SpaceX Drone Ships — The Evolution of Space Launch and Recovery
The first satellite launched into orbit around the earth was the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1. It was launched on October 4, 1957 on a modified Soviet R-7, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) based on Nazi Germany’s V2 rocket design.
After 116 seconds of flight time, the strap-on boosters detached from the rocket and crashed to the ground. The core stage of the rocket continued until an altitude of 223km (139 miles) above sea level, successfully launching Sputnik 1 into orbit. This momentous achievement shocked the world, particularly the Americans, kicking off the Cold War space race.
Fast forward 58 years to December 21, 2015. Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, is preparing to launch its Falcon 9, flight #20, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It’s an orbital launch mission on behalf of SpaceX client ORBCOMM to launch 11 satellites into orbit. The launch went off without a hitch… and so did the landing of the booster back on the launch pad. It was history’s first landing of an orbital launch rocket.
Fast forward again, to April 8, 2016, off the coast of Florida. Falcon 9, flight #23 is coming in for a landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. It’s SpaceX’s third attempt at landing a rocket booster on a drone ship — and third time proves the charm. The…
