Check out a dazzling drone’s-eye view of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket booster returning to an on-target landing at Cape Canaveral a few minutes after launching Sunday with more than 2.5 tons of space station cargo.
Email the author.
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.
The 60 satellites SpaceX is set to launch Wednesday night, beginning the build-out of a broadband network of orbiting spacecraft that could eventually number thousands, are based on a new flat-panel design, with krypton-fueled plasma thrusters, high-power antennas, and a capability to autonomously steer away from other objects in space.
SpaceX is still working on a new, safer helium tank design needed for launches with astronauts, and the debut of the company’s upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket earlier this month did not count as one of seven successful missions in “crew configuration” NASA says it requires before putting astronauts aboard the vehicle, officials said Thursday.
© 1999-2025 Spaceflight Now Inc
