SpaceX’s 55th launch this year, which saw it break its record and conduct more than one launch per week in 2022, also provided one of the best views of a rocket launch. The company has been on a streak as of late, with one of its first launches of 2022 showing the Falcon 9 rocket separating mid-air and a more recent Falcon Heavy launch landing both boosters on land after splitting themselves mid-air from the primary rocket at breakneck speed. However, today’s launch was the best of both. Not only did the Falcon 9 soar through the sunset from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but rare footage of the rocket showed the first stage booster lifting itself immediately after it separated from the second stage. The launch was for the British satellite firm OneWeb’s 40 small satellites into polar orbit, and the Falcon 9 booster used was a relatively newer one after having flown only three missions before today’s flight.
Falcon 9 Provides Fiery Views As It Soars To Skies From Florida
Almost immediately after liftoff, which took place at 5:27 pm eastern time today, a close-up view of the Falcon 9’s nine Merlin rocket engines saw the rocket bathed in the orange glow of the setting Sun as it rapidly accelerated to supersonic speed and crossed maximum dynamic pressure. As the rocket soared away, the tracking camera brought the entire 230-foot-tall rocket into its frame. This was a couple of moments before the first and the second stages separated, and up to this point, it appeared as if viewers would get treated to the rare visual of the stage separation from outside the rocket. Generally, at this moment, the camera view switches to the inside of the two rocket stages, and this time was not an exception either, as just at the point of stage separation, the view from inside the first stage booster showed that separation had occurred, and the second stage’s engine had successfully ignited. However, before this, as the rocket crossed 2,600 miles per hour, a full view showed the nine Merlin engines breathing fire and their full plume visible in the frame. The spectacular and fiery views were followed by the two stages separating. Footage from this portion of the launch, when both were traveling at more than 5,800 kilometers per hour, initially showed the Falcon 9 first stage’s cold nitrogen gas reaction control thrusters firing to reorient it away from the second stage. Immediately after this, arguably the best views of the day came when the Merlin 1D engine on the second stage started to fire, and the first stage’s engines lit up for its boost-back burn. This created a large plume that appeared to engulf both until they raced away from each other. The first stage’s plume was larger, and as it cut through the air, a bubble appeared on its top. Final footage from the tracking camera, taken when the first stage was traveling at 5,068 kilometers per hour and the second stage was traveling at 6,078 kilometers per hour, showed the pair as tiny dots in the sky racing away from each other.
Cold Gas Thruster Pulses Nothing Short Of Science Fiction
However, at this point, if you thought that SpaceX was done making our day, you’d be mistaken. The Falcon 9 first stage was in no mood to stop showing off, with the next set of stunning visuals nothing short of science fiction. The rocket uses cold gas thrusters to orient itself, and these fire at preplanned times to ensure that it orients itself properly for a landing. These thrusters fired dozens of times for today’s landing and showed rapid pulses of cold gas emanating from all sides of the rocket in a set of truly spectacular views while it was traveling at more than 2,300 kilometers per hour. The final views of today’s landing - the 145th time for the Falcon 9 - came when the rocket’s center Merlin 1D engine ignited in a burst of flame for its entry burn as it roared back to Earth and returned to provide some fiery views. The landing was a rare one that also saw the rocket land on land, with SpaceX generally using drone ships to recover the rocket boosters. As it landed, the characteristic sonic boom accompanied the rocket, coupled with a sea of flames at its bottom when it touched the ground. For the second stage, it continued on its journey with another brief engine startup that lasted for three seconds before the first 14 satellites were deployed close to an hour after launch. The second deployment sent thirteen satellites into low Earth orbit roughly sixteen minutes later.
