Elon Musk calls rocket launch regulations ‘broken’ after aircraft delays SpaceX launch

[Elderberry]

CNBC by Michael Sheetz 6/29/2021

Key Points

•   SpaceX was seconds away from launching its 20th mission of this year on Tuesday when the countdown was halted due to an aircraft entering the launch range.

•   Elon Musk took to Twitter to voice his frustration about the delay, reiterating prior criticisms he has made about regulations around the business of launching rockets.

•   “There is simply no way that humanity can become a spacefaring civilization without major regulatory reform. The current regulatory system is broken,” Musk wrote.

SpaceX was seconds away from launching its 20th mission of this year Tuesday when the countdown was halted due to an aircraft entering the launch range, delaying the mission by at least a day.

Elon Musk took to Twitter to voice his frustration about the delay, reiterating prior criticisms he has made about regulations around the business of launching rockets.

“An aircraft entered the ‘keep out zone’, which is unreasonably gigantic,” Musk wrote in a tweet.

More: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/29/elon-musk-launch-regulations-broken-after-delayed-spacex-launch.html

[Cyber Liberty]

There's a launch scheduled today??

[rustynail]

Was the intrusion intentional?

[Elderberry]

There's a launch scheduled today??

Since yesterday's launch was scrubbed by that helicopter flying into the launch zone, they are rescheduled to launch Today. The 58-minute launch window opens at 2:56 p.m. EDT, or 18:56 UTC.  Since there are Falcon 9 launches so often these days, I haven't be letting y'all know.

My Baddd.

There may be a sonic boom from this launch.

Residents in Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties may hear one of more sonic booms during the landing.

About eight minutes after liftoff, Falcon 9′s first stage will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zone.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/

UPCOMING LAUNCH

Transporter-2 Mission

SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, June 30 for launch of Transporter-2, SpaceX’s second dedicated SmallSat Rideshare Program mission, from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The 58-minute launch window opens at 2:56 p.m. EDT, or 18:56 UTC. This mission also marks SpaceX’s second launch to a polar orbit from Florida. On its way to space, Falcon 9 will fly on a southern trajectory along Florida’s eastern coast over the Atlantic ocean and may be visible from the ground.

Falcon 9’s first stage booster previously supported launch of GPS III Space Vehicle 03, Turksat 5A, and five Starlink missions. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. One half of Falcon 9’s fairing previously supported Transporter-1 and a Starlink mission, and the other previously flew on SAOCOM 1B and a Starlink mission.

On board this launch are 85 commercial and government spacecraft (including CubeSats, microsats, and orbital transfer vehicles) and 3 Starlink satellites. While there are fewer spacecraft on board compared to Transporter-1, this mission is actually launching more mass to orbit for SpaceX’s customers.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSiuW1HcGjA

[Elderberry]

Was the intrusion intentional?

I don't know if we'll ever find out if that "Private" helicopter pilot gets in any hot water over this.

[Cyber Liberty]

Thanks, @Elderberry!

[Elderberry]

SpaceX launches 88 satellites into orbit and nails rocket landing

Space.com by Amy Thompson 6/30/2021

https://www.space.com/spacex-launches-88-satellites-lands-rocket

SpaceX successfully launched an ambitious rideshare mission Wednesday (June 30) as one of its veteran boosters hoisted 88 small satellites into orbit before landing back on Earth.

The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket lifted off into a cloudy afternoon sky at 3:11 p.m. EST (1511 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station here in Florida, following a 24-hour delay due to a range violation caused by a wayward plane in the restricted airspace around the launch site.

Originally slated to blast off last Friday afternoon (June 25), the complex Transporter-2 mission was delayed a few days to allow for more prelaunch checkouts. And then another 24-hours due to a range violation. SpaceX was just seconds away from launching one of its used Falcon 9 rockets packed with small satellites when the plane entered the safety zone, prompting the teams to scrub Tuesday's launch attempt.

On Wednesday, however, there were no planes to stand in the Falcon's flight path, and the rocket blasted off right on time, roaring overhead as it soared through the atmosphere.

The overhead cloud layer made for great acoustics as the rocket's first stage returned to the Cape after separating from the upper stage. Sonic booms, which happen when a spacecraft travels faster than the speed of sound, cracked overhead as the booster made its way through the atmosphere. And with warm, humid conditions in Florida, the sound of the sonic boom traveled faster than it would have in cold, dry air.

Perched atop the veteran launcher was a stack of 88 small satellites — 85 for commercial and government customers and three of SpaceX's own Starlink internet satellites — which flew to space together as part of the company's second dedicated rideshare mission, called Transporter-2.

The flight allowed SpaceX to flex its ridesharing muscles in a carefully choreographed orbital ballet as its flagship rocket ferried a hefty load of tiny satellites. (In total, the satellites weighed as much as the 143 satellites that launched on SpaceX's previous rideshare mission, Transporter-1, earlier this year.)

Acting as a cosmic carpool, SpaceX sent the bevy of small satellites into space, depositing them into a polar orbit. As such, the rocket appeared to launch straight overhead and into the clouds as it leaped off the pad this afternoon.

Following a successful liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage landed on SpaceX's dedicated landing pad, LZ-1, a few miles from where it launched. The touchdown marked the 89th recovery of a first-stage booster for SpaceX and the first land landing of the year. (SpaceX's previous 19 launches this year landed their first-stage boosters on one of the company's two drone ships, "Of Course I Still Love You" and "Just Read The Instructions.")

The launch marks the 20th mission this year for SpaceX and the company's fourth within a month from Florida's Space Coast.

[Cyber Liberty]

I can't get enough of watching those boosters landing on a dime!

[Elderberry]

I can't get enough of watching those boosters landing on a dime!

@Cyber Liberty

SpaceX tracking camera captures epic video of Falcon 9 rocket landing

Video at link

https://www.space.com/spacex-transporter-2-rocket-landing-tracking-camera-video

[Cyber Liberty]

@Cyber Liberty

SpaceX tracking camera captures epic video of Falcon 9 rocket landing

Video at link

https://www.space.com/spacex-transporter-2-rocket-landing-tracking-camera-video

Stunning!