{"id":18656,"date":"2018-01-31T17:53:25","date_gmt":"2018-01-31T09:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-launches-govsat-1-satellite-clearing-the-way-for-falcon-heavys-debut\/"},"modified":"2018-01-31T17:53:25","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T09:53:25","slug":"spacex-launches-govsat-1-satellite-clearing-the-way-for-falcon-heavys-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-launches-govsat-1-satellite-clearing-the-way-for-falcon-heavys-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX launches GovSat-1 satellite, clearing the way for Falcon Heavy\u2019s debut"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_394171\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-394171\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-394171\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/180131-govsat-630x496.jpg\" alt=\"SpaceX GovSat-1 launch\" width=\"630\" height=\"496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/180131-govsat-630x496.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/180131-govsat-768x604.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/180131-govsat.jpg 1060w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-394171\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, sending the GovSat-1 satellite to space. (SpaceX via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket sent a telecommunications satellite into orbit today for Luxembourg\u2019s government and the SES satellite venture, setting the stage for next week\u2019s maiden launch of SpaceX\u2019s Falcon Heavy rocket.<\/p>\n<p>The GovSat-1 spacecraft is the first component in a NATO satellite constellation that\u2019s designed to provide secure communications for tactical operations, maritime missions or over areas affected by humanitarian crises. It was built by Orbital ATK, with anti-jamming and encryption systems, and is meant exclusively for governmental and institutional security applications.<\/p>\n<p>GovSat-1 is built to be in operation for 15 years.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida had been originally scheduled for Tuesday, but it was delayed 24 hours to give SpaceX time to replace a sensor on the Falcon 9\u2019s second stage.<\/p>\n<p>The rocket lifted off at 4:25 p.m. ET (1:25 p.m. PT) and lofted GovSat-1 into a geostationary transfer orbit.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"SpaceX Falcon 9 launches GovSat-1 (SES-16), 31 January 2018\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JNP4J8E734A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Once the satellite reaches its final orbit, 22,000 miles above Earth, it will support communications within Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and enable operations over the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX typically programs its first-stage booster to fly itself back to a landing after stage separation. For example, the first stage that was used today had been recovered and refurbished after a launch last May. However, because of today\u2019s mission requirements, SpaceX let the booster fall into the Atlantic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s weirder to consider that we\u2019re not actually recovering this one,\u201d said launch commentator Michael Hammersley, an engineer at SpaceX\u2019s headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif.<\/p>\n<p>It got even weirder: After the launch, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reported in a tweet that the booster tested a procedure for a \u201cvery high retrothrust landing in water,\u201d involving a three-engine blast so violent that it might have done damage to an oceangoing landing ship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmazingly it has survived,\u201d Musk said of the booster. \u201cWe will try to tow it back to shore.\u201d (<strong>Update<\/strong>: They weren\u2019t able to do it.)<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=958847818583584768&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2018%2Fspacex-launches-govsat-1-satellite-clearing-way-falcon-heavys-debut%2F&amp;sessionId=e97d516fbbe24a291ea13fd6276d0a736ca098c0&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"958847818583584768\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782801564390417857=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This rocket was meant to test very high retrothrust landing in water so it didn\u2019t hurt the droneship, but amazingly it has survived. We will try to tow it back to shore. pic.twitter.com\/hipmgdnq16<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2018<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>SpaceX has big plans for its next launch&nbsp;\u2014 the first test flight of its Falcon Heavy rocket, which combines three Falcon 9 cores with a total of 27 Merlin engines for liftoff thrust of 5.1 million pounds.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of payload-to-orbit capacity, the Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful launch vehicle to take flight since the Saturn V moon rocket.<\/p>\n<p>Components of the Falcon Heavy have been undergoing testing for months, and a key test came last week when the fully assembled rocket fired all of its rockets at once during a launch-pad test at Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center.<\/p>\n<p>That test cleared the way for SpaceX to schedule a Feb. 6 liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. The practice flight is due to send an unconventional payload&nbsp;\u2014 SpaceX founder Elon Musk\u2019s red Tesla Roadster sports car&nbsp;\u2014 on a widely looping trajectory that goes as far out as the orbit of Mars.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BemBlnSAACd\/<\/p>\n<p>The flight plan calls for two of the first-stage cores to fly themselves back to a Florida landing zone after they\u2019ve done their job, and for the center core to touch down on an oceangoing drone ship.<\/p>\n<p>Musk has said \u201cthere\u2019s a real good chance\u201d that the Falcon Heavy won\u2019t make it to orbit on the first try, which is why he chose a relatively expendable (and relatively silly) payload for the first test flight.<\/p>\n<p>Once the Falcon Heavy passes all its tests, it will be put to work launching large satellites, or combinations of satellites. Eventually, the rocket could send payloads toward the moon and Mars.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX is working on an even bigger launch vehicle, known as the BFR or Big Falcon Rocket, which could carry scores of settlers to Mars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, sending the GovSat-1 satellite to space. (SpaceX via YouTube) SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket sent a telecommunications satellite into orbit today for Luxembourg\u2019s government and the SES satellite venture, setting the stage for next week\u2019s maiden launch of SpaceX\u2019s Falcon Heavy rocket. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[479,678,4434,3039,3041,1043,316],"class_list":["post-18656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-falcon-9","tag-falcon-heavy","tag-falcon-launch","tag-govsat","tag-luxembourg","tag-ses","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18656"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18656\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}