SpaceX F9 - Transporter 4 - SLC-40

[Grendal]

Launch Date: April 1
Launch Window: 12:24pm (9:34am PDT, 16:24 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS - JRTI
Booster: B1061-7
Fairings: Reused
Mass: 8 to 9 tonnes
Orbit: SSO

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 4 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.

This will be SpaceX's 12th orbital launch of the year.

 

[Grendal]

 

[Grendal]

The weather isn't great for either day.

 

[Grendal]

Expect a delay. Only a 30% chance of favorable weather and an issue with increased solar activity.

 

[808?]

 

[Grendal]

Very late landing for the booster. I can't think of another time the landing happened past the 10 minute mark.

 

[ecarfan]

Very late landing for the booster. I can't think of another time the landing happened past the 10 minute mark.

That is odd. And with a relatively light payload.

Weather still looks unfavorable for today.

 

[bxr140]

Very late landing for the booster. I can't think of another time the landing happened past the 10 minute mark.

Its a really heavy payload (pretty high SSO) AND its doing the dogleg mission AND its RTLS...they're probably trying to push the envelope of capacity on this one so the booster is likely going farther downrange than usual.

 

[ecarfan]

BIngo!

 

[Grendal]

Its a really heavy payload (pretty high SSO) AND its doing the dogleg mission AND its RTLS...they're probably trying to push the envelope of capacity on this one so the booster is likely going farther downrange than usual.

The early guessers were apparently wrong about the RTLS for this one. The altitude of the booster hit 233 km! That has to be the highest altitude for a booster. Usually they go to around 130 km. I agree that it has got to be one of the furthest downrange landings of all time - and maybe the longest.

Edit: I found out that the highest a booster went was 244 km for the Formosat-5 launch. That booster was recovered as well. It was a very light payload compared to this though.

 

[HVM]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1509951648201728002

 

[adiggs]

OMG - so cool. About 4:30 after launch we get a quick run down on the pieces of this launch, as well as an infomercial on the different means and timing SpaceX has available to get YOUR satellite into orbit.

They needed a coupon though, or a this-week-only special. Yeah - that'd do the trick

 

[Cosmacelf]

OMG - so cool. About 4:30 after launch we get a quick run down on the pieces of this launch, as well as an infomercial on the different means and timing SpaceX has available to get YOUR satellite into orbit.

They needed a coupon though, or a this-week-only special. Yeah - that'd do the trick

4:30 after launch? They were still showing both stages then…

 

[ecarfan]

I think @adiggs meant that at about that time the webcast host made a statement saying that rideshare missions are available on the F9, FH and “in the near future, Starship”, which is the first time I’ve heard that statement made.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I think @adiggs meant that at about that time the webcast host made a statement saying that rideshare missions are available on the F9, FH and “in the near future, Starship”, which is the first time I’ve heard that statement made.

Thanks, adiggs post made the comment sound way cooler

 

[adiggs]

Thanks, adiggs post made the comment sound way cooler

Well I thought it was way cooler. First time I've heard an 'ad' for orbit delivery services.

 

[Electroman]

Very late landing for the booster. I can't think of another time the landing happened past the 10 minute mark.

Good point, and I think the reason for that is, if you look at the flight telemetry the booster separation was at 95 KMs altitude and at 7000 Km/hr which is much higher than a typical mission, and as a result the booster's apogee reached 233 Kms at T+05:32. IO have never seen a booster reach that high. A typical booster apogee is 120 to 150 Kms.

That explains the much delayed landing.