Thread by @BiIndia

#INPICS: @SpaceX completes its first polar orbit mission as #Falcon9’s booster nails off-shore landing - by @pabsgill

businessinsider.in/science/space/…

@elonmusk

In the wee hours of the morning in India, on the other side of the world, @SpaceX was busy getting its signature @Falcon9 rocket back in action.

#SpaceX

Not only did it place Argentina’s #SAOCOM1B satellite and two smaller piggyback satellites into Earth’s orbit, Elon Musk’s space company also completed its first polar orbit mission from Florida.

Instead of making use of the #Earth’s gravitation spin to reach low orbits like usual, the rocket flew south along the US’ eastern coast instead along a flight path that’s known as the polar corridor.

#Falcon9’s reusable booster also made headway with a rare off-shore landing. The booster, which is normally caught somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, was successfully made to touch down in Cape Canaveral.

#Falcon9‘s #SAOCOM1B mission — from launch to landing
@SpaceX launched Argentina’s Earth-observation satellite SAOCOM 1B along with two smaller piggyback satellites off the coast for Florida in the US at around 4:48 am Indian Standard Time (IST).

Nine minutes into its journey towards outer reaches of #Earth’s atmosphere, the booster’s first stage created its usual sonic booms as it made its way back to the landing zone back on the planet.

The sonic booms aren’t just for show. It’s the sounds of the booster dancing through an orbital ballet as it gets into position for landing. Once it was in the right place, the booster conducted a series of three engine burns in order to slow itself down to gently touchdown.

Usually, @SpaceX has two ships that it uses for booster recovery. These uniquely named floating platforms are usually found drifting out in the Atlantic Ocean enabling #SpaceX to launch rockets more frequently.

This time, Falcon 9’s booster made its way to Landing Zone-1 on solid ground of sea.

The #SAOCOM1B mission was originally scheduled for March but was delayed due to the ongoing #COVID19crisis.