SpaceX Inmarsat 5 Launch

SpaceX Falcon 9 just launched its sixth Falcon 9 rocket of the year, sending a communications satellite into orbit for the company Inmarsat. But don’t expect one of the company’s signature landings after launch this time. Unlike most of its missions these days, SpaceX will not try to recover the Falcon 9 first stage.

That’s because the requirements of this mission would make it pretty hard to land the rocket after launch. The satellite that SpaceX is launching, called Inmarsat-5 F4, is larger than a double-decker bus and weighs nearly 13,500 pounds. That makes it perhaps the heaviest single probe that the Falcon 9 has ever lifted. Plus, the satellite is going into a particularly high orbit called Geostationary Transfer Orbit — a path 22,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. Both of these factors combined mean that the Falcon 9 will need to use a whole lot of propellant during launch to get the satellite where it needs to go. That means there will be very little propellant leftover to perform a landing.
However, today’s launch is still significant for SpaceX, since it marks the company’s first mission for Inmarsat. The satellite that’s going up tonight will join three additional I-5 probes already in orbit, making up the Global Xpress constellation for Inmarsat. This satellite group is responsible for providing high-speed, mobile broadband service to airliners, ships, and more.

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READ MORE:
SpaceX Falcon 9 in flawless Inmarsat-5 F4 launch | NASASpaceFlight
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/05/expendable-falcon-9-inmarsat-5-f4-launch/

Falcon 9 launch timeline with Inmarsat 5 F4 – Spaceflight Now
https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/14/falcon-9-launch-timeline-with-inmarsat-5-f4/

SFI LIVE: SpaceX launching Inmarsat-5 F4 communications satellite
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/space-exploration-technologies/sfi-live-spacex-launching-inmarsat-5-f4-communications-satellite/

Rocket Launch: May 15, 2017 7:20 p.m. EDT | SpaceX Falcon 9
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/events/events-calendar/2017/may/rocket-launch-spacex-falcon-9-inmarsat-5

Tonight, watch SpaceX launch one of its heaviest satellites yet
https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/15/15640268/spacex-launch-watch-live-stream-falcon-9-rocket-inmarsat

Welcome to the r/SpaceX Inmarsat-5 Flight 4 Official Launch ... - Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/6b88hz/welcome_to_the_rspacex_inmarsat5_flight_4/

Inmarsat rides SpaceX Falcon into orbit - BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39929168

In Photos: SpaceX Launches Inmarsat-5 F4 Satellite - Space.com
http://www.space.com/36843-spacex-launches-inmarsat-5-f4-satellite-photos.html

Watch SpaceX's Inmarsat-5 Flight 4 satellite launch live right here
https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/15/watch-spacexs-inmarsat-5-flight-4-satellite-launch-live-right-here/

Liftoff!: SpaceX Falcon 9 launches with bus-sized satellite
http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2017/05/15/live-coverage-spacex-falcon-9-rocket-inmarsat-5-launch/101714238/

SpaceX Targeting Twilight Thunder for May 15 Inmarsat Blastoff
https://www.universetoday.com/135553/spacex-targeting-twilight-thunder-for-may-15-inmarsat-blastoff-watch-live/
LINKS:

Elon Musk - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk

Tesla
https://www.tesla.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla,_Inc

SpaceX
www.spacex.com/
https://twitter.com/spacex
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX

Varino

Editor

Joined Stellar Hub as an editor in the summer of 2016.