[ReadingScience] "This Rocket, Cooler at Landing than Takeoff, What Is It?"

SpaceX Falcon Heavy, 5th Launch Success
Simultaneous Landing and Recovery of 2 Boosters Staged

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "An astonishing scene. Two rocket boosters completed their mission and safely returned to land."

Landing scene of the reusable booster of SpaceX's heavy-lift launch vehicle Falcon Heavy. Photo by Twitter

On the afternoon of the 15th around 6 PM (Eastern Time), an unbelievable sight unfolded at Launch Pad 39A of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. The side boosters of the Falcon Heavy rocket, which successfully delivered cargo into orbit, returned and safely landed at the landing site. As night fell and the launch pad darkened, the boosters slowly lowered their engine thrust with their triangular-shaped legs spread wide, touching down precisely at the designated spot. The audience applauded and cheered.

The booster of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy landed at the Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida, USA, on the afternoon of the 15th after completing its satellite launch mission. Photo by SpaceX Twitter

On this day, SpaceX launched the secret mission satellite USSF-67, commissioned by the U.S. Space Force, into geostationary orbit (approximately 35,000 km altitude). The focus was on the launch and return of the Falcon Heavy. The Falcon Heavy is a heavy-lift launch vehicle made by clustering three Falcon 9 rockets, each powered by nine Merlin engines producing 80 tons of thrust. This was its fifth flight. It was the second time it carried out a U.S. national security mission, following the USSF-44 satellite on November 1 last year.

The booster of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy landed at the Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida, USA, on the afternoon of the 15th after completing its satellite launch mission. Photo by SpaceX Twitter

The highlight of the Falcon Heavy mission was not only the launch but also the return of the boosters. On this day, two boosters separated about 2 minutes and 30 seconds after launch and returned to SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, landing safely. With this landing, SpaceX set a record by recovering and reusing these boosters for the 163rd and 164th times, respectively. However, the central core booster could not be recovered because SpaceX, due to U.S. authorities’ restrictions, did not load enough fuel, causing it to fall into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy was launched on the afternoon of the 15th from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, for a satellite launch mission. Photo by SpaceX Twitter

The Falcon Heavy produces about 5 million pounds (approximately 2,267 tons) of thrust, making it the second most powerful operational rocket after NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), which successfully launched last November with 15 million pounds of thrust. SpaceX is currently developing Starship, which boasts 17 million pounds of thrust.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy was launched on the afternoon of the 15th for a satellite launch mission. Photo by SpaceX Twitter