SpaceX Falcon-9 rockets land after launching Bangabandhu-1 satellite into orbit

SpaceX Falcon-9 rockets land after
launching Bangabandhu-1 satellite into
orbit

The Falcon-9 rockets that carried the
Bangabandhu-1 satellite into orbit has
successfully landed on a floating drone ship in
the Atlantic Ocean.
The so-named Block 5 upgrade took off from
the NASA’s Launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space
Centre for its debut flight at 2:14am on
Saturday Bangladesh time.
SpaceX, a private American aerospace
manufacturer and space transportation
services company, confirmed the rockets
landing on a drone ship named ‘Of Course I
Still Love You’.
Stage-1 of the 2-staged Falcon 9 rocket
returned to earth about eight minutes and 45
seconds after take-off. Stage 1 and 2 were
separated within 2.5 minutes of the launch.
Within 233 minutes of the launch the stage-2
rockets put Bangladesh’s first communication
satellite into the orbit and returned to earth.
The Block-5 Falcon-9 is the most advanced of
SpaceX’s rockets. It will eventually be able to
make 10 trips to orbit without the need for any
maintenance after landings, SpaceX CEO Elon
Musk said during a pre-launch press
conference.
According to SpaceX, titanium grid fins were
used in the Block 5 instead of the aluminium
grid fins, making them more heat resistant for
landings on land and sea.
The Marlin engine, which is located on the
rocket’s bottom, gives up to eight percent
more force during take-off than previous
versions.
SpaceX began a project to improve the
Falcon-9 hardware according to NASA’s
instructions.
The Bangabandhu-1 launch marks the first
test of the Block-5, which may eventually
carry humans to space for NASA. But the US
space agency wants to observe at least seven
launches before it agrees to use the rocket
system for manned spacecraft.
source : bdnews24