#spx9

[for-all-mankind]

Flight profile for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket when it lands at Landing Zone 1.  The first stage’s nine Merlin 1D engines will shut down at T+ 2:24, and the second stage will ignite at T+2:32.  While the second stage propels Dragon and its cargo into low Earth orbit, the first stage will perform its boostback burn at T+ 2:42. This cancels the rocket’s downrange motion and propels it back towards the Florida coastline. In order to safely reenter the thicker portion of Earth’s atmosphere, a boostback burn will begin T+ 6:31. The rocket will be about 45 miles above the Earth. 

Finally, at T+ 7:38, when the rocket is just a few hundred feet above the ground, a landing burn will commence, bringing the booster safely to LZ-1. CRS-9 is scheduled to launch at 12:45am EDT Monday, July 18, and should land at LZ-1 around 12:52am. P/c: Zlsa.

[for-all-mankind]

In a rare freak of scheduling, members of the news media got to witness an operation SpaceX usually does not allow viewing of - the erection of a Falcon 9 rocket on SLC-40. SpaceX integrates their rockets in the Horizontal Integration Facility at SLC-40, and then rolls the vehicle to the pad via a Transporter/Erector. The T/E, also known as a strongback, then raises the rocket to vertical.

Normally, this operation takes place while media crews are elsewhere, but today’s schedule inadvertently meant we witnessed this event. The whole process took about 12 minutes. Launch is slated for 12:45am EDT Monday, July 18. Eight minutes later, the first stage will return for a landing at LZ-1, 9 kilometers south of SLC-40.