The Falcon 9 booster for the Anasis-II mission is a rocket that makes history. It was the booster used to send NASA astronauts to the ISS in May.
Video screenshot by Leslie Katz / CNET
SpaceX successfully launched a South Korean military communications satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket on Monday after a technical problem that delayed takeoff last week.
The Anasis-II mission took off into the blue skies at 2:30 p.m. PT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX reported the successful deployment of the satellite into orbit.
Anasis-II Launch Marks Twelfth SpaceX We launched this year, the 90th flight of a Falcon 9 and the second in general for this particular reinforcement. The rocket was first launched in May to bring NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station, the first time that a commercial company has done so. So it has some history.
After separation from the stage on Monday, SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of Falcon 9 on the “Just Read the Instructions” drone parked in the Atlantic Ocean.
Originally, the South Korean satellite was scheduled to launch on July 14, but SpaceX delayed takeoff “to take a closer look at the second stage, changing hardware if necessary” just one day before launch.
Anasis-II is South Korea’s first military communications satellite. Due to its connection to the military, there isn’t much information about it, except that it is based on Airbus’ Eurostar E3000 satellite bus, according to the Everyday Astronaut. Anasis-II’s mass is classified due to its military mission, but by context, other E3000 satellites range from 4,500 to 6,500 kilograms at launch, according to NASA Spaceflight.com.
Before the launch, Sae Kyu Nam, president of the South Korean Defense Development Agency, expressed regret that he was unable to attend the launch in person due to the coronavirus crisis. “The gods are with us to pave the way to heaven,” he said in an online broadcast, raising his right arm in the air. “Falcon 9, seize the future”.
The Anasis-II spacecraft deployed about 32 minutes after takeoff. SpaceX did not show the live satellite deployment on its webcast, at the customer’s request, but did include verbal confirmation on the live stream. You can relive the launch below.
