posted 05-25-2016 08:50 PM               

SpaceX Falcon 9 with THAICOM 8 satellite

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will deliver THAICOM 8, a commercial communications satellite, to a supersynchronous transfer orbit.

The THAICOM 8 satellite, built by Orbital ATK, will provide Ku-band communications coverage for South Asia and Southeast Asia.

SpaceX is targeting launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 26 with a backup date of May 27. The approximately two-hour launch window opens on May 26 at 5:40 pm EDT (2140 GMT). A backup launch window on May 27 opens at approximately the same time. The satellite will be deployed about 32 minutes after liftoff.

Following stage separation, the first stage of Falcon 9 will attempt an experimental landing on the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship. As with other missions going to geostationary orbits, the first-stage will be subject to extreme velocities and re-entry heating, making a successful landing challenging.

posted 05-26-2016 04:19 PM               

Launch team finalizing review of vehicle data and check outs. Will move T-0 into the 2 hour window.

posted 05-26-2016 05:22 PM               

Out of an abundance of caution, launch postponed until no earlier than tomorrow for additional data review — Falcon 9 and spacecraft remain healthy.

There was a tiny glitch in the motion of an upper stage engine actuator. Probably not a flight risk, but still worth investigating.

posted 05-27-2016 04:53 PM               

SpaceX on Twitter:

Falcon 9 second stage and THAICOM 8 spacecraft in nominal orbit and coast. First stage has landed on the droneship.

THAICOM 8 spacecraft has been deployed into a nominal supersynch transfer orbit.

posted 05-27-2016 06:17 PM               

SpaceX is shipping its first recovered stage back out to Hawthorne to become an outdoor display. Of the other stages, the JCSAT-14 stage will be used for ground qualification tests due to the damage it sustained on landing.

Back to today's landing, it sounds as though Elon Musk (on Twitter) isn't positive it will make it back to shore intact.

Rocket landing speed was close to design max and used up contingency crush core, hence back and forth motion. Probably okay, but some risk of tipping.

Crush core is aluminum honeycomb for energy absorption in the telescoping actuator. Easy to replace (if Falcon makes it back to port).

posted 05-27-2016 09:26 PM               

Fast replay of today's rocket landing on SpaceX droneship OCISLY.

posted 06-02-2016 08:46 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Headshot:
Yes, but they need to start reusing these things soon.

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Musk said that SpaceX would attempt to refly a recovered Falcon 9 first stage within the next three months. "We plan to refly one of the landed rocket boosters hopefully in about two or three months," he said. "We want to start reflying them before the end of the summer."

posted 06-02-2016 12:28 PM               

Rocket back at port after careful ocean transit. Leaning back due to crush core being used up in landing legs.

posted 06-06-2016 09:28 PM               

One of the stages, thought to be the first landed, appears to have been cleaned/painted in preparation for its departure to Hawthorne, California. The hangar can house five stages at a time.