SpaceX launches lately have been pushing the record envelope for booster reflight, but a Starlink launch Tuesday morning rolled out a brand new first stage.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 of the company's internet satellites lifted off at 9:20 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40.
Shiny and white, the booster was missing the telltale signs of having been flown before, as boosters are normally covered with black carbon scoring. This was the first launch of the booster, which is targeted to be used to support the Crew-9 human spaceflight next month for launch No. 2.
It made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.
The company has four boosters that have completed at least 20 launches and landings, and is in the midst of a certification process to get them up to 40 each.
This was the 59th launch from the Space Coast from all providers in 2024. SpaceX has been responsible for all but four, with 39 coming from SpaceX from Canaveral and the other 16 from SpaceX from neighboring KSC.
SpaceX's next KSC launch is the crewed Polaris Dawn mission flying billionaire Jared Isaacman and three crewmates on a five-day orbital mission aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience that will include the first commercial tethered spacewalk.
The quartet arrived at KSC on Monday with launch set for early Monday, Aug. 26, from KSC's Launch Pad 39-A targeting 3:38 a.m. liftoff during the 3:33–7:15 a.m. launch window.
2024 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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