supporting the mission beforehand launched GPS III House Automobile 04, GPS III House Automobile 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and now 14 Starlink missions.
The achievement highlights SpaceX’s groundbreaking flight system that enables it to reuse its first-stage Falcon 9 booster by touchdown it again on the bottom — or typically on a barge floating off the coast — a couple of minutes after launch. Following a test and refurbishment, the booster can fly once more, serving to SpaceX to chop its spaceflight prices.
The record-breaking booster, B1062, took its first flight in November 2020 and will nonetheless have many extra flights forward of it.
SpaceX shared a video of the booster climbing skyward after launching from Kennedy a few days in the past:
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/caAsrsKUyH
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) Could 18, 2024
Simply over eight minutes after launch, the booster touched down on a barge ready within the Atlantic Ocean near the Florida coast:
Falcon 9 completes its first twenty first launch and touchdown! pic.twitter.com/m77JbAdNKJ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) Could 18, 2024
SpaceX chief Elon Musk additionally shared a dramatic picture exhibiting the Falcon 9 rocket heading to orbit, as seen from the ocean:
Falcon going to orbit as seen from ocean pic.twitter.com/Dclhju24ya
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) Could 18, 2024
Two different first-stage Falcon 9 boosters not too long ago reached 20 flights, suggesting the record-breaking B1062 booster could quickly be overtaken, relying on refurbishment instances and flight schedules.
SpaceX has already accomplished 51 Falcon 9 missions this yr. This time final yr the quantity stood at 32 — on the time a document — suggesting that it’s very a lot on the right track to fly extra missions than ever in a single calendar yr, all due to its workhorse Falcon 9 booster.
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