Falcon 9 booster B1046 is a reusable Falcon 9 first-stage booster manufactured by SpaceX. It has flown three times so far, a fourth and last flight is planned.
| Falcon 9 booster B1046 | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| B1046 lifting off for the first time on Bangabandhu-1 mission | |
| Role | First stage of orbital rocket |
| National origin | Vereinigte Staaten |
| Typ | Falcon 9 first-stage booster |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Construction number | B1046 |
| First flight | May 11, 2018 (Bangabandhu-1) |
| Flights | 3 |
| Status | In service |
Fertigungsindustrie
In October 2016, Elon Musk announced the Falcon 9 Block 5, which featured revisions such as increased thrust, improved landing legs, and upgrades for easier reuse, including thermal protection on the side of the vehicle and a reusable heat shield at the base to protect the engines and plumbing. [1][2]
After a year of delays, B1046 was completed and transported to SpaceX's McGregor facility for testing in preparation for its maiden flight.
Flight history
This Falcon 9 was first launched on May 11, 2018, carrying Bangabandhu-1, Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite. This marked the 54th flight of the Falcon 9 and the first flight of the Falcon 9 Block 5.[3] After completing a successful ascent, B1046 separated from the second stage and landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. This marked the 11th successful landing on OCISLY and the 25th successful landing of the Falcon 9.
After inspection and refurbishment, B1046 was launched a second time on August 7, 2018, carrying the Telkom-4 (Merah Putih) satellite. The Telkom-4 mission marked the first time an orbital-class rocket booster launched two GTO missions. This was also the first re-flight of a Block 5 booster.[4]
Four months after the Telkom-4 mission, B1046 arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base to support of the SSO-A mission. Following delays for additional satellite checks,[5] liftoff occurred from SLC-4E on December 3, 2018. This marked the first time that the same orbital-class booster flew three times.[6] While the mission profile allowed for the booster to return to the launch site, it landed offshore on the drone ship Just Read The Instructions due to vibration concerns for a Delta IV Heavy and its NRO payload awaiting launch at nearby SLC-6.
Past missions
| Flight # | Launch date (UTC) | Mission # | Payload | Pictures | Launch pad | Landing location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 11, 2018 | 54 | Bangabandhu-1 | .jpg)
|
KSC LC-39A | Of Course I Still Love You (ASDS) | First flight of a Block 5 booster
|
| 2 | August 7, 2018 | 60 | Merah Putih | .jpg)
|
CCAFS SLC-40 | Of Course I Still Love You (ASDS) | First reflight of a Block 5 booster |
| 3 | December 3, 2018 | 64 | Spaceflight SSO-A (SmallSat Express) | .jpg) |
VAFB SLC-4E | Just Read The Instructions (ASDS) | First third flight of the same orbital-class booster
|
Upcoming missions
| Flight # | Launch date (UTC) | Launch Pad | Mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | NET November 11 2019 | KSC LC-39A | Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test [7] | High-speed abort test of Crew Dragon; booster will be destroyed in flight. |
B1046 records and achievements
- First Block 5 booster to fly [3]
- Launched Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite [3]
- First re-flight of a Block 5 booster [4]
- First booster to fly two missions to geosynchronous transfer orbit [8][9]
- First orbital-class booster to fly three times [10]
- Currently the only Falcon 9 to have launched from all three of SpaceX's active launch sites
- Largest batch of satellites launched from the United States [10]
See also
References
- ^ "Musk offers more details about Mars mission architecture". SpaceNews.com. 2016-10-23. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "Spacex Falcon 9 Block 5 targets 24 hour turnaround, no refurbishment reuse and relaunch a dozen times". NextBigFuture.com. 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ a b c "Bangabandhu-1 sucessfully [sic] launched by first Block 5 Falcon 9 – SpaceX's goal of affordable access to space". www.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ a b "Falcon 9 launch timeline with Merah Putih". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ "SpaceX Delays Historic Third Launch of Used Rocket (and Its Flock of Satellites)". Space.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "SpaceX official says company about to launch a Falcon 9 for the third time". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ "SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft suffers an anomaly during static fire testing at Cape Canaveral". April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ "First Block 5 Falcon 9 static fires ahead of Bangabandhu-1 launch – NASASpaceFlight.com". Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Merah Putih for first Block 5 reflight – NASASpaceFlight.com". Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ a b "SpaceX Falcon 9 launches SSO-A multi-sat mission". www.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2018-12-04.