Thursday, February 22, 2018

SpaceX Tries To Catch Fairing After Successful Launch

Hawthorne-based SpaceX, which successfully launched its latest mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Thursday morning at 6:17 a.m., also attempted a new experiment during the launch: an attempt to capture the fairing of the rocket as it descended back from space. The fairing of the rocket is used to cover the satellite payload atop the company's Falcon 9 rockets, while it is still exposed to the Earth's atmosphere. According to Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, the fairing of the Falcon 9 was equipped with onboard thrusters and a guidance system, which were used to attempt to land in a "catcher's mitt" on an ocean vessel, the "Mr. Steven". Musk said that the fairing missed, but landed nearby. Observers from the Los Angeles area, if they looked closely, were able to see the controlled descent of the fairing--with the Falcon 9 visible until just before deployment of the Spanish PAZ satellite.