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.
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service is officially going live in South Korea on December 4, marking yet another major expansion for the company’s rapidly growing global network. Starlink Korea confirmed the launch this week and has already begun accepting pre-orders for its Residential plan, priced at 87,000 won (roughly $59 USD) per month. According to […]
SpaceX has officially begun construction on a new Starship launch pad at Cape Canaveral, marking a major step forward in expanding the company’s Florida-based launch infrastructure. The update comes directly from SpaceX, which announced that it has received approval to develop Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) for Starship operations at the Cape Canaveral Space Force […]
SpaceX has quietly opened one of its first physical Starlink retail stores, and the debut location has landed in Gretna, Nebraska. The store sits inside Nebraska Crossing, an outlet mall at 21209 Nebraska Crossing Drive, just outside Omaha. Photos and walkthrough experience shared by Parker (@TeslaEnthusist), a passionate Tesla watcher who visited the shop this […]
