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SpaceX Falcon 9 FT - OTV 5 - LC-39A

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Loved seeing the continuous first stage video feed all the way to touchdown. Nice work SpaceX!
The Space Shuttle Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is looking pretty empty at this point. SpaceX has been taking it apart over the last year since it was only needed for the Space Shuttle
Yeah, looking forward to the RSS remnants disappearing in the near future and the old Apollo tower structure (what is the correct name for that?) getting spruced up and enclosed so that launch pad looks like it belongs in this century and not the last one.
 
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I look forward to the day when threats like an incoming hurricane can be dealt with simply by quickly refueling and launching to the drone ship, then later refilling and flying back ;) Aka, what one might do with an airplane with a hurricane bearing down. Sadly there's a lot of work to do before these sort of reuse reliabilities can be achieved.
 
Ooh, the spooky space plane! I'm going to guess that SpaceX won't be showing a "customer video" during the webcast just prior to launch.

Wow was I wrong on that... Boeing had a nice marketing video on what the X-37B does generally as a reusable experiments platform. Not many specifics obviously, except for a mention of an experiment that appears to be an ion thruster of some kind.

Nice takeoff and landing of Falcon 9!
 
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Wow was I wrong on that... Boeing had a nice marketing video on what the X-37B does generally as a reusable experiments platform. Not many specifics obviously, except for a mention of an experiment that appears to be an ion thruster of some kind.

Nice takeoff and landing of Falcon 9!

I thought it was very classy of Boeing to show a number of very nice F9 moments and mention the vehicle in their video too. They could have focused solely on their spacecraft and they didn't.
 
The statement from the 45th Space Wing:
(According Space & science reporter Robin Seemangal)

"Yesterday's launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Air Force's X-37B, was our 15th space launch this year and represents over 25% of all space launches in the world. Immediately following the launch the 45th Space Wing and our mission partners worked together to secure all facilities and launch pads on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as of 12 p.m. Sept. 8, 2017. The Falcon 9 booster that flew back and landed during yesterday's mission has been successfully recovered and secured. All launch facility hurricane preparations are scheduled to be completed before the end of today. Additionally, Patrick Air Force Base began mandatory evacuation this morning and will be secure by tomorrow afternoon. Wing personnel assigned to our Hurricane Response Teams (approx. 215 personnel) and Crisis Action Teams will ride out the storm in designated safe buildings and areas and will assess the damage after the storm to determine when it is safe to resume operations. We have a professional team with the right knowledge and expertise to execute what is necessary to ensure the safety of our people, our bases and our assets."
 
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