Falcon 9 launches Two Commercial Satellites. O3b mPower 5&6 Mission.

   On November 12 th at 4:08pm EST, SpaceX successfully launched two satellites in the SES O3bm Power series. Under mostly cloudy and windy skies, the Falcon 9 rose skyward then headed east. This was the 282nd launch of the reliable rocket family and the 63 rd of 2023 from the Space Coast of Florida.

   O3bm Power 5 and 6 were delayed as engineers evaluated concerns with previous spacecraft. The first four experienced glitches in their power modules, significantly reducing service life and broadband capacity. Numbers 7 thru 11 will be upgraded to remedy the issue, while Boeing will manufacture two additional satellites to augment defective units.

    At 38 minutes before launch, RP-1 flowed into both stages, a super-chilled version of kerosene which allows more fuel to fit inside the Falcon 9. Liquid oxygen, needed for combustion, began to fill simultaneously. Sixteen minutes before t-zero, LOX flowed in the second stage, which is always a brand-new vehicle. Actions controlled by computers ensured significant milestones were executed on time, including engine chill-down and tank pressurization. Nine Merlin engines commenced ignition, lofting the Falcon 9 skyward for a rare daytime launch.

    Booster B1076 separation occurred two and a half minutes after launch. As the second stage ignited its lone engine moments later, B1076 performed a flip maneuver to start its reuse journey. Grid fins and cold gas thrusters aligned the descending stage. Six minutes after launch, three engines started for the entry burn. This began to slow down the rocket as it lowered to the Atlantic Ocean. Aligned with A Shortfall of Gravitas, an automated barge, the landing burn allowed B1076 to gently touch down on the automated barge’s deck. This was the ninth flight for the booster, having previously supported CRS-26, One Web-16, Intelsat 40E, and five Starlinks.

     As the second stage continued to propel the payload, the fairings which protect the cargo during atmospheric ascent, split in two then peeled away from the rocket. They coasted to the ocean, slowed by parachutes. A boat stationed nearby, will scoop the fairing halves for reuse.

    Second stage burned as planned then shut down to enter a coast phase. Two additional short burns occurred before separation of the Power 5 and 6 satellites, about two hours after launch. The spent stage performs adjustments to line it up with entry and burn-up over the Indian Ocean.