Fairing plays a huge role in rocket launches. Acting as a two-piece protective layer, SpaceX has designed two fairing halves with special netting to catch them when they fall. Without any programming beforehand, fairing halves use a parachute to slow them down. Ships must be positioned correctly to catch these.
SpaceX finally managed to catch both fairing halves of a Falcon 9 rocket launch today. CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk made an exciting announcement on Twitter:
Both fairing halves caught from space by @SpaceX ships!
For all previous launches, recovery attempts for catching both fairing halves remained unsuccessful. Only a single half was retrieved back in June 2019, and once more in January 2020.
In addition to re-using old components, managing to catch both fairing halves can save up to $6 million. As reported by Techcrunch, Elon Musk also has plans to “capture Crew Dragon capsules as they return to Earth”. This would prove to be a safe option once the fairing system is perfected.
DishNinjas, a professional installer specializing in Starlink satellite internet, is significantly expanding its footprint across the U.S. Midwest as demand for high-speed, reliable connectivity continues to surge. The company announced on Tuesday that it is rolling out its professional residential and commercial Starlink installation services to 12 Midwest states, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, […]
Starlink Wi-Fi is now available across more than half of Qatar Airways’ global fleet, marking a major milestone for both the airline and SpaceX’s rapidly expanding aviation connectivity business. According to details shared by longtime SpaceX and Tesla watcher @SERobinsonJr, Qatar Airways now operates the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped widebody fleet, with nearly 120 […]
SpaceX’s ambitious plans to dramatically expand Starlink’s cellular satellite network are running into familiar resistance — and this time, the opposition is lining up fast (via PCMag). SpaceX last year filed for FCC approval to launch an additional 15,000 next-generation Starlink satellites to supercharge its Direct to Cell service, which beams cellular connectivity directly to smartphones […]
