SpaceX completed its 11th mission of the year when it sent an SES-12 communications satellite into space on June 4. The launch was completed just after midnight local time, the satellite was deployed about 32 minutes after takeoff.
SpaceX hopes to get up to 30 missions this year.
SpaceX Launches Communications Satellite
SpaceX was able to send the SES-12 communications satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. SpaceX launched the satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 12:45 a.m. EST. The company had a four-hour window with favorable weather and they had a 70 percent chance of good conditions.
Unlike previous attempts that it has made, it will not be recovering the first stage of the rocket. This means that it will just be allowed to fall into the ocean after launch. SpaceX plans to use the rest of the Block 4 versions of its Falcon 9 rocket. It is transitioning to its Block 5 version of the rocket. This transition will occur sometime during the summer or fall. The Block 5 version of the rocket is optimized for reusability.
Tests are still being run on the Block 5 rockets to determine whether they're able to be reused without much work done to the rocket. Engineers with SpaceX will be taking the rocket apart to make sure that it is able to be reused. SpaceX founder Elon Musk says that rigorous tests will be done on the rocket to make sure that the company's design assumptions are accurate.
The SES-12 communications satellite was launched for SES SA of Luxembourg. The SES-12 satellite provides video, data, and communication services in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region.
Overall this is the 56th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket for SpaceX, and its fifth launch for SES SA.
SpaceX Block 5
The first flight of a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket was initially delayed on May 10 but was able to successfully takeoff on May 11. The rocket was launched and landed the same day from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The first and second stage of the rocket separated 2.5 minutes after liftoff.
The first stage of the rocket was able to return to the drone-ship operated by SpaceX. Falcon 9's Block 5 rocket was able to lift off and return back to Earth in less than nine minutes. SpaceX is hoping to cut down the costs of space travel by being able to reuse rockets. Musk believes that the rockets could be launched, landed, and launched again within 24 hours.
