SpaceX blasts off recycled rocket carrying three Canadian satellites the size of a Tesla Roadster as it makes a perfect landing back on Earth
- SpaceX launched its seventh Falcon rocket for the year from the California coast
- About ten minutes after launch, the recycled rocket touched back down on land
- It deployed a trio of satellites for the Canadian government that will map waters
- The satellites are about the size of a Tesla Roadster at 23ft wide and 11.8ft tall
SpaceX has blasted off a payload of three Tesla Roadster-sized satellites for the Canadian government, marking its seventh successful launch this year.
Through a thick haze of fog, the white Falcon 9 rocket took flight from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 10:17 am (ET).
About ten minutes after launch, the recycled rocket touched down without a hitch back on the landing pad.
‘Falcon has landed back at landing zone four at Vandenberg Air Force Base,’ a SpaceX announcer said during a livestream of the launch.
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SpaceX has blasted off a payload of three Tesla Roadster-sized satellites for the Canadian government, marking its sixth launch this year. The launch took place at 10:17 am (ET)
The launch made use of the same Falcon 9 rocket that flew a mission just a few months earlier in March, when it delivered the Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.
The ‘RADARSAT Constellation’ mission also represents SpaceX’s second successful launch and re-landing on the west coast.
Roughly 55 minutes into the launch, SpaceX successfully deployed the first of the trio of satellites.
The satellites, which will orbit roughly 370 miles above the Earth, are approximately the size of a Tesla Roadster, measuring about 23ft wide and 11.8ft tall.
Once all three are deployed, the satellites will map Canada’s waters, as well as provide readings of the Arctic, to help ships navigate.
To do this, they’re equipped with radar and ship-identification technology, according to the Canadian Space Agency.
The launch made use of the same Falcon 9 rocket that flew a mission just a few months earlier in March, when it delivered the Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station
About ten minutes after launch, the recycled rocket touched down without a hitch back on the landing pad. Pictured is the Falcon 9 returning to Earth through a haze of fog
‘The three-satellite configuration of the RCM will provide daily revisits of Canada’s vast territory and maritime approaches, including the Arctic up to 4 times a day, as well as daily access to any point of 90% of the world’s surface,’ SpaceX said in a statement.
‘The RCM help create precise sea ice maps of Canada’s oceans and the Great Lakes to facilitate navigation and commercial maritime transportation.’
Following this mission, SapceX will launch the Falcon Heavy megarocket for the third time on June 24th.
That event, dubbed the STP-2 mission, will deploy several satellites into orbit for the Department of Defense.
Roughly 55 minutes into the launch, SpaceX successfully deployed the first of the trio of satellites. The satellites will help map Canada’s land and waters and help ships navigate
The satellites (pictured), which will orbit roughly 370 miles above the Earth, are approximately the size of a Tesla Roadster, measuring about 23ft wide and 11.8ft tall
It’ll also be carrying the Planetary Society’s Lightsail 2, a ‘solar sail’ that resembles a kite and is capable of guiding satellites by harnessing solar energy.
The first Lightsail launch took place in 2015 and now the team is hoping to test it further.
After Lightsail 2 is deployed, it will fly around the Earth for the first time, in order to test its maneuverability.
WHY DOES SPACEX RE-USE ROCKETS AND OTHER PARTS?
SpaceX tries to re-use rockets, payload fairings, boosters and other parts to try to cut down on the cost of each rocket mission.
The total cost of one of its Falcon 9 launches is estimated to reach £44 million ($61m), while each of its larger Falcon Heavy flights costs £65 million ($90m).
The space company has previously re-used first-stage and second-stage rocket boosters, in addition to one of its previously flown Dragon capsules.
The Dragon spacecraft are used as the final stage of SpaceX missions to resupply the International Space Station.
In an incredible accomplishment, the Falcon Heavy’s reused side boosters landed smoothly back down to Earth on two separate launchpads about 8 minutes in.
SpaceX is currently testing a system to recover the fairings of its Falcon 9 rockets.
The payload fairings are clam shell-like nose cone halves that protect the craft’s payload.
SpaceX recovered a payload fairing for the first time in 2017.
During its first Falcon Heavy launch in February 2018, the firm landed two of the firms side boosters simultaneously on separate launchpads.
