Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 Return to Flight - Iridium NEXT Mission 1 (January 14, 2017)

[Linguofreak]

Most importantly, the 2nd stage has not yet detonated.

 

[Kyle]

F9 currently over Antarctica.

 

[ADSWNJ]

The 2 video streams (technical and public) were awesomely done. The hi-res launch, the maneuvers and boostbacks, the orientation for lading through to the bullseye landing - just stunning to watch live.

Merlin's second burn was good ... nominal orbit for the 10 x Iridium demates.

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And successful completion after all Iridium sats have spun off. (Minor technical issue with a single ground station tracking, but the next station confirmed all OK).

 

[Kyle]

Launch photos up on Flicker:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/32312416415/in/photostream/

 

[BrianJ]

The 2 video streams (technical and public) were awesomely done. The hi-res launch, the maneuvers and boostbacks, the orientation for lading through to the bullseye landing - just stunning to watch live.

Seconded. Spectacular views. Well done SpaceX.

 

[K_Jameson]

I agreee. Finally a new complete success. Great performance.

But still I don't like the flyback rockets. Still seems instinctively "wrong" to me... don't ask why... I'm unable to explain my sensation.
A concept as Skylon makes more sense in my view for the future, but it's me...

 

[Col_Klonk]

Interesting that they using one engine for the return trip.. right on the X too

Skylon (the last time I looked at it) has too many sharp edges - it'll burn up quickly.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Interesting that they using one engine for the return trip.. right on the X too

Skylon (the last time I looked at it) has too many sharp edges - it'll burn up quickly.

Not really. It'll be very light and low density, so they'll slow down early.
Besides, my understanding is that they'll not even be doing much of a lifting reentry. What I've seen shows a full-on, 90*AOA belly flop into the atmosphere.

 

[ADSWNJ]

They do a 3-engine boostback burn for the high dV launches (e.g. geostationary transfer orbit), and a single engine for low dV (e.g. LEO). This Iridium launch was to LEO, so the landing was a bit more gentle.

Still stunning accuracy though, hitting a pitching landing pad dead center, right in the open ocean.

 

[Kyle]

F9/JRTI returning to port in Los Angeles.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Here is the live webcast with some animations. Cool graphs.