SpaceX
Well folks, it's time for the first booster RTLS and chopsticks catch attempt! | Scheduled for (UTC) | [2024-10-13 12:25](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=1200&d=2024-10-13) | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-10-13 07:25 (CDT) | | Launch Window (UTC) | 2024-10-13 12:00 to 2024-10-13 12:30 ([30 minutes](https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845146075574972633)) | | Launch site | Pad A, SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA. | | Booster | B12 | | Ship | S30 | | Booster landing | Chopsticks catch at Pad A or soft water landing in Gulf of Mexico | | Ship landing | Indian Ocean | # Webcasts | Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kCgVCMCfA | | Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIKI7y3DTXk | | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyR_M5rCL64 | | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC87WmFN_As | | LabPadre | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJ54Y22cVI | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpB62C9wWNA | | VideoFromSpace | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42QHfZzGZs0 | | SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845210284270682178 | | The Space Devs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfuxxqc5yaI | # Stats Sourced from [NextSpaceflight](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7579) and [r/SpaceX](https://old.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1fzppvm/rspacex_integrated_flight_test_5_official_launch/): ☑️ 3rd Starship Full Stack launch this year ☑️ 5th Starship Full Stack launch overall ☑️ 98th SpaceX launch this year ☑️ 409th SpaceX launch overall (including Starship hops) ☑️ 3rd launch from Pad A this year ☑️ 128 days, 23:10:00 turnaround for this pad # Mission Details 🚀 - SpaceX website (current): [Starship's Fifth Flight Test](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-5) # Link to [Starship Dev thread](https://sh.itjust.works/post/26042019)
[SpaceX Starship page](https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/) Portions of this thread copied from a [Starship Dev thread on r/SpaceX](https://old.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/18e4lh5/starship_development_thread_52/). ## FAQ 1. **When next launch? (IFT-5)** [Booster catch](https://x.com/DimaZeniuk/status/1801978297183531432) is now NET October 13th, per SpaceX: [Tweet](https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1843435573861875781), [website](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-5), [archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20241007234124/https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-5) 1. **When previous launch? (IFT-4)?** Booster 11 and Ship 29 [launched](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-4) on 2024-06-06. 1. **What was the result?** Both [booster](https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1798701489097183286) and [ship](https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1798715759193096245) make it to landing burn and splashdown. Ship flaps [took a beating on reentry](https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1798770060531540226), but remained in control of the vehicle. --- ## Quick Links [Nerdle Cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c212qMUTnEs) | [Lab Cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWCh3wmKtak) | [Sapphire Cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP3m2L_hkA4) | [Sentinel Cam](https://www.youtube.com/live/IQV0DlS1Ew0) | [Rover Cam](https://www.youtube.com/live/Rg7kw-KLDL8) | [Rover 2.0 Cam](https://www.youtube.com/live/tS2PHJmvJzo) | [Rocket Ranch Cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw3uaLRrYNY) | [Plex Cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiKm0TgbVdg) | [NSF Starbase Live](https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg) [Starship Dev 57](https://sh.itjust.works/post/22098032) | [Starship Dev 56](https://sh.itjust.works/post/19412071) | [IFT-4 launch thread](https://sh.itjust.works/post/20425838) | [Starship Dev 55](https://sh.itjust.works/post/17253379) | [IFT-3 launch thread](https://sh.itjust.works/post/16189287) | [Starship Dev 54](https://sh.itjust.works/post/15524801) | [Starship Dev 53](https://sh.itjust.works/post/12420510) | **[Official SpaceX Starship Update Video](https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1776669097490776563) (2024-04-06)** --- ## Road closures [Cameron County website](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/spacex/) - [@bocaroad Mastodon bot](https://botsin.space/@bocaroad) \*As of 2024-10-18 - 2-hour road delays [posted](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/temporary-and-intermittent-road-delay-of-a-portion-of-state-hwy-4-october-2-2024-from-12-a-m-to-3-a-m-or-october-3-2024-from-12-a-m-to-3-a-m/) for Oct 2nd and 3rd between 00:00 and 03:00 for transport from factory to Massey's. - Road closures for “non-flight testing” [are posted](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/order-closing-boca-chica-beach-and-state-hwy-4-oct-7-2024-from-1000-a-m-to-1000-p-m-and-in-the-alternative-oct-8-2024-or-oct-9-2024-from-800-a-m-to-800-p-m/) for Oct [7th](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113245241204546603) (10:00 to 22:00), and for Oct [8th](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113245241416172055) and [9th](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113245241593159535) (08:00 to 20:00). - 1-hour road delays [are posted](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/temporary-and-intermittent-road-delay-of-a-portion-of-state-hwy-4-october-6-2024-from-12-a-m-to-3-a-m-or-october-7-2024-from-12-a-m-to-3-a-m/) for Oct 6th and 7th between 00:00 and 03:00 for transport from Brownsville Port to Massey’s. - Oct 7th road closure (10:00 to 22:00) [is scheduled](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113249397693551173). - Road closures for “flight testing” [are posted](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/order-closing-boca-chica-beach-and-state-hwy-4-october-13-2024-with-alternative-dates-of-october-14-2024-or-october-15-2024/) for Oct [13th](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113273993932323504), [14th](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113273994113174809), and [15th](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113273994149883569), from 00:00 to 14:00. (And in the alternative, Sep 24th or 25th, likely erroneous) - Oct 13th 00:00 to 14:00 road closure [is scheduled](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113277512432700823). - Road closure [is amended](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/amended-order-closing-boca-chica-beach-and-state-hwy-4-october-13-2024-to-october-14-2024/) to include the period from [Oct 13th 14:00 to Oct 14th 14:00](https://spacey.space/@bocaroad@botsin.space/113301683444706551). ([ViX 1](https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1845547139939651799), [ViX 2](https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1845551901401551157)) - 2-hour road delays [are posted](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/temporary-and-intermittent-road-delay-of-a-portion-of-state-hwy-4-october-15-2024-from-12-p-m-to-3-p-m-or-october-16-2024-from-12-a-m-to-3-a-m/) for Oct 15th (12:00 to 15:00) and 16th (00:00 and 03:00) for transport from pad to factory. - Pad A: Booster transport stand finally arrives at the pad after an apparent delay the previous day. ([ViX](https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1845826851127648457), [NSF](https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1845819883491135655), [Fediverse Starbase Tracker](https://spacey.space/@spmttracker/113306039873492436)) - 1-hour road delays [are posted](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/temporary-and-intermittent-road-delay-of-a-portion-of-state-hwy-4-october-21-2024-from-12-p-m-to-3-p-m/) for Oct 21st (12:00 to 15:00) and 22nd (00:00 and 03:00) for transport from factory to pad. These are [currently crossed out](https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1847422706230198480) on the main page, so it possible that these have been cancelled. ### Vehicle Status \*As of 2024-10-15 Follow Ring Watchers on [Twitter](https://x.com/RingWatchers) and [Discord](https://discord.gg/wbz2MssN6Q) for more. Ship | Location | Status | Comment ---|---|----|---- S20 | Rocket Garden | Pending scrapping? | S26 | Rocket Garden | Pending scrapping? | [Static fire Oct. 20](https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1715467258628071751). No fins or heat shield, [multiple mysterious changes](https://x.com/Ringwatchers/status/1737522753605980527#m). Completed 3 cryo tests, latest on Oct 10. Rolls to Massey's May 8th, cryo test May 24th, static fired Jun 3rd, rolls to rocket garden Jun 12th. Moves to Megabay 2 Aug 13th, raptors removed Aug 14th. S30 | Indian Ocean | Successful splashdown | 2x cryo: Jan 3rd and Jan 5th. Engines installed ~Apr 9th. Static fired May 8th. Heatshield replacement completed by Jul 20. Static fired Jul 26th. Raptor replacement Aug 3rd. Spin prime Aug 6th. Full stack cryo tests Sep 23rd and Oct 7th. FTS installed Oct 9th. Launched Oct 13th, with on-target splashdown in Indian Ocean. S31 | Highbay | Resting | Cryo tested May 12th, suffers small electrical fire. Underwent repairs in the Highbay, rolls back to Massey's Jul 1. Cryo tested Jul 2nd and 3rd. Engines installed by Jul 26th. Rolls to Massey's Sep 6th. Partial (aborted) cryo test Sep 8th. Static fired Sep 18th. S32 | Rocket Garden | On the move | Fully stacked, fore flaps installed but not aft flaps S33 | Megabay 2 | Pending flaps install | First V2 Starship. Nosecone spotted Jul 14th. Forward section spotted Jul 27th. Stacking completed Aug 23. S34 | Starfactory | Stacking | Methane header tank spotted Aug 14th. Nosecone stacked on payload bay Sep 20th. S35 | Starfactory | Parts spotted | Parts spotted Sep 20th. Booster | Location | Status | Comment ---|---|----|---- B12 | Megabay 1 | Post-flight inspection | Cryo x2, Static fire Jul 15th. Full stack cryo tests Sep 23rd and Oct 7th. FTS installed Oct 9th. Launched Oct 13, returned to launch site for successful chopstick catch. Moved to Megabay 1 Oct 15th. B13 | Megabay 1 | Resting | Cryo tests Apr 26th (methane tank) and Apr 29th (LOX tank) B14 | Megabay 1 | Cryo testing | Stacked Apr 26th, Cryo tested Oct 4th and 5th. B14.1 | Sanchez | Resting | Multiple catch simulation "slap tests" performed on Jun 26th and 27th. B15 | Build Site | Assembly | Potential aft end, common dome section, aft tank section, and forward dome spotted. B16 | Build Site | Assembly | Parts spotted B17 | Build Site | Assembly | Parts spotted --- ## Resources + [LabPadre Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFwMITSkc1Fms6PoJoh1OUQ) | [NASASpaceFlight.com Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA) + [NSF: Booster 7 + Ship X (likely 24) Updates Thread](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=56074.0) | [Most Recent](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=56074.10000#lastPost) + [NSF: Boca Chica Production Updates Thread](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.0) | [Most recent](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.10000#lastPost) + [NSF: Elon Starship tweet compilation](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47352.0) | [Most Recent](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47352.10000#lastPost) + [SpaceX: Website Starship page](https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/) | [Starship Users Guide (2020, PDF)](https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf) + [FAA: SpaceX Starship Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site](https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship/) + [FAA: Temporary Flight Restrictions NOTAM list](https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp) + [FCC: Starship Orbital Demo detailed Exhibit](https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=273481&x=.) - [0748-EX-ST-2021 application](https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=107476&RequestTimeout=1000) June 20 through December 20 + [NASA: Starship Reentry Observation (Technical Report)](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210020835) + [Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures](https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex/) (May not be available outside US) + [Production Progress Infographics](https://twitter.com/RingWatchers) by @RingWatchers + [Raptor 2 Tracker](https://twitter.com/SpaceRhin0) by @SpaceRhin0 + [Acronym definitions by Decronym](http://decronym.xyz/acronyms/SpaceX) + [Everyday Astronaut: Starbase Tour with Elon Musk, Part 1](https://youtu.be/t705r8ICkRw) | [Part 2](https://youtu.be/SA8ZBJWo73E) | [Part 3](https://youtu.be/9Zlnbs-NBUI) + [Everyday Astronaut: 2022 Elon Musk Interviews, Starbase/Ship Updates](https://youtu.be/3Ux6B3bvO0w) | [Launch Tower](https://youtu.be/XP5k3ZzPf_0) | [Merlin Engine](https://youtu.be/hIPLmZK3C1Y) | [Raptor Engine](https://youtu.be/E7MQb9Y4FAE) + Everyday Astronaut 2024 Elon Musk Interviews: [Starfactory tour](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFqjoCbZ4ik) | [Pad tour and post-IFT-4 interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InJOlT6WdHc)
| Scheduled for (UTC) | [2024-10-20, 05:13](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=0513&=2024-10-20) | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-10-19, 22:13 (PDT) | | Launch site | SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA | | Booster | B1082-7 | | Landing | LZ-4 | | Payload | 20 [OneWeb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutelsat_OneWeb#OneWeb_satellite_constellation) satellites | | Customer | [Eutelsat OneWeb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutelsat_OneWeb) | | Mission success criteria | Successful delivery of payload to Polar Orbit | # Webcasts | Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-681Bx6XNJg | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdmvurETHjE | NASASpaceflight | none | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJrY0uuUBMM | SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1847865913959469097 | The Space Devs | # Stats Sourced from [NextSpaceflight](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7621) and [r/SpaceX](https://old.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1fr8mkq/rspacex_oneweb_20_official_launch_discussion/): ☑️ 31st consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (if successful) ☑️ 34th launch from SLC-4E this year ☑️ 4 days, 20:52:00 turnaround for this pad ☑️ 21st landing on LZ-4 ☑️ 358th Falcon family booster landing, 368th Falcon recovery attempt ☑️ 98th Falcon 9 mission this year, 384th Falcon 9 mission overall ☑️ **100th** SpaceX mission of 2024, **400th** mission overall (excluding Starship flights) ☑️ 103rd SpaceX launch this year, 414th SpaceX launch overall (including Starship flights) # Mission info - [SpaceX mission page](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=oneweblaunch20) - [NextSpaceflight mission page](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7621) > The 20th flight dedicated to the OneWeb high-speed Internet constellation. The initial constellation consists of 648 satellites. Later, the constellation could be expanded to more than 900 satellites depending on demand. OneWeb is expected to begin customer demonstrations in 2022, then provide a global, 24-hour service in 2022/2023. > > Each satellite in the constellation weighs 147.7 kg. They are powered by Russian ion engines, manufactured by OKB-Fakel, and have two solar panels for their power supply. The first generation of satellites, operating on a quasi-polar orbit (1 200 km x 86.4°), cannot perform inter-satellite communication, and can only be used near a ground relay station.
Starlink Group 8-19 launch out of SLC-40 in Florida currently scheduled for [2024-10-17 23:31](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=2331&d=2024-10-17) UTC, or 2024-10-17 19:31 local time (EDT). Booster 1076-17 to land on *Just Read the Instructions*. - [NextSpaceflight page](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7651) - [SpaceX mission page](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-8-19) Webcasts: - Space Affairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1jKKUMKs4Q - Spaceflight Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d_NFAbHGhA - NASASpaceflight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRveNsk03t4 - The Launch Pad: none - SpaceX: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1847418964592165349 - The Space Devs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHkd_a56RnA
Infographic source: [rykllan](https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1846901033181573230) [Minor correction](https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1846990472906264601): B1061 was intentionally expended on its 23rd flight [for the Hera mission](https://x.com/GotVelocity/status/1846970550653993333), and thus is no longer flightworthy. https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1846901037757583421  - B1067 in first place at 22 flights. (B1061 and B1062 each reached 23 but failed recovery or were intentionally expended) - B1063 in second place with 20 flights. - B1071 in third place at 19 flights. - B1069 in fourth place at 18 flights. - B1073 in fifth place at 17 flights. https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1846901041981170139 
Tweet link: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845442658397049011 Download link: https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1845442585206325256/vid/avc1/640x360/6I7DJjMFjh1YpTfT.mp4?tag=16 https://twittervideodownloader.com/download https://i.imgur.com/IShVL0y.gifv
Well folks, it's finally time to launch Europa Clipper! | Scheduled for (UTC) | [2024-10-14 16:06](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=1606&d=2024-10-14) | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-10-14 12:06 (EDT) | | Launch site | LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. | | Launch vehicle | Falcon Heavy | | Center | 1090-1 (expendable) | | Booster | 1064-6 (expendable) | | Booster | 1065-6 (expendable) | | Customer | NASA | | Payload | [Europa Clipper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Clipper) | | Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of payload into Heliocentric Orbit | Side boosters previously supported the following missions: USSF-44, USSF-67, [Jupiter 3](https://sh.itjust.works/post/1837156?sort=New), [Psyche](https://sh.itjust.works/post/7094389?sort=New), [USSF-52](https://sh.itjust.works/post/11760264?sort=New). # Livestreams | Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | NASA | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQToTWKwtuw | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n8vgZ2qSl0 | | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZjszhRVo9s | | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JUn8LmGYEA | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHBlz2VtS30 | | Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAixoyE78rE | | SpaceX | | | The Space Devs | | # Stats Sourced from [NextSpaceflight](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6818) and [r/SpaceX](https://old.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1dkmtbp/rspacex_goesu_official_launch_discussion_updates/): ☑️ 2nd Falcon Heavy launch this year, 11th overall ☑️ 18th launch from LC-39A this year ☑️ 34 days, 6:42:11 turnaround for this pad ☑️ 96th SpaceX launch this year, 396th overall (excluding Starship tests) ☑️ 99th SpaceX launch this year, 411th overall (including Starship tests) ☑️ 27th consecutive successful Falcon 9 / Heavy launch (if successful) # Payload info: Europa Clipper NextSpaceflight: > Europa Clipper will conduct a detailed survey of Europa and use a sophisticated suite of science instruments to investigate whether the icy moon has conditions suitable for life. Key mission objectives are to produce high-resolution images of Europa's surface, determine its composition, look for signs of recent or ongoing geological activity, measure the thickness of the moon’s icy shell, search for subsurface lakes, and determine the depth and salinity of Europa's ocean. Resources and articles: - [NASA mission timeline](https://europa.nasa.gov/mission/timeline/) - [SpaceX mission page](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=europa-clipper) - [Next Spaceflight mission page](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6818) - [Ars Technica article](https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/10/were-finally-going-to-the-solar-systems-most-intriguing-but-unexplored-frontier/) - [SpaceNews article](https://spacenews.com/europa-clipper-ready-for-launch/) Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team.
Starlink Group 10-10 launch out of SLC-40 in Florida currently scheduled for [2024-10-15 06:10](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=0610&d=2024-10-15) UTC, or 2024-10-15 02:10 local time (EDT). Booster 1080-11 to land on *A Shortfall of Gravitas*. - [NextSpaceflight page](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7642) - [SpaceX mission page](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-10-10) Webcasts: - Space Affairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqzUHHt1iXQ - Spaceflight Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O6jFNc9suE - NASASpaceflight: - The Launch Pad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YnzvCqPwcU - SpaceX: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1846069635617378645 - The Space Devs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt7ke-9F0mk
Starlink Group 9-7 launch out of SLC-4E in California currently scheduled for [2024-10-15 08:21](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=0821&d=2024-10-15) UTC, or 2024-10-15 01:21 local time (PDT). B1071-19 to land on *Of Course I Still Love You*. - [NextSpaceflight page](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7652) - [SpaceX mission page](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-9-7) Webcasts: - Space Affairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu8J-ee8HNA - Spaceflight Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpBv4YHFPXM - NASASpaceflight: - The Launch Pad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0x1EXkwIKs - SpaceX: - The Space Devs:
Here's a clip of B12's landing burn and catch by the chopsticks from LabPadre's Rover 2 stream.
spacenews.com
> SpaceX launched its fifth Starship vehicle Oct. 13, successfully making an unprecedented “catch” of its Super Heavy booster back at the launch site. > > The Starship/Super Heavy vehicle lifted off from the company’s Starbase site at Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:25 a.m. Eastern on a mission called Flight 5 by SpaceX. > > The main upgrade for this test was an attempt by SpaceX to recover the Super Heavy booster by having it come back to the launch site, where it would be cradled by two mechanical arms, sometimes called “chopsticks,” attached to the launch tower it lifted off from. That required the booster to perform precise boostback and landing burns to guide the stage back to the launch pad. > >The Super Heavy booster, known as Booster 12, achieved that feat. The booster descended over the pad and the two arms closed around the top of the booster, just below the grid fins, about seven minutes after liftoff, achieving the desired catch of the booster.
spacenews.com
>Speaking at an Oct. 9 meeting of the National Academies’ Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space, Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX vice president for build and flight reliability, expressed optimism that the booster could make it back for a catch by the launch tower. “We landed with half a centimeter accuracy in the ocean” on the previous flight, he said, “so we think we have a reasonable chance to go back to the tower.”
pbs.twimg.com
 [Source](https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1843621691144253635) B1061 was intentionally expended on the recent Hera mission. In doing so, it broke the record for the fastest Falcon 9 second stage. Scott Manley: https://x.com/DJSnM/status/1843317121511743973 > 43040km/h the fastest falcon 9 > >  43040 km/h = 11.956 km/s. A few words from Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX VP of launch: https://x.com/TurkeyBeaver/status/1843341972414836779 > The @SpaceX is unreal. Facing only a 15% chance of good weather this morning and an incoming major hurricane, we still went for (with a plan to roll the rocket back in the hangar for safety if we didn’t launch). Good launch, good orbit, and good payload deploy. Sayonara HERA and Booster 1061!!! > > 
www.spacex.com
>Starship's fifth flight test could launch as soon as October 13, pending regulatory approval. > >A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app. The launch window will open as early as 7:00 a.m. CT. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates. > >Flight 4 was a tremendous success. A fully successful ascent was followed by the first ever booster soft-landing in the Gulf of Mexico and Starship making it through a brilliant reentry, before its own landing burn and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. > >The fifth flight test of Starship will aim to take another step towards full and rapid reusability. The primary objectives will be attempting the first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster and another Starship reentry and landing burn, aiming for an on-target splashdown of Starship in the Indian Ocean. > >Extensive upgrades ahead of this flight test have been made to hardware and software across Super Heavy, Starship, and the launch and catch tower infrastructure at Starbase. SpaceX engineers have spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt, with technicians pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the infrastructure to maximize our chances for success. We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only be attempted if conditions are right. > >Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch attempt of the Super Heavy booster, which will require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a manual command from the mission’s Flight Director. If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. > >The returning booster will slow down from supersonic speeds, resulting in audible sonic booms in the area around the landing zone. Generally, the only impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief thunder-like noise with variables like weather and distance from the return site determining the magnitude experienced by observers. > >Starship will fly a similar trajectory as the previous flight test with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean. This flight path does not require a deorbit burn for reentry, maximizing public safety while still providing the opportunity to meet our primary objective of a controlled reentry and soft water landing of Starship. > >One of the key upgrades on Starship ahead of flight was a complete rework of its heatshield, with SpaceX technicians spending more than 12,000 hours replacing the entire thermal protection system with newer-generation tiles, a backup ablative layer, and additional protections between the flap structures. This massive effort, along with updates to the ship’s operations and software for reentry and landing burn, will look to improve upon the previous flight and bring Starship to a soft splashdown at the target area in the Indian Ocean. > >With each flight building on the learnings from the last, testing improvements in hardware and operations across every facet of Starship, we’re on the verge of demonstrating techniques fundamental to Starship’s fully and rapidly reusable design. By continuing to push our hardware in a flight environment, and doing so as safely and frequently as possible, we’ll rapidly bring Starship online and revolutionize humanity’s ability to access space.
| Scheduled for (UTC) | [2024-10-07, 14:52](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=1452&=2024-10-07) | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-10-07, 10:52 (EDT) | | Launch site | SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA | | Booster | B1061-23 | | Landing | No | | Payload | [Hera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hera_(space_mission)) | | Customer | [ESA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Space_Agency) | | Mission success criteria | Successful delivery of payload to Heliocentric Orbit | # Webcasts | Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | ESA | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13Sp00Ltlw | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZwKh5geuNk | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHoKhL56KZ0 | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXsd0NvHVNI | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQg1g0lI3g | SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1843298058693390642 | The Space Devs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-O0gpj0gUs # Stats Sourced from [NextSpaceflight](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/2657) and [r/SpaceX](https://old.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1fws5up/rspacex_hera_official_launch_discussion_updates/): ☑️ 25th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (if successful) ☑️ 46th launch from SLC-40 this year ☑️ 8 days, 21:34:39 turnaround for this pad ☑️ 94th Falcon 9 mission this year, 380th Falcon 9 mission overall ☑️ 95th SpaceX mission of 2024, 395th mission overall (excluding Starship flights) ☑️ 97th SpaceX launch this year, 408th SpaceX launch overall (including Starship flights) # Mission info - [SpaceX mission page](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=hera) - [NextSpaceflight mission page](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/2657) > Hera is a space mission of the European Space Agency whose objective is to validate the kinetic impact method to deflect a possible asteroid circulating on a collision course with the Earth. The satellite will study the results obtained by the DART impactor developed by NASA which successfully crashed into the Dimorphos asteroid in September 2022.
spacenews.com
> “The FAA has determined that the absence of a second stage reentry for this mission adequately mitigates the primary risk to the public in the event of a reoccurrence of the mishap experienced with the Crew-9 mission,” the agency stated. The second stage will propel Hera on an Earth-escape trajectory and thus will not reenter.
https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1842333550974247407 > Teams encapsulated @NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft into Falcon Heavy's fairing earlier this week ahead of next week's Falcon Heavy launch from pad 39A in Florida   
Infographic source: [rykllan](https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1841104752836321744) https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1841104757810770324  - B1061 and B1067 tied for first place at 22 flights. (B1062 reached 23 but failed recovery) - B1063 in second place with 20 flights. - B1069 and B1071 tied for third place at 18 flights. - B1073 in 4th place at 17 flights. https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1841104771760935033  https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1841104762571215069 
>After today’s successful launch of Crew-9, Falcon 9’s second stage was disposed in the ocean as planned, but experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn. As a result, the second stage safely landed in the ocean, but outside of the targeted area. > >We will resume launching after we better understand root cause
Welcome to the SpaceX Crew-9 Launch Discussion & Updates Thread! Time to pick up Butch and Suni! | Scheduled for (UTC) | [2024-09-28, 17:17:21](https://dateful.com/convert/utc?t=1717&d=2024-09-28) | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-09-28, 13:17:21 (ET) | |Docking scheduled for (UTC)| | | Mission | [Crew-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Crew-9) | | Launch site | LC-40, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. | | Booster | B1085-2 | | Landing | LZ-1 | | Dragon | C212-4 (Freedom) | | Commander | [Nick Hague](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Hague) 🇺🇸| | Mission Specialist | [Aleksandr Gorbunov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Gorbunov) 🇷🇺| | Mission success criteria | Successful launch and docking to the ISS | Note: This mission is launching with two empty seats for returning [Barry E. Wilmore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_E._Wilmore) 🇺🇸 and [Sunita Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunita_Williams) 🇺🇸 from the ISS. # Webcasts | Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | NASA | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKXtysRx0b4 | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvMUVxflvxI | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eKnPK5RswM | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLZpj_rtzEo | Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X67-Y-jJx40 | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnQO8rN4nq8 | SpaceX | | The Space Devs | # Stats Sourced from [NextSpaceflight](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6881), c/SpaceX, and r/SpaceX: ☑️ 1st crewed Dragon launch from SLC-40 ☑️ 45th launch from SLC-40 this year ☑️ 11 day turnaround for this pad ☑️ 46th landing on LZ-1 ☑️ 24th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (if successful) ☑️ 354th Falcon Family Booster landing ☑️ 93rd Falcon 9 mission this year, 379th Falcon 9 mission overall ☑️ 94th SpaceX mission of 2024, 394th mission overall (excluding Starship flights) ☑️ 96th SpaceX launch this year, 408th SpaceX launch overall (including Starship flights) # Mission info - [NextSpaceflight mission page](https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6881) - [SpaceX mission website](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=crew-9) > SpaceX Crew-9 is the ninth operational crewed rotation mission of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. The original intended crew comprised Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov. > > NASA has since decided to launch Crew-9 with only 2 crew members to allow the 2 Starliner CFT crew to return on Crew-9. The mission's commander will be Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov will be a mission specialist.
Steve Stich states at today's Crew-9 news conference that Dragon has a new contingency capability if all 4 parachutes fail; the SuperDracos will ignite prior to splashdown. The Crew-8 return to Earth will also have this capability. (He said this about 20 minutes after the start of the [stream](https://www.youtube.com/live/rJghQoIyH8Y).)
