SpaceX Falcon 9 Soars Again, Tying Record in Galileo Mission
In the twilight hours of Saturday, April 27 at 8:34 p.m. ET, the Galileo L12 mission embarked on its celestial journey from NASA’S Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The milestone launch marked the 20th flights for the Falcon 9’s first stage, a feat previously achieved by another Falcon 9 booster earlies in the month. The mission, facilitated by SpaceX, contributed to the expansion of Galileo constellation, akin to the United States’ GPS system, with the development of satellites into medium Earth orbit, 14,430 miles above our planet.
The Galileo project, Europe’s navigation initiative, faced logistical challenges following the retirement of the Ariane 5 rocket and strained relations with Russia. However, a partnership with SpaceX emerged, leading to a deal to launch up to four Galileo satellites across two missions in 2024. Saturday’s launch marked the commencement of this collaboration.
Unlike typical SpaceX flights, where the first stage often returns to Earth for reuse, the demanding requirements of placing satellites in medium Earth orbit precluded stage recovery. Consequently, this mission concluded the operational life of the Falcon 9 booster used, making it the 20th and final flight of that particular stage.
The historic launch preceded another significant event on SpaceX’s agenda: the scheduled launch of a Starlink satellite batch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday evening, April 28. This weekend activities epitomized the frenetic pace of SpaceX’s operations in 2024, with 41 orbital missions already completed, including 28 dedicated to expanding the Starlin mega constellation
Falcon 9 Overview
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