Falcon 9 B1046 | |
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Type | First stageoforbital rocket |
Class | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
Manufacturer | SpaceX |
History | |
First flight |
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Last flight |
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Flights | 4 |
Fate | Intentionally expended; broke apart in mid-air due to aerodynamic forces |
Falcon 9 B1046 was a reusable Falcon 9 first-stage booster manufactured by SpaceX. It flew four times between 2018 and 2020 before breaking up during a successful abort test of the Crew Dragon. It was the first Block 5 upgrade to the Falcon 9.
In October 2016, Elon Musk announced the Falcon 9 Block 5, which featured revisions such as increased thrust, improved landing legs, and upgrades for easier reuse, including thermal protection on the side of the vehicle and a reusable heat shield at the base to protect the engines and plumbing.[1][2]
After a year of delays, B1046 was completed and transported to SpaceX's McGregor facility for testing in preparation for its maiden flight.
This Falcon 9 was first launched on May 11, 2018, carrying Bangabandhu-1, Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite. This marked the 54th flight of the Falcon 9 and the first flight of the Falcon 9 Block 5.[3] After completing a successful ascent, B1046 separated from the second stage and landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. This marked the 11th successful landing on OCISLY and the 25th successful landing of the Falcon 9.[citation needed]
After inspection and refurbishment, B1046 was launched a second time on August 7, 2018, carrying the Telkom-4 (Merah Putih) satellite. The Telkom-4 mission marked the first time an orbital-class rocket booster launched two GTO missions. This was also the first re-flight of a Block 5 booster.[4]
Four months after the Telkom-4 mission, B1046 arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base to support the SSO-A mission. Following delays for additional satellite checks,[5] liftoff occurred from SLC-4E on December 3, 2018. This marked the first time that the same orbital-class booster flew three times.[6] While the mission profile allowed for the booster to return to the launch site, it landed offshore on the drone ship Just Read The Instructions due to vibration concerns for a Delta IV Heavy and its NRO payload awaiting launch at nearby SLC-6.[citation needed]
Its fourth and last mission launched a Crew Dragon capsule up to the point of maximum dynamic pressure, where the stack separated to test its abort system in flight. The booster had its fuel cells being turned off mid-flight to simulate an anomaly, after which it was subjected to high aerodynamic forces and exploded.
Flight # | Launch date (UTC) | Mission # | Payload | Pictures | Launch pad | Landing location | Notes |
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1 | May 11, 2018 | 54 | Bangabandhu-1 | KSC, LC-39A | Of Course I Still Love You (ASDS) | First flight of a Block 5 booster, launch of Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite | |
2 | August 7, 2018 | 60 | Merah Putih | CCAFS, SLC-40 | Of Course I Still Love You (ASDS) | First reflight of a Block 5 booster | |
3 | December 3, 2018 | 64 | Spaceflight SSO-A (SmallSat Express) | VAFB, SLC-4E | Just Read The Instructions (ASDS) | First third flight of the same orbital-class booster | |
4 | January 19, 2020 | 79 | Crew Dragon C205[7] | KSC, LC-39A | No Attempt | High-speed abort test of Crew Dragon; booster was intentionally destroyed in flight as recovery was deemed too complicated due to the unorthodox nature of the test flight. |
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* denotes unflown vehicles or engines, and future missions or sites. † denotes failed missions, destroyed vehicles, and abandoned sites.
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