SpaceX has successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket
on solid ground but Elon Musk and his team are still looking forward to make landing
at sea. The upcoming event for launching the SES-9 communications satellite
into orbit initiates at 6:46 pm ET. SpaceX will make it for the fourth time to
land its Falcon 9 on a drone ship in the ocean after sending the payload into
orbit. SpaceX isn't giving hype to tonight's landing attempt due to the
exceptional orbit profile of the SES-9 satellite, though the company is still
moving forward with plans to make landing on its drone ship, named as "Of
Course I Still Love You," which is set away from the coast of Florida.
If it works as it is planned, it will set off the
Earth’s atmosphere and its first stage will detach from its payload. Cold gas
thrusters will help the rocket to complete a flip maneuver that will bring it
back toward Earth. A series of engine burns will keep the rocket in control
when it comes near to Earth, while grid fins will give it aerodynamic assistance.
Engines will burn for once before the landing of rocket on the drone ship.
Elon Musk told that, the SpaceX endeavored to make
a landing on a drone ship last month, these landings are required when it is
not possible to return to launch site. The drone ship landings are particularly
required for high velocity missions, which would allow payloads to attain a higher
orbit.
While other rockets burn up on re-entry, while
Falcon 9 was designed to resist the heat and land vertically, so that it can be
relaunched for future use. You cn watch it live here:
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