SpaceX has published exciting images in which we can see the rocket engine working against the background of the sunset. The video was made on January 3 during the launch of a Swedish broadband satellite as part of the Ovzon 3 mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We can observe the operation of the Merlin engine of the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which puts the payload into orbit.
Merlin Vacuum engine burning to orbit during sunset pic.twitter.com/QU4Md0SPkq
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 4, 2024
SpaceX also shared a series of stunning images showing the launch of the Falcon 9, as well as the return of the first-stage booster. Eight minutes after launch, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket made a perfect landing on the base.
This was the 10th flight of this particular first stage, which had previously launched CRS-26, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, O3b mPOWER and five Starlink missions. The successful landing was the 261st return of an orbital-class rocket for SpaceX. The company’s goal has always been to reduce the cost of space flights by creating a reusable space flight system.
Falcon 9 launches the @OvzonAB Ovzon 3 mission to orbit, first stage booster returns to Earth pic.twitter.com/PjqE7irjwK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 4, 2024
Currently, the largest number of missions carried out by one Falcon 9 first stage is 19. This was achieved on December 23 by the B1058 booster. The launch vehicle was supposed to be used again, but after safely landing on a ship off the coast of Florida, it capsized into the sea, causing part of it to fall overboard.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/2j6x0NkQuM
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 3, 2024
On January 3, the mission became the first for SpaceX to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in 2024 and the second after launching from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of the mission to deploy new Starlink satellites to provide Internet access services from SpaceX.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on Landing Zone 1 pic.twitter.com/ff8WP3KC8T
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 3, 2024
The space company led by Elon Musk carried out just under 100 Falcon rocket launches in 2023, which is a record for SpaceX. It is expected that in 2024 the company will carry out more than 100 launches, for the first time since its founding 22 years ago.
Earlier, we showed an exciting video of testing Starship Raptor engines from a drone.
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