Falcon 9 flight 10 was a
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
space launch that occurred on July 14, 2014. It was the fifth launch of the
Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle and carried six
Orbcomm-OG2 telecommunication satellites. All six satellites were successfully deployed.
Following the first stage loft of the second stage and payload on its orbital trajectory, SpaceX conducted a successful
flight test on the
spent first stage that received considerable news attention. In the event, the first stage successfully
decelerated from
hypersonic speed
In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that exceeds five times the speed of sound, often stated as starting at speeds of Mach 5 and above.
The precise Mach number at which a craft can be said to be flying at hypersonic speed varies, since i ...
in the upper atmosphere, made a successful
reentry
Atmospheric entry (sometimes listed as Vimpact or Ventry) is the movement of an object from outer space into and through the gases of an atmosphere of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite. Atmospheric entry may be ''uncontrolled entr ...
, landing burn, and deployment of its
landing legs
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
and touched down on the ocean surface. The first stage was not recovered however as the hull integrity was breached on landing or on the subsequent "tip over and body slam".
History
This launch schedule was particularly problematic and was delayed several times, with success on the fourth scheduled launch attempt on July 14, 2014.
Earlier launch attempts were:
*delayed by SpaceX due to a first stage helium leak
*delayed by Orbcomm due to a potential defect in one of their satellites.
On June 20 a launch attempt was scrubbed due to a fluctuation in pressure readings on the second stage.
*delayed one day by weather on June 21 when the launch window was closed due to poor weather conditions on the flight trajectory through the lower
atmosphere
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
*the June 22 attempt was scrubbed by SpaceX to address a potential concern with the launch vehicle identified during pre-flight checks.
Payloads
Post-mission launch vehicle testing
In an arrangement unusual for
launch vehicle
A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites) from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage ...
s, the
first stage First stage or First Stage may refer to:
* First Stage Children's Theater, a professional American children's theater based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* First stage (rocketry), the first stage of a multistage rocket
* the first reading of a bill in t ...
of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket conducted a
propulsive-return over-water test after the second stage with the Orbcomm OG2 payload
separated from the booster.
[
This was the third high-altitude post-mission test of this type, after the first test on ]Falcon 9 Flight 6
''Cassiope'' is a genus of 18 small shrubby species in the family Ericaceae. It is the sole genus in the subfamily Cassiopoideae. They are native to the Arctic and north temperate montane regions. The genus is named after Cassiopeia of Greek myt ...
in September 2013,[
]
and a second test in April 2014. The April test resulted in the first successful controlled ocean soft touchdown of a liquid-rocket-engine orbital booster[
]
and included landing legs for the first time which were extended for the simulated "landing".[
]
See also
* List of Falcon 9 launches
As of , rockets from the Falcon 9 family have been launched times, with full mission successes, two mission failures during launch, one mission failure before launch, and one partial failure.
Designed and operated by SpaceX, the Falcon 9 fa ...
References
External links
SpaceX Press Kit: ORBCOMM OG2 Mission 1
May 2014.
Falcon 9 First Stage Return : ORBCOMM Mission
SpaceX-released video of the controlled descent test (onboard camera), July 2014.
Falcon 9 First Stage Reentry Footage from Plane
SpaceX-released video of the controlled descent test, as seen from a chase plane, Aug 2014.
{{Falcon rocket launches
Falcon 9
2014 in spaceflight
2014 in Florida
Rocket launches in 2014