{"id":19439,"date":"2016-03-04T21:03:34","date_gmt":"2016-03-04T13:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacexs-satellite-launch-works-like-a-charm-but-rocket-makes-hard-landing\/"},"modified":"2016-03-04T21:03:34","modified_gmt":"2016-03-04T13:03:34","slug":"spacexs-satellite-launch-works-like-a-charm-but-rocket-makes-hard-landing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacexs-satellite-launch-works-like-a-charm-but-rocket-makes-hard-landing\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX\u2019s satellite launch works like a charm, but rocket makes hard landing"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_234925\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-234925\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-234925\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-spacex3-630x478.jpg\" alt=\"SpaceX Falcon 9 launch\" width=\"630\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-spacex3-630x478.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-spacex3-768x582.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-spacex3.jpg 1183w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-234925\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket rises from its pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After coping with a wayward boat, unfavorable winds and propellant problems, SpaceX launched the SES-9 telecommunication satellite on its Falcon 9 rocket today, then tried unsuccessfully to land the rocket\u2019s first stage on an oceangoing platform.<\/p>\n<p>The Falcon 9 soared into the skies above Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida just after sunset at 6:35 p.m. ET (3:35 p.m. PT) after a smooth countdown. The satellite was sent on its way to geosynchronous transfer orbit, the first step toward putting SES-9 into position for Luxembourg-based SES to&nbsp;deliver satellite broadcast services to millions of&nbsp;customers in the Asia-Pacific region.<\/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=705910704792973313&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2016%2Ffourth-times-charm-spacex-ses-9-satellite-launch%2F&amp;sessionId=9336871e004fb844cfb6e31b4d8a5aa844e7ad89&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"705910704792973313\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782804827437309147=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Target altitude of 40,600 km achieved. Thanks @SES_Satellites for riding on Falcon 9! Looking forward to future missions.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Two earlier launch attempts&nbsp;\u2013 on&nbsp;Feb. 24 and 25&nbsp;\u2013 had to be scrubbed due to concerns about the super-cold liquid oxygen propellant that was loaded into the Falcon\u2019s tanks.<\/p>\n<p>Another attempt, on Feb. 28, was delayed when a tugboat strayed into a restricted zone downrange from the launch site. Eventually the countdown resumed, but the launch was aborted&nbsp;just as the engines were being fired up&nbsp;because the liquid oxygen\u2019s temperature had risen too high.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX reset the countdown for Tuesday, but the upper winds were so strong this week that the Falcon 9 wasn\u2019t even fueled up again until today. This time, the winds stayed within acceptable levels.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_234926\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-234926\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-234926\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-sep-630x452.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Spacecraft separation\" width=\"630\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-sep-630x452.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-sep-768x551.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-sep-1240x890.jpg 1240w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/160304-sep.jpg 1344w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-234926\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A video view from the SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage shows the successful separation of the SES-9 satellite. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Several minutes after liftoff, the Falcon\u2019s second stage and its satellite payload separated from the first-stage booster. The booster\u2019s guidance then restarted its engines and made a controlled descent toward an \u201cautonomous spaceport drone ship,\u201d stationed in the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of miles off the Florida coast.<\/p>\n<p>A webcam feed from the uncrewed ship showed a brightening glow as the booster descended toward the deck, but the video was cut off before it could be determined whether or not the landing was successful.<\/p>\n<p>More than an hour after launch, SpaceX founder Elon Musk delivered the bad news about a&nbsp;hard landing, plus a forward-looking twist:<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" 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-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=705917924972736512&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2016%2Ffourth-times-charm-spacex-ses-9-satellite-launch%2F&amp;sessionId=9336871e004fb844cfb6e31b4d8a5aa844e7ad89&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"705917924972736512\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782804827437309147=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rocket landed hard on the droneship. Didn&#8217;t expect this one to work (v hot reentry), but next flight has a good chance.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>SpaceX tried to make such an at-sea landing three times before,&nbsp;in January and April of 2015 as well as&nbsp;this January. Each time, the landing came close to success, but the rocket didn\u2019t survive.<\/p>\n<p>In December,&nbsp;SpaceX successfully&nbsp;brought&nbsp;a Falcon 9 booster back to its Cape Canaveral landing zone after a launch, but the company wants to perfect the at-sea landing routine for situations in which an on-land touchdown is not logistically possible.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the&nbsp;higher-than-usual propellant&nbsp;requirements for the SES satellite launch to a geosynchronous transfer orbit, SpaceX said long before the launch that&nbsp;the landing was not likely to&nbsp;be successful. But it wanted to try anyway.&nbsp;Rocket recovery and reuse are key steps in Musk\u2019s plan to reduce the cost of access to space and eventually make it possible to send colonists to Mars.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s next Falcon 9 launch is scheduled to send an uncrewed Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station in April.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket rises from its pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. (Credit: SpaceX) After coping with a wayward boat, unfavorable winds and propellant problems, SpaceX launched the SES-9 telecommunication satellite on its Falcon 9 rocket today, then tried unsuccessfully to land the rocket\u2019s first stage on an oceangoing platform. The [&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":[3787,316],"class_list":["post-19439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-ses-9","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19439"}],"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=19439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19439\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}