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Birds
of a different feather. As water fowl frolick 1st reflowed and re-recovered upgraded SpaceX Falcon 9 sails into the mouth of Port Canaveral past Jetty Park Pier, FL, on Aug. 9, 2018. The SpaceX rocket launched the Merah Putih comsat on Aug. 7 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Ken Kremer
— SpaceUpClose.com — 10 August 2018
PORT CANAVERAL,
FL – Less than 3 Days after sailing into space for the second time and
successfully landing on a platform at sea, the first re-flown model of SpaceX’s
upgraded Block 5 version of their workhorse Falcon 9 booster sailed back into Port
Canaveral Thursday late afternoon, Aug. 9.
The 15-story tall first stage booster arrived sooty but
beautifully in a rather surreal setting as it floated majestically into the mouth
of Port Canaveral, around 5 p.m EDT, Thursday, Aug. 9.
I witnessed the Port Canaveral arrival from Jetty Park Pier
and moved along the channel as it sailed further along to its berthing stop.
— SpaceUpClose.com — 10 August 2018
PORT CANAVERAL,
FL – Less than 3 Days after sailing into space for the second time and
successfully landing on a platform at sea, the first re-flown model of SpaceX’s
upgraded Block 5 version of their workhorse Falcon 9 booster sailed back into Port
Canaveral Thursday late afternoon, Aug. 9.
The 15-story tall first stage booster arrived sooty but
beautifully in a rather surreal setting as it floated majestically into the mouth
of Port Canaveral, around 5 p.m EDT, Thursday, Aug. 9.
I witnessed the Port Canaveral arrival from Jetty Park Pier
and moved along the channel as it sailed further along to its berthing stop.
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SpaceX Falcon 9 ocean landed/recovered booster sails into the mouth
of Port Canaveral past Jetty Park Pier, FL, on Aug. 9, 2018. This SpaceX rocket launched the Merah Putih comsat on Aug. 7 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Check out our expanding and exclusive Space
UpClose gallery of the Port arrival, launch, prelaunch and static fire test photos.
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Wide view of monstrous shelf cloud that
rapidly overtook Port Canaveral and the just arrived reflown/recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 booster that just launched Merah Putih comsat Comsat 2 days ago and sailed into port this afternoon Aug. 9, 2018 on OCISLY droneship. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
This story is posted belatedly and as a work in progress due
to its overlap with the successful launch campaign for NASA’s Parker Solar
Probe.
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End of Jetty Park Pier view of Reflown SpaceX Falcon 9 sailing into Port Canaveral mouth
on Aug. 9, 2018 – as tourists gaze in wonder 2 days post launch the Merah Putih comsat on Aug. 7 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The off white singed cylinder with four landing legs was standing
proudly upright on the “Of Course I Still Love You” (OCISLY) flat topped droneship
upon which it made a precision guided soft landing barely 8 minutes after
liftoff.
proudly upright on the “Of Course I Still Love You” (OCISLY) flat topped droneship
upon which it made a precision guided soft landing barely 8 minutes after
liftoff.
OCISLY was towed into the mouth of Port Canaveral by GO
QUEST accompanied by a small SpaceX leased naval fleet.
QUEST accompanied by a small SpaceX leased naval fleet.
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End of Jetty Park Pier view of Reflown SpaceX Falcon 9 sailing into Port Canaveral mouth
on Aug. 9, 2018 – as tourists gaze in wonder 2 days post launch the Merah Putih comsat on Aug. 7 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The twice flown and twice landed booster looked to be in
excellent shape.
excellent shape.
SpaceX CEO Elon Muck hopes to fly the Block 5 models up to
100 times. They have been significantly upgraded to minimize refurbishment between
flights.
100 times. They have been significantly upgraded to minimize refurbishment between
flights.
Indeed Musk said at a briefing that his goal is to refly a
Block 5 with 24 hours of landing – sometime in 2019.
Block 5 with 24 hours of landing – sometime in 2019.
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Celestial Wonders of the technological and
natural kind – as a SpaceX breakthrough in space exploration namely the recycled Falcon 9 Block 5 – sails by Jetty Park Pier at Port Canaveral, FL on Aug. 9, 2018. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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Up
Close look at landing legs and 1st stage engines of SpaceX Falcon 9 ocean landed/recovered booster sailing into the mouth of Port Canaveral, FL, on Aug. 9, 2018. This SpaceX rocket launched Merah Putih comsat on Aug. 7 from pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The Block 4 version never flew more than twice – still a
remarkable achievement!
remarkable achievement!
The booster could have entered the Port even soon but had
to wait for the departure of the massive carnival Cruise ship at 4 p.m. ET –
see photos.
to wait for the departure of the massive carnival Cruise ship at 4 p.m. ET –
see photos.
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Departing
cruise ship steams past SpaceX Falcon 9 booster soft landed on OCISLY drone ship being simultaneously towed into Port Canaveral on Aug. 9. 2018. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Liftoff
of the Merah Putih telecommunications satellite took place
right at the opening of the two-hour long launch window in the dead of night at
1:18 a.m. EDT (0518 GMT) Tuesday, Aug. 7, from seaside Space Launch Complex-40
on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.
Just
minutes later the Falcon 9 first stage made a pinpoint rocket assisted
re-landing on a droneship waiting some 400 hundred miles (640 km) offshore in
the Atlantic Ocean.
minutes later the Falcon 9 first stage made a pinpoint rocket assisted
re-landing on a droneship waiting some 400 hundred miles (640 km) offshore in
the Atlantic Ocean.
Overall
this counted as the second launch and second ocean landing for the Block 5
booster.
this counted as the second launch and second ocean landing for the Block 5
booster.
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Coupling with a Falcon – and
its a recycled SpaceX Falcon 9. What are they thinking? About Merah Putih and rocket recycling? or something else entirely? Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA,
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct
from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and
Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct
from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and
Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human
spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com
–www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
