SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket is about to hit the century mark for the yr.
A Falcon 9 is about to launch a batch of next-gen spy satellites for the U.S. Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace (NRO) as we speak (Oct. 24) from California’s Vandenberg Area Pressure Base at 1:13 p.m. EDT (1713 GMT; 10:13 a.m. native time).
The mission, often called NROL-167, would be the a centesimal Falcon 9 liftoff of 2024. SpaceX will livestream the motion by way of X, starting about 10 minutes earlier than launch.
NROL-167 would be the fourth launch supporting the NRO’s “proliferated structure,” a constellation consisting of “quite a few, smaller satellites designed for functionality and resilience,” in keeping with the company. We do not know a lot about these spacecraft or their actions, which is not shocking; NRO satellites’ work tends to be labeled.
The primary three proliferated structure missions additionally took flight on Falcon 9s — NROL-146 in Might, NROL-186 in June and NROL-113 in September.
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If all goes in keeping with plan, the Falcon 9’s first stage will come again to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff as we speak. It’ll land on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Nonetheless Love You, which shall be stationed within the Pacific Ocean.
It is going to be the twenty first launch and touchdown for this specific booster, in keeping with a SpaceX mission description. Its most up-to-date flight was NROL-113.
At present’s mission shall be SpaceX’s one hundred and fifth rocket launch of 2024 total. Along with the Falcon 9 flights, the corporate has launched two Falcon Heavy missions and three check flights of its Starship megarocket.
The latest Falcon Heavy launch, on Oct. 14, despatched NASA’s Europa Clipper probe towards the Jupiter system. The latest Starship check flight occurred a day earlier and featured an unprecedented catch of the car’s first-stage booster by the “chopstick” arms of the launch tower.
Each launch from right here on out will add to SpaceX’s report complete for the yr. The corporate’s earlier excessive mark was 98 liftoffs, set in 2023.
