SpaceX launch marks 300th successful booster landing

SpaceX despatched up the thirtieth launch from the House Coast for the 12 months on the night of April 23, a mission that additionally featured the corporate’s Three hundredth profitable booster restoration.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 of SpaceX’s Starlink web satellites blasted off at 6:17 p.m. Jap time from Cape Canaveral House Drive Station’s House Launch Advanced 40.

The primary-stage booster set a milestone of the Three hundredth time a Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy booster made a profitable restoration touchdown, and the 270th time SpaceX has reflown a booster.

This explicit booster made its ninth journey to space, a resume that features one human spaceflight, Crew-6. It made its newest restoration touchdown downrange on the droneship Simply Learn the Directions within the Atlantic Ocean.

The corporate’s first profitable booster restoration got here in December 2015, and it has not had a failed booster touchdown since February 2021.

The present report holder for flights flew 11 days in the past making its twentieth journey off the launch pad.

SpaceX has been accountable for all however two of the launches this 12 months from both Kennedy House Middle or Cape Canaveral with United Launch Alliance having launched the opposite two.

SpaceX may knock out extra launches earlier than the tip of the month, placing the House Coast on tempo to hit greater than 90 by the tip of the 12 months, however the price of launches by SpaceX can be set to choose up for the rest of the 12 months with some turnaround occasions on the Cape’s SLC-40 coming in lower than three days.

That might amp up frequency so the House Coast may surpass 100 launches earlier than the tip of the 12 months, with the bulk coming from SpaceX. It hosted 72 launches in 2023.

Extra launches from ULA are on faucet as nicely, although, together with the Could 6 launch atop an Atlas V rocket of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner with a pair of NASA astronauts to the Worldwide House Station.

ULA can be making ready for the second launch ever of its new Vulcan Centaur rocket, which lately obtained its second Blue Origin BE-4 engine and is simply ready on the payload, Sierra House’s Dream Chaser spacecraft, to make its technique to the House Coast.

Blue Origin has its personal rocket it desires to launch this 12 months as nicely, with New Glenn making its debut as early as September, in accordance with SLD 45’s vary manifest.

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