SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9v1.2 Block 5 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA, at 1241 GMT on 18 December. The vehicle was carrying 52 SpaceX-built Starlink commnunications satellites. The launch used an energy expensive “dog leg” to fly West into the Pacific before turning Southeast down the coast line to achieve a 53 degree inclination low Earth orbit. The first stage, B1051 on its 11th flight, successfully landed on the drone barge “Of Course I Still Love You” stationed 638 km down range in the Pacific Ocean.
Falcon 9v1.2 Block 5 launches Turksat 5B. Courtesy: SpaceX/YouTube
On the other side of the USA, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9v1.2 Block 5 launch vehicle from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA, at 0358 GMT on 19 December. The vehicle was carrying the Airbus DS-built 4,500 kg Turksat 5B communications satellite. The spacecraft was injected into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) on its way to its final operational geostationary orbit. The reusable stage, B1067 on its third flight, successfully landed on the drone barge “A Shortfall Of Gravitas” stationed 661 km down range in the Atlantic Ocean.
David Todd contributed to this article.
