SpaceX DM-2 mission launched successfully 30 May 2020. If you missed, or want to re-live this historic event, here is a great video:
Tag: #Falcon9 Page 1 of 2
NASA and SpaceX yesterday (May 23 2020) completed the final rehearsal for the upcoming first manned launch of the Crew Dragon space craft. NASA Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken went through pre-launch procedures in preparation for the flight scheduled for Wednesday, 27 May 2020.
Weather conditions are a concern for the launch schedule. Alternative launch dates for the mission to the ISS fall on 30 May and 31 May.
On 21 May 2020 the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule arrived at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
On 22 May 2020 SpaceX and NASA completed the mission’s flight readiness review, including a static firing of the Falcon 9 first stage engines, as seen below.
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
The next step is a dry dress rehearsal (rocket does not get fueled) scheduled for 23 May 2020. Launch is currently scheduled for 27 May 2020.
Astronauts enter a routine quarantine for historic SpaceX Crew Dragon launch
(Image: © SpaceX)
SpaceX continues to get the job done in space like no other organization. On December 22, 2017 they had their final launch of the year. Using a re-used Falcon 9 first stage, they launched and successfully deployed 10 Iridium satellites. This marked their 18th launch of the year, setting a new company record.
The Falcon 9 launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and in the clear early evening skies was seen all across southern California and parts of Arizona. If you missed the live webcast of the launch, you can watch the replay:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtdjCwo6d3Q]
SpaceX has successfully launched another resupply mission to the International Space Station. That is cool enough on its own. But this was also a launch that for the first time used both a reused Falcon 9 first stage and a reused Dragon capsule. These guys know how to do rocket science and make it pay.
Did you miss the CRS-13 launch and deployment? Watch it now!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPHbqY9LHCs&w=560&h=315]
I just never get tired of mentioning the growing success of SpaceX. On October 11 they had yet another successful satellite launch. This launch featured the re-use of a Falcon 9 first stage and the successful landing of that first stage booster so it can be used again. This mission marked the 18th time SpaceX successfully recovered a Falcon 9 booster.
Anyway, here is the video if you want to see the lift-off, the booster landing and the deployment of the satellite.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv1zeGSvhIw]
Those space wizards over at SpaceX have done it yet again. This morning they launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying ten Iridium-3 satellites into orbit. All ten satellites deployed successfully. Also, the Falcon 9 first stage successfully landed on the drone ship in the Pacific so that it can be used again in a future launch. Right now no country or company on Earth does space launches like SpaceX does space launches.
You can watch a replay of the whole thing, including the first stage landing and the satellite deployments here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB4N4xF2B2w]
This morning SpaceX successfully launched the OTV-5 mission for the US Air Force. The Falcon 9 stage 1 booster also made a perfect, pin-point landing so that it can be reused. This launch also save the Air Force millions of dollars compared to what United Launch Alliance would have charged.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M6Zvi-fFv4]