Photo credit John Howard for SpaceX Frontpage
The eleventh SpaceX launch of 2024 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station left LC-40 on February 20 th at 3:11 pm EST, propelling Telkonsat HTS-113BT, also known as Merah Putih 2 (meaning red and white) to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Indonesian telecommunications satellite, built by Thales Alenia, will provide over 23 Gbps capacity for the island nation.
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 through sunny skies.
This was the seventeenth flight for B1067, having previously supported CRS-22, Crew 3, Turksat 5B, Crew 4, Hotbird 13G, mPowerA, Satria and eight Starlink missions. It last flew January 7 th in support of Starlink 6.35.
First stage separation occurred two and a half minutes after launch. As the second stage ignited its lone engine moments later, B1067 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 Just Read the Instructions, an automated barge, the landing burn allowed B1067 to gently touch down on the automated barge’s deck.
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. Bob, a boat stationed nearby will scoop the fairing halves for reuse.
Second stage burned as planned then shut down to enter a coast phase, eight minutes after launch. A one-minute burn at T+29 into flight occurred before separation of the HTS-113BT satellite, about 33 minutes after launch. The spent stage performs adjustments to line it up with
entry and burn-up over the Indian Ocean.
Photos credit: Paradox Adventure Photography for SpaceXFrontpage
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