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SpaceX F9 - Globalstar FM15 - SLC-40

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Cosmacelf

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Mar 6, 2013
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San Diego
Launch Date: June 19
Launch Window: 12:25am EDT (9:25pm PDT on the 18th, 04:25 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS-JRTI
Booster: B1061-9
Fairings: Unknown
Mass: 700 kg + ??
Orbit: LEO 1,413 kilometers for Globalstar
Yearly Launch Number: 24th

Since Grendal is on vacation, and this launch is apparently the next one after today's Nilesat, I'm creating a new thread for it. This payload came out of the blue since it wasn't originally on SpaceX's launch manifest. Rumor is that the primary payload is a secret government launch, and the Globalstar is along for the ride. The primary mission could even be the Zuma replacement (shhh, you didn't hear that here).

More info:


 
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Another nice launch and landing, Loved the lightening views from the storm under Stage one as it was coasting before the reentry burn.
My first reaction was that those were bursts of lightning. Jesse, the SpaceX webcast host, said that those flashes of light were from the nitrogen gas reaction control thrusters, but I’m not convinced she was correct. Why would a cold gas be visible like that? And the shape was wrong. Here is a screen capture; sure looked like a lightning flash to me; it’s in the cloud layer. It happened about 8 times.

E8210738-34A3-4567-B268-7A7B378C8365.png
 
My first reaction was that those were bursts of lightning. Jesse, the SpaceX webcast host, said that those flashes of light were from the nitrogen gas reaction control thrusters, but I’m not convinced she was correct. Why would a cold gas be visible like that? And the shape was wrong. Here is a screen capture; sure looked like a lightning flash to me; it’s in the cloud layer. It happened about 8 times.

View attachment 818436
She was mistaken. There was nothing to illuminate the cold gas after the 2nd stage sped away. Those were lightning flashes for sure
 
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