Of Popular Mechanics
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Earlier this week, SpaceX launched a South Korean military communications satellite on top of a Falcon 9 rocket.
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The launch broke the company’s rocket reuse record.
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And for the first time, SpaceX also captured both payload fairings as they hurtled toward Earth.
On July 20, SpaceX launched a South Korean military communications satellite on top of the same Falcon 9 rocket that sent NASA astronauts to the International Space Station just 51 days earlier. It was a great day for Elon Musk and the gang.
In addition to successfully landing the Falcon 9 rocket on its “Just Read the Instructions” drones, SpaceX also captured both payload fairings that were thrown from the rocket before the satellite was deployed. It is the first time that SpaceX retrieves both fairings after a launch.
The company released an impressive series of videos to mark the occasion. The fairings, hanging from an orange parachute, are seen gently floating in wide nets tied to SpaceX, Mrs. Tree, and Mrs. Chief spacecraft. Musk also tweeted about the fairings:
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SpaceX has worked to reduce the cost of rocket launches by reusing as many parts of the rockets as possible, including the payload fairings. Monday’s launch also broke the company’s previous record for rocket reuse in three days.
Next on SpaceX’s agenda? Welcoming Bob and Doug home.
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