A Used SpaceX Rocket Just Launched a Satellite for Qatar, Then Aced a Landing

[Judi Lynn]

By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | November 15, 2018 04:22pm ET

The two-stage Falcon 9 lifted off at 3:46 p.m. EST (2046 GMT) today (Nov. 15) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. About 32 minutes later, the rocket successfully deployed its payload, the Es'hail-2 communications satellite, into an elliptical geostationary transfer orbit.

The rocket's first stage was already back on Earth at that point, standing tall on the deck of the SpaceX droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. The booster touched down on the robotic ship about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. [See more photos of SpaceX's Es'Hail-2 satellite launch!]

The landing was the second for this particular first stage, which also helped launch the Telstar 19 Vantage communications satellite on July 22. "Of Course I Still Love You" served as the landing platform on that day as well.

SpaceX has now pulled off 31 first-stage landings and reflown landed boosters on 17 occasions. These activities are part of SpaceX's plan to cut the cost of spaceflight dramatically, thereby making the settlement of Mars and other ambitious exploration feats economically feasible.

More:
https://www.space.com/42446-spacex-rocket-launches-eshail-2-satellite-aces-landing.html

[chillfactor]

1. i watched the rocket take-off today.....

it was exciting! And I watched until the stream went down.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

2. Whoever came up with the name "Of Course I Still Love You"

must be a fan of Ian M Banks' "Culture" novels. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spacecraft_in_the_Culture_series it was Elon Musk, and he did.