Yesterday, May 9, 2021, SpaceX successfully launched another batch of 60 Starlink Internet satellites into orbit. This launch is historic for SpaceX and here’s why.
The fact is that for the tenth time SpaceX launched and landed on a floating platform the same first stage of the Falcon 9. For the company, it was the 14th launch this year.
“This is the first time a Falcon 9 launch vehicle will reach double-digit flights,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on his Twitter account Saturday ahead of the launch.
About nine minutes after liftoff, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket returned to Earth, landing on a platform called Just Read the Instructions for the 10th successful landing.
SpaceX completed a record 26 launches in 2020, with no sign of slowing growth. By mid-May this year, the company has already had 14 successful launches. Each of these launches were carried out on reusable rockets, and most of them carried their own Starlink satellites.
It was the 118th flight of the Falcon 9 and the 64th flight of the refurbished booster. To make it easier to reuse, SpaceX has equipped the Falcon 9 with some upgrades not seen in previous versions, including a more reliable thermal protection system, a stronger interstage structure, titanium mesh fins and more powerful engines. These key improvements have allowed SpaceX to launch and return more rockets.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing this booster’s 10th launch and landing! pic.twitter.com/8KeEAfHgWF
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 9, 2021
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