SpaceX’s Weekend Doubleheader Off to Great Start With Successful Opening – Futurism

In Brief Today, SpaceX sent Bulgaria's first telecommunications satellite into space using a Falcon 9 that's already been launched before. This is the first of two launches scheduled for the SpaceX weekend doubleheader. Ready for Launch

After being postponed from its originally scheduled Monday launch, Bulgarias first-ever telecommunications satellite is now in orbit. The launch was a success thanks to SpaceXs Falcon 9 reusable rocket, which blasted off to space on Fridayfrom the Launch Complex of NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This marks the first part of SpaceXs first-ever weekend doubleheader, as Elon Musks venture space company has scheduled two launches just about 48 hours apart. The launch appeared to go off without a hitch,as this photo taken by a Twitter user John Kraus shows.

Image credit: John Kraus/Twitter

For his part, SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk seemed satisfied with todays launch, if his tweets wereany indication. What may have been even more exciting thanwatching the Falcon 9 lift off was following its descent backtoEarth as it attempted to landon one of SpaceXs barge platforms. The rocket made a solid thud as it hit the surface of the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which is stationed somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

Musk expected the landing wouldnt be too gentle, adding that the Falcon 9 was going to experience its highest ever reentry force and heat in todays launch, he posted on a tweet before the launch. Good chance rocket booster doesnt make it back.

Fortunately, it was able to make it in one piece although it may havehit the surface of the platform a little to hard.

The good news was thatthe crush core, asMusk explained in a reply on the same thread as his initial tweet, would take only a couple of hours to replace:

So, despite a little bumpy landing, overall Fridays launch was deemed a success. But the excitement is far fromover:Sunday will usher in part two of this weekends doubleheader, whena payload of 10 satellites for telecommunication company Iridium is expected to launch from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

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SpaceX's Weekend Doubleheader Off to Great Start With Successful Opening - Futurism