SpaceX Breaks Records With Falcon 9 Launch

AlphaAtlas

AlphaAtlas

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On Monday, SpaceX successfully launched a rocket carrying 64 small satellites. While this doesn't top the 104-satellite record set by an Indian rocket last year, it did set the record for the highest number of satellites ever launched by a U.S. rocket. It was also SpaceX's 19th launch this year, breaking their previous yearly launch record. SpaceX's next launch was actually scheduled for today, but was delayed by a day "to allow time for ground teams to replace moldy food bars meant for 40 mice heading for the International Space Station." Still, barring any further delays, Wednesday's launch will represent SpaceX's quickest turnaround time between Falcon 9 missions, at just under 48 hours.

Check out a video of Monday's launch here.

The fairing catch attempt Monday was the first in more than four months by SpaceX, but Mr. Steven missed the fairing halves, despite the installation of a bigger net earlier this year, and several apparent practice runs in recent weeks using test hardware dropped from a helicopter. Musk tweeted after Monday's launch that the fairing halves will be retrieved from the sea, dried and used again. But it's not clear how easy it will be to refurbish fairings after dropping into salt water. The method of catching the fairings using a net was intended to keep the shrouds away from the corrosive effects of sea water, a problem that lengthens the time needed for SpaceX to refurbish Dragon cargo capsules for reuse after splashing down in the ocean.
 
104 in a year by one comany? We really are trashing the space around the Earth.
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
actually crazy how accurate it has to be to hit that landing perfectly
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Yeah.
I have been thinking if it wasent smarter to land it in some form of gimbal / socket instead of just on a flat deck.
The drone ship landings we have seen go wrong, mostly the stage got there just fine just toppled over after landing, so my ides was if you can land into some form of socket that will support the stage better, maybe some form of active arresting gear, that would be even better.
 
Link said:
104 in a year by one comany? We really are trashing the space around the Earth.
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been doing it since the 50's.. considering theres over 2600 dead satellites still orbiting earth and the oldest satellite in space that also happens to be non functioning was put there in 1958.. this image from Wall-E is going to become more of a reality by the day, lol..
 

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Isn't it a bit disingenuous, and patronizing, to say SpaceX is breaking records when the record they "broke" only exists due to arbitrary restrictions like "out of launches in the US"? I think SpaceX is great, as is Tesla, but let's give India credit where credit is due!
 
disemboweler said:
Isn't it a bit disingenuous, and patronizing, to say SpaceX is breaking records when the record they "broke" only exists due to arbitrary restrictions like "out of launches in the US"? I think SpaceX is great, as is Tesla, but let's give India credit where credit is due!
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While this doesn't top the 104-satellite record set by an Indian rocket last year.....
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Credit was given. Reading is hard.
 
Let's just start shipping our garbage to the sun to help it out instead of dumping it in our oceans. lol! Seriously though there seems to be a need for regulation on how much crap we send in orbit.
 
Link said:
104 in a year by one comany? We really are trashing the space around the Earth.
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The surface of the earth is 197 million square miles. Just 200 miles above the surface there is 217 million square miles of space available. That's low earth orbit. At geosynchronous altitudes, it's over 7 billion square miles. Trust me, we aren't running out of orbital space.
 
Watched the live stream yesterday (thanks Youtube, you are the shit!) and it amazes how fast they get the booster back to the robo-ship.
 
Link said:
104 in a year by one comany? We really are trashing the space around the Earth.
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Rahh said:
Let's just start shipping our garbage to the sun to help it out instead of dumping it in our oceans. lol! Seriously though there seems to be a need for regulation on how much crap we send in orbit.
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One of the advantages of low-cost launchers is that these satellites can be deployed into low orbits where atmospheric drag will naturally bring them (and the launcher debris) back down in a decade or less. Previously launches were such a massive investment that spacecraft were typically deployed at much higher altitudes.

Also, Earth orbits the sun at ~30 km/sec, meaning you'd need a huge amount of fuel to slow down enough to fall into the Sun. It would be cheaper to throw our garbage at Jupiter. ;)
 
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Holy crap, SpaceX is popping another one (CRS-16) off in 10ish minutes. Damn, 2 days, 2 launches. NASA FTL
 
Rabid_Platypus said:
Holy crap, SpaceX is popping another one (CRS-16) off in 10ish minutes. Damn, 2 days, 2 launches. NASA FTL
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rip first stage failed to land as planned but it still saved it's self at the last second for a damage free landing in the ocean.

video of it aborting to land in the ocean. pretty damn good if the computer was able to figure out how to save that landing on it's own with no human input.
 
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Isn't the more important record not the number of small payloads brought up, but the fact that it's the 3rd time the rocket's been used?
 
PaulP said:
Just 200 miles above the surface there is 217 million square miles
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Yes but up there at those speeds a grain of sand are a major problem, down here thats nothing as sand move a lot slower even if there are a lot more of it.
 
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