Elon Musk and SpaceX successfully launched the final "Block 5" version of the company's Falcon 9 rocket on Friday, after a last-minute computer abort signal pushed things back a day.
"Three, two one, zero, ignition, liftoff", a SpaceX commentator said as the rocket launched at 4:14 pm (2014 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. In all, the rocket has a 130-minute launch window. Details about why the first attempt was aborted were not immediately available.
Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite, expected to have a primary service area encompassing Bangladesh and the surrounding region including territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal. Previous versions of the Falcon 9 could be launched only twice before retirement. SpaceX tweeted a photo of the Falcon 9 as the rocket's first and second stage parted ways.
This trip did not carry astronauts.
The United States has not flown humans to space since 2011.
"With the launch of Bangabandhu-1, we are hoisting our national flag into space". He also has a blog about the International Space Station, called Orbital Velocity.
This did not tell us anything, but it was enough to know that anything that caused the suspension of the launch was not enough to delay the entire mission.
The Block 5 variation of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will be the last major upgrade the company's workhorse rocket.
The updated rocket is meant to be removable, which could drastically reduce fees of journeys to distance. He cautioned though that SpaceX has lots of fixed costs, its future Starlink satellite internet constellation and development of the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) that require revenue from launches, meaning prices can only go so low.
Its engines have up to eight percent more thrust than its predecessors, the flight controls allow for a better angle of attack to conserve fuel, there is a heat shield at the base of the rocket to protect it during reentry, and the guidance vanes are now made of titanium for better heat resistance.
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