SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket into Geostationary orbit (GEO) and land the rocket back on a and its autonomous drone barge. On 4th march at 6.35Pm EST, the fifth trial session the rocket’s first-stage booster tried valiantly to land upright on its rocking, football field-sized landing pad, a barge called Of Course I Still Love You.
The mission requirements made a successful landing as it hit hard on the brage. SpaceX had repeatedly set expectations low for this particular rocket recovery attempt.
The commercial space company has successfully landed a Falcon 9 on the ground, a historic achievement in December that points toward a future of cheaper, reusable rockets. But landing on a waterborne barge is a different feat altogether.
Reaching a target altitude of 40,6000 km required greater speeds—8,000 or 9,000 kilometers per hour, compared to previous speeds of 5,000 or 6,000 kph. Landing from a high orbit requires a lot of fuel for the launch itself, so there wasn’t much fuel left for the rocket’s return to Earth and powered landing.
SpaceX’s last rocket recovery attempt, made in January, was on a mission that sent a satellite into LEO and therefore required a lower speed. That landing was also unsuccessful, but the rocket did soft land on its target and only fell over because one of the rocket’s support legs failed to lock upon touchdown.
Though it failed landing, today’s SpaceX launch still accomplished its primary goal of sending a telecommunications satellite into space for the company’s client, SES. The SES-9 satellite was dropped off at high altitude and will use its own propulsion to travel to its intended orbit. Eventually, SES-9 will sit at 22,000 miles above the equator, providing communications service to Northeast Asia, South Asia, and Indonesia, according to SES.
Source: TechCrunch
