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Home , Falcon 9 Block 5, GO Searcher, Nusantara Satu, RADARSAT Constellation, Starlink, SuperDraco

23TH DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE NUMBER 04

What about it!? The need for knowledge CHRISTMAS EDITION

NEWS UPDATE

2019 SPACEX LAUNCH WRAP UP

By STINGER NSW with interactive YouTube links

F9-067 Iridium-8 Mission Achievements: The year began early with the launch of the Iridium-8 , lifting Booster B1049 second flight off at 7:31 am local time on January 11, 2019 from Vandenberg SLC- 33rd successful booster landing (JRTI) 4E aboard a Block 5.

F9-068 & Mission Achievements: The follow up launch was carried out a month later of the Nusantara Booster B1048 third flight Satu & Beresheet , lifting off at 8:45 pm local time on 34th successful booster landing (OCISLY) February 21, 2019 from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 aboard a .

F9-069 SpaceX Demo-1 Mission Achievements: The beginning of spring brought the highly anticipated launch of the Booster B1051 first flight SpaceX Demo-1 test flight as part of the NASA Commercial Crew 35th successful booster landing (OCISLY) Program, lifting off to the International Space Station from Kennedy Dragon Capsule C201 first flight (Destroyed a month Space Centre LC-39A at 2:49 am local time on March 2, 2019 aboard later during a static fire test of the SuperDraco engines) a Falcon 9 Block 5. The dragon capsule spent nearly a week docked Dragon Capsule recovered (GO Searcher/GO Navigator) to the ISS before returning to earth on March 8, 2019. First private company to dock with the International Space Station

FH 2 ArabSat 6A Mission Achievements: April was the month debuted for its first commercial Side Booster B1052 first flight launch of the Arabsat-6A satellite, lifting off at 6:35 pm local time on Side Booster B1053 first flight April 11, 2019 from Kennedy Space Centre LC-39A. *For core B1055 37 & 38th successful booster landing (LZ1 & LZ2) it was its first flight and the 36th successful booster landing, despite *All three cores successfully landed for the first time making a successful landing (OCISLY), de-tanking and heading back home, the unsecured stage tipped over due to rough sea and was Two fairing halves recovered from the ocean intact lost.

F9-070 CRS-17 Mission Achievements: The 17th Commercial Resupply Service mission was launched to the Booster B1056 first flight International Space Station as part of the ongoing contract with NASA, 39th successful booster landing (OCISLY) lifting off at 2:48 am local time on May 4, 2019 from Cape Canaveral Dragon Capsule C113 second flight SLC-40 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5. Dragon Capsule recovered (NRC Quest)

F9-071 v0.9 Mission Achievements: With springtime coming to an end the first batch of “Production Booster B1049 third flight Design” Starlink satellites was launched lifting off at 10:30 pm local 40th successful booster landing (OCISLY) time on May 24, 2019 from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 aboard a Falcon Heaviest payload (13,620 kg or 30,027 lb) at the time 9 Block 5. The launch marked the birth of the Starlink Constellation Two fairing halves recovered from the ocean intact which will grow to 42,000 satellites in the years to come. Deployment of 60 Satellite’s

NEWS UPDATE ISSUE NUMBER 04

F9-072 Constellation Mission Achievements: Summertime and a return to the west coast of the for Booster B1049 second flight the launch of three satellites as part of ’s RADARSAT program, 41st successful booster landing (LZ4) lifting off at 7:17 am local time on June 11, 2019 from Vandenberg SpaceX’s expensive payload launched ~$1B SLC-4E aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5. The initial part of the launch was obscured by thick fog, at T+00:0010 the Falcon 9 pieced the layer of fog as it headed through the atmosphere. Re-entry of the booster at T+00:07:44 through the fog was as memorable as the launch.

FH 3 STP-2 Mission Achievements: Falcon Heavy’s second launch of the year was a U.S Air Force Space Side Booster B1052 second program, a rideshare mission carrying various small satellites and Side Booster B1053 second flight CubeStats, lifting off at 2:30 pm local time on June 25, 2019 from 42nd & 43th successful booster landing (LZ1 & LZ2) Kennedy Space Centre LC-39A. The mission lasted six hours during First successful catch of a fairing half (GO Ms. Tree) which the second stage ignited four times and went into different to deploy satellites including a “propulsive passivation First EELV-class mission for U.S Air Force Certification manoeuvre”. Attempting a landing 1,200 km (750 mi) downrange, further than any previous landing attempt proved unsuccessful for B1057, this was its first and only flight.

F9-073 CRS-18 Mission Achievements: Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission the Booster B1056 second flight th 18 Commercial Resupply Service mission launched to the 44th successful booster landing (LZ-1) International Space Station as part of the ongoing contract with NASA, Dragon Capsule C108 third flight, first capsule to do so lifting off at 6:01 pm local time on July 25, 2019 from Cape Canaveral Dragon Capsule recovered (NRC Quest) SLC-40 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5. Notable payload included the IDA- 3 docking adapter for the ISS, the first IDA was lost during the CRS-7 The bottom of the second stage was sporting a new grey launch anomaly back in June 2015. band linked to thermal conductivity testing of the RP-1 kerosene tank portion

F9-074 AMOS-17 Mission Achievements: Following the loss of AMOS-6 in September 2016, SpaceX Second successful catch of a fairing half (GO Ms. Tree) compensated Spacecom by launching the AMOS-17 satellite, lifting off at 7:23 pm local time on August 6, 2019 from Cape Canaveral SLC- 40 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5, expending B1047 on its third and final flight.

F9-075 Starlink v1.0-L1 Mission Achievements: “Highlight Launch” With Autumn (Fall) in its final month and after a long 97 days without Booster B1048 fourth flight a launch the second batch of Starlink satellites was launched lifting off 45th successful booster landing (OCISLY) at 9:56 am local time on November 11, 2019 from Cape Canaveral Heaviest payload (15,600 kg or 34,400 lb) to date SLC-40 aboard the “Record Breaking” Falcon 9 Block 5. The booster Both fairing reused from the FH 2 mission used was B1048 which was its fourth flight into and its fourth landing making it the most used booster in the SpaceX fleet. Starlink became the largest commercial telecommunications in orbit Deployment of 60 Satellite’s (Bringing the total to120 deployed to date)

F9-076 CRS-19 Mission Achievements: With the onset of winter December started with the 19th Commercial Booster B1059 first flight Resupply Service launch to the International Space Station as part of 46th successful booster landing (OCISLY) the ongoing contract with NASA, lifting off at 12:29 pm local time on Dragon Capsule C106 third flight (Dragon will return December 5, 2019 from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 aboard a Falcon 9 back to Earth on January 6, 2020) Block 5.

F9-077 JCSat-18 / Kacific 1 Mission Achievements: The final launch of the year was the JCSat-18 / Kacific 1 CondoSat for Booster B1056 third flight customers SKY Perfect JSAT Group and Kacific Broadband Satellites 47th successful booster landing (OCISLY) lifting off at 7:10 pm local time on December 16, 2019 from Cape Two fairing halves recovered from the ocean intact Canaveral SLC-40 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5. SpaceX tweeted shortly after the deployment of the satellite that Go Ms. Tree and Go Ms. Chief narrowly missed catching the fairing halves.

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NEWS UPDATE ISSUE NUMBER 04

Starhopper Achievements: We all watched on as the test hopper was born in Boca Chica, Texas Suborbital (150 m or 490 ft) in early January 2019. We followed the tethered hop and then we got Flight time, about 57 seconds our first taste of the power of the new raptor engine in the first free Raptor Engine, S/N 6 flight of 20 m (66ft) for a duration of ~22 seconds, wanting more, on The path travelled towards the Moon and August 27, 2019 the hopper achieved a height of 150 m (490 ft) for a duration of ~57 seconds. The hopper may have retired but the Starship was born.

I hope you have enjoyed these News Updates and that your “need for knowledge” has been satisfied for now.

As we hurdle towards 2020 it is looking like a mammoth year for the space industry as a whole and especially SpaceX, I look forward to delivering future updates in 2020 for “What about it!?”

From my family to your family, we wish you all a happy holiday season filled with love, joy and laughter.

Have a wonderful and safe new year!

Cartoon Credit >>> Burney Raptor Engine S/N 17 | Photo Credit >>> SpaceX

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