SpaceX has made headlines once again as it successfully delivers a double stack- launching two Falcon 9 rockets back to back, in a span of 65
minutes only.
SpaceX launched the two Falcon 9 rockets from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, respectively — delivered a total of 42 Starlink internet satellites into orbit.
Not just this- both the first stages of the rockets also made an offshore landing. The first-stage booster on the launch completed its 18th launch for SpaceX- a stunning number, showcasing Spacex’s abilities to reduce space waste as well as make space travel cost effective. The booster has flown
13 Starlink missions, a Dragon cargo flight for NASA as well as three commercial satellite missions.
“Great work by the SpaceX team” wrote the CEO Elon Musk on X after the
successful double launch in the early hours of saturday.
This is an especially remarkable achievement considering their failure on
Aug 28 after failing to land a Falcon 9 after launching a batch ot starlink satellites.
When precise ascension was not available for SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, the duration of this down time was much shorter than the one caused by an upper stage anomaly in July which lasted even a fortnight.
SpaceX was grounded for only a couple of days following the unsuccessful landing of one of its boosters, B1062, in the course of Starlink 8-6 flight on Wednesday.
Since the Starlink L19 mission in February 2021, this was the first time there has been a landing n icident of this type.
“The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during the Starlink Group 8-6 mission remains open, provided all other license requirements are met,” the FAA said in a statement on Friday. “SpaceX made the return to flight request on Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30.”
SpaceX is seeking to establish the timing of the next launch attempt for the next Crew Dragon mission, Polaris Dawn. On Thursday, SpaceX announced that it continued to look for a suitable launch window, one that would ensure a splashdown off the coast of Florida about five days after the launch and with appropriate weather conditions.
Not just this, even better news are yet to come- as early as the end of September, SpaceX will transport two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on Crew-9, a mission during which – after months’ worth of rotation – the aim is to bring back the Boeing Starliner test flight crew, which is scheduled for 2025.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, NASA astronauts, have not moved from the orbital laboratory since their Starliner’s flight that was in early June.
Everyone is looking forward to seeing the two stranded astronauts back on land, after their transportation malfunctioned, leaving them to stay in space for more than 4 times their originally decided duration of stay.
SpaceX's double launch is a thrilling step towards a new frontier in space
exploration. By utilizing the Falcon 9 and pioneering smart launch
strategies, SpaceX is not just reaching for the stars; they are making space
travel routine. This isn’t just about technology; it's about connecting
humanity in ways we’ve never imagined. The journey has just begun, and
the universe awaits—are you ready for what comes next?
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