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West To East Coast: SpaceX Ready For Extreme Multitasking

Posted by timothy on from the all-in-the-same-gang dept.

astroengine writes Breaking new ground is nothing new for SpaceX, but how about launch and landing operations on opposite sides of the country at the same time? A poor weather forecast in Florida prompted SpaceX to pass on a second launch opportunity Monday to put the Deep Space Climate Observatory into orbit. The first launch attempt on Sunday was called off with two minutes to spare because of a glitch with a ground-based radar system needed to track the Falcon 9 rocket in flight. The launch of the spacecraft, nicknamed DSCOVR, is now pegged for 6:05 p.m. EST Tuesday, which overlaps with the return flight of a Dragon cargo ship from the International Space Station.

4 of 23 comments (clear)

  1. I wondered about this by mykepredko · · Score: 2

    I *think* this is the first time ever any space organization has launched and recovered a spacecraft in the same day. Coupled with the operations going on at two different coasts, it's a pretty impressive performance when you think about it.

    It certainly demonstrates a lot of depth to the SpaceX organization.

    Kudos to Elon Musk, who, as many people have wondered, must either be an alien or a time traveler tasked with putting humanity on the right path for the future.

    myke

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
    1. Re:I wondered about this by camperdave · · Score: 2

      Alan Shepard's first flight, while launched and recovered on the same day, was a single flight. SpaceX is launching one craft while another is landing - two flights. That's what the OP was getting at.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  2. Adding to the workload... by mykepredko · · Score: 3, Interesting

    AND, they are attempting to recover the first stage of the launch vehicle.

    If SpaceX pulls this off, it will be a very impressive performance.

    myke

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
  3. Re: Old news already? by kellymcdonald78 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The eventual plan is to land near the launch site (SpaceX just signed a deal with the Airforce to lease LC13 at the Cape). As such both launch and landing sites will have the same weather conditions. Going foreword this should only be an issue with the center core of the Falcon 9 Heavy which will be too far down range to return to the launch site.