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Tonight, SpaceX launched another rocket from Florida, but this rocket took a very different path than most flights from the East Coast. Rather than heading east after launch as most Florida missions do, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket headed south after lift-off, skirting the southeast coast of Florida and heading for Cuba.
This is because this mission was heading into what is known as a polar orbit, a path that runs mainly north-south over the Earth’s poles. It is a type of mission that is not normally carried out from Florida. In fact, this will be the first time since 1969 that a rocket taking off from Florida has headed south.
So far, most of the polar launches in the US have been made from the southern coast of California. That way, rockets fly over the open ocean when heading south and not over populated lands. Rockets that are launched from Florida head east toward the equator, so they also fly over the entire open ocean before reaching space.
But in 2016, the Air Force began studying the possibility of bringing polar launches to Florida after wildfires significantly approached Vandenberg Air Force Base, the main launch site for all polar launches in California. The fire caused damage to surrounding infrastructure and delayed a launch for up to two months, according to Florida Today. The 45th Space Wing, which oversees launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida, analyzed the numbers and found that polar launches were possible, with some caveats.
As of today, only SpaceX can fly this unique path from Florida due to how its Falcon 9 rockets are designed. The company’s rocket has an automatic flight safety system, which means the vehicle can self-destruct on its own. without ground intervention, if it deviates from its path or if something goes wrong. That is important to fly this polar route. Since the rockets will fly close to populated areas, any flight deviation must be handled quickly to keep people safe on the ground. But it’s possible that plumes of gas from the rocket’s engines could interfere with any signals sent from the ground to self-destruct. So the Falcon 9 has to be able to explode without human help.
Future vehicles are expected to fly with these autonomous safety systems, which would also allow them to fly south from Florida. But for now, SpaceX is the one bringing the polar launches back to the Florida coast. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:18 p.m. ET from SpaceX’s launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket then headed south, skimming the southeastern coast of Florida near Miami and then flying over Cuba. The 45th Space Wing affirms that Miami is not in any danger during these types of missions, and that Cuba should also be out of danger. “It will fly over Cuba, but it will be at an altitude where we are safe, like when we are heading north,” Brig said. General Douglas Schiess, commander of the 45th Space Wing, said during a press call. “As we go into the northern part of North America, we also start to fly over some islands, but we are at a safer altitude at that point.”
Schiess said the Falcon 9 rocket followed the right path that will ensure that people are safe. “I know we are now meeting all the safety requirements, and it really is about being at the right altitude. [and] speed at the time, to make sure the falling debris is small enough, or doesn’t even hit any land, which makes this ability to launch that from a safe perspective. “
The main satellite for this launch was SAOCOM 1B, while two small satellites hooked up for a ride. SAOCOM 1B is the second of two identical Earth observation satellites that SpaceX has contracted to launch for the Argentine space agency. Together, the two satellites will use radar to observe the planet for disasters that could affect industries such as agriculture, mining, fishing and more. The satellite is heading into a polar orbit known as a solar synchronous orbit. The route allows satellites to pass over the same patch of Earth at the same time every day, which is great for Earth-observing satellites hoping to track changes in the planet’s locations over time.
For this mission, SpaceX used a Falcon 9 rocket that had flown into space three times before. After liftoff, the rocket successfully landed on SpaceX’s ground landing pad near the launch site in Florida. SAOCOM 1B was deployed just 14 minutes after liftoff, while the two small satellites will deploy about an hour after launch.
