Skip to content
NOWCAST WESH 2 News at 11 PM
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

WATCH: SpaceX launch Wednesday morning

WATCH: SpaceX launch Wednesday morning
Startling for 18. Go for launch And Great News. All systems are go for launch. So let's watch as Falcon nine takes our 53 starling satellites into space T -30 seconds, t minus 15 T -19 87 six five four three 21. Full power. And let's mm hmm, vehicles pitching downrange phenomenal first stage chamber pressures. Mhm mhm mm hmm, mm hmm. Thanks. Falcon nine has successfully lifted off from launch complex 39 *** carrying our 53 starling satellites into space. Moments ago we did throttle down the engines on the first stage And this is in preparation for MAX Q maX Q max Q is the maximum dynamic pressure that the vehicle sees on *** scent. Falcon nine is supersonic. Great Call outs Max Q should be coming up here in about 10 seconds or so max Q. And there's that call that we just passed through maX Q. Now with that we have *** few events happening back to back very quickly, one after another. That'll be Meco or main engine cut off stage separation SCS one or second stage engine startup one and then fairing deploy MIko is where all nine of those engines that you could see lit up on your screen. That is where those engines will shut down and that helps slow the vehicle down in preparation for the next event which will be stage separation. That's where the 1st and 2nd stage separates from each other. First stage will start to make its way back home here on Earth. Well, the second stage continues on its journey taking the starlink satellites with it with SCS one or second stage engine startup one and that's where we will light up that single Merlin engine on the second stage and that second stage will then propel the Starlink satellites to its targeted drop off orbit. Main engine cut off. Okay stage separation confirmed. Mhm mm hmm. And back started bearing separation confirmed great views of all four of those events. We had Meco main engine cut off which we were able to see with the tracking camera. We had stage separation on your left hand screen, you can see *** view from the first stage on your right hand screen is the view of the vehicles are following nominal trajectory. Great call outs, nominal trajectory so far on your right hand screen is *** view of the m back engine on the second stage and you can see that is lit up and we also got *** great view of fairing deploy and with those fairing halves having deployed, they are now going to make their way back to Earth in the second stage will now continue its journey to take its starling satellites to its targeted drop off orbit, some awesome views here on your screen with the earth in the background. Now while 2nd 2nd stage proceeds towards its targeted drop off orbit, the first stage will be making its way back to Earth and to do so it will execute to burns. Now the first burn is called the entry burn and that is where three of those nine M one D engines reignited, that helps slow the vehicle down as it enters back into the Earth's atmosphere. And the second burn is called the landing burn. It's the final burn of the first stage. It's just the single center E nine engine that brings the the vehicle speed down rapidly in order to touch down, vehicles continue to follow nominal trajectory in order to touch down on our landing zone. And again, today, it is *** shortfall of gravitas, our drone ship that is nearly the size of *** football field and it's currently located off the coast of south Carolina and the atlantic ocean. Now to aid in recovery Falcon nine is equipped with some pretty awesome tools to help it land. It has four landing legs stood at the base of the vehicle that deploy right before landing. It also has four hypersonic grid fins and you could see that on your left hand screen, you can see two of the four. Um these grid fins are located near the top of the first stage and they help to steer the vehicle as it makes its way back to its landing zone and you can also see some white puffs on the first stage. There goes one um, those are nitrogen bursts, those are used for attitude control as the vehicle is guiding its way back down to earth. We are Just about 15 seconds or so away from the entry burn beginning on the first stage, Stage two is still looking good Stage one entry Burn Startup. Stage one FTS is saved And we heard that call out and you can visually see on your screen those engines lighting back up on the first stage. This entry burn will last about 20 seconds long and it's just three of those nine stage one entry burn shutdown three of those nine engines and heard that call out that the and she burn has concluded, you can, you can visually see that the engines have shut down. Both vehicles continue to follow nominal trajectories. Now there will be *** second burn for the first stage that is the landing burn. Um, but as the vehicle is coasting right now, the atmosphere scrubs most of the velocity on the first stage. So we just need that single one engine burn right before touchdown. Each one of these M one D engines have about £190,000 of thrust that's enough to slow the vehicle down rapidly to make that touchdown landing. And we are coming up, We are coming up on that landing burn in just under 30 seconds and *** great view of first stage here making its way towards our our drone ship, *** shortfall of Gravitas Stage one Landing Burn there, you can see the landing burn has begun on the first stage, The landing legs will deploy here shortly. Let's see if Falcon nine can touch down Stage one landing legs deploy, incredible view there As you can see on your screen. Falcon nine has touched down on our drone ship. Stage one landing confirmed *** shortfall of gravitas. Now this marks the 121st overall recovery of *** falcon booster and what *** great view we have there on our screen And we are coming up on Cinco one here, come back cut off expected loss of signal kate. We have *** nominal orbit insertion and great news. We heard those call outs. We did lose *** live view of second stage but that was expected but with confirmation of *** successful second engine cut off in *** good orbit, we will be ending our webcast for today. We will confirm deployment of our starling satellites via SpaceX's social channels but will also leave the mission.
Advertisement
WATCH: SpaceX launch Wednesday morning
A SpaceX launch went off without a hitch Wednesday morning.The company sent up a new batch of Starlink satellites. Liftoff was scheduled for 6:59 a.m.You can watch the full launch above

A SpaceX launch went off without a hitch Wednesday morning.

The company sent up a new batch of Starlink satellites.

Advertisement

Liftoff was scheduled for 6:59 a.m.

You can watch the full launch above