We ’re getting rather used to fantastic SpaceX launches and landing these days . But its belated delegacy yesterday was perhaps the most impressive of the spate .
Taking off from Florida at 9.39am EST on Sunday , February 19 , the company ’s flagship Falcon 9 rocket salad blasted off with a Dragon consignment ship on card , laden withsupplies and experimentsbound for the International Space Station ( ISS ) on Wednesday .
This was the 10th SpaceX shipment mission under contract by NASA , call CRS-10 ( Cargo Resupply Mission 10 ) . As with old SpaceX mission , the launch was followed about nine minutes later with the first level of the rocket landing back on the ground , at Landing Zone 1 ( LZ-1 ) .
This was the third SpaceX landing do on the ground , but the first in the day time – allow for for some rather stunning imagery .
The Falcon 9 lifts off . SpaceX
The first degree ignites its booster to touch down at Landing Zone 1 . SpaceX
secure and intelligent after a successful launch and landing . SpaceX
telecasting of the landing seen by a lagger television camera
The launch was delayed from Saturday by CEO Elon Musk after a little guidance issue was regain in the rocket ’s upper stage , with countdown stopping just 13 seconds before liftoff . Musk hadtweetedit was “ 99 % likely to be fine ” , but “ that 1 % prospect is n’t worth seethe the die . well to expect a daytime ” .
What made this launching even more noteworthy was that it take stead from thehistoric Launch Complex 39Aat NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center ( KSC ) . Once used to launch the Space Shuttle and Saturn V , this pad wasleased to SpaceX in 2014after the retreat of the Shuttle in 2011 .
It ’s taken a while to get it prepped for SpaceX launches , but now that it ’s up and go it gives the company more flexibility for future launches . Another stamp pad used by the company at Cape Canaveral in Florida is currently being repaired after that explosion back in September last twelvemonth , while SpaceX can also set up from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California .
SpaceX is planning to eventually use Launch Complex 39A for its upcoming Falcon Heavy vehicle , which will be the largest rocket in surgical procedure today . This will practice three booster amplifier compared to Falcon 9 ’s single booster , with plans to bring down all three simultaneously on the undercoat at Cape Canaveral .
As early as March this year , SpaceX wants to set out re - fly some of the rockets it has landed , a key part of its plan to contribute down the price of spaceflight . It presently has eight , with Luxembourg planet manufacturer SESalready sign on upto be the first customer on a re - fly rocket .
The society ’s president , Gwynne Shotwell , also announced recently that they have a rather challenging programme to launch a rocket everytwo to three weeksthis year . Whether they ’ll achieve that goal remains to be seen ( similar claim have beenmade before ) , but having an extra launch pad for sure wo n’t hurt matters .
Launch Complex 39A has been used to launch the Saturn V ( left ) , Space Shuttle ( midway ) , and now Falcon 9 ( right ) . NASA / SpaceX
A rematch of yesterday ’s flight of stairs . Launch is at about 19:50 , and landing at 27:50
