SpaceX Successfully Launches EUTELSAT 117 West B and ABS-2A Satellites
A SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched and placed the EUTELSAT 117 West B and ABS-2A communications satellites into nominal orbits today.
The launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was right on time at the opening of the launch window at 10:29 a.m. EDT.
Second of two satellites being deployed into proper orbit with today's launch https://t.co/XcHFBPEyfk
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 15, 2016
The secondary mission of landing the Falcon first stage ended with a hard landing on the Of Course I Still Love You autonomous spaceport drone ship and resulted in its destruction. It was the first landing failure after four consecutive successes.
Today's failed @SpaceX landing is "maybe the hardest impact to date": https://t.co/bm02ylLA4M #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/NUxIbH5N0l
— Inverse (@inversedotcom) June 15, 2016
Elon Musk tweeted:
Looks like thrust was low on 1 of 3 landing engines. High g landings v sensitive to all engines operating at max.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2016
RUD = Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly 🙂
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2016
Upgrades underway to enable rocket to compensate for a thrust shortfall on one of the three landing engines. Probably get there end of year.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2016
