Space & Astronomy

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 rocket

By T.K. Randall
January 15, 2017 ·  3 comments

SpaceX is now back in business. Image Credit: CC0 1.0 SpaceX Four-and-a-half months after disaster brought the company's future in to doubt, SpaceX is now back on track thanks to the successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket during the weekend.

The launch carried a payload of ten satellites as part of communications company Iridium's global satellite constellation "Iridium NEXT" which will consist of a network of 70 satellites overall.

Not only did the launch itself go to plan but SpaceX even managed to land the rocket's first stage on a drone ship known as "Just Read the Instructions" which was situated off the coast of California.Perfecting this process is part of the firm's ongoing commitment to reusable rocket technology which will make space exploration a lot more affordable in the long run.

SpaceX also recently revealed specific details about September's rocket explosion, a disaster that was seemingly caused by buckles in the inner lining of its liquid helium storage tanks.

"Although buckles were not shown to burst a COPV on their own, investigators concluded that super chilled liquid oxygen can pool in these buckles under the overwrap," the company stated.

"When pressurized, oxygen pooled in this buckle can become trapped; in turn, breaking fibers or friction can ignite the oxygen in the overwrap, causing the COPV to fail."

Source: Yahoo! News | Comments (3)

Tags: SpaceX, Rocket