Falcon 9
Air Force requirements will keep SpaceX from landing Falcon 9 booster after GPS launch
The demands of launching the first in an upgraded line of U.S. Air Force GPS navigation satellites, including a late load of extra fuel for the spacecraft and a military policy of reserving fuel to eliminate space junk, will keep SpaceX from recovering the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket following liftoff Thursday from Cape Canaveral, according to mission managers.
Live view of the Falcon 9 at launch complex 40 (members only)
SpaceX is preparing for its second Falcon 9 rocket launch in two days, with liftoff of a space station-bound Dragon supply ship from Cape Canaveral planned at 1:16 p.m. EST (1816 GMT) Wednesday. The Falcon 9’s first stage will target a landing back at Cape Canaveral around eight minutes after launch.
SpaceX cargo launch slips a day after rodent experiment snag
NASA has announced a one-day delay in SpaceX’s next cargo launch until Wednesday to allow time for ground teams to replace moldy food bars meant for 40 mice heading for the International Space Station as part of a biological research experiment, denying the launch company a chance at two Falcon 9 missions on back-to-back days.