A stunning rocket’s-eye perspective of a recent mission from launch to landing is presented in a SpaceX video. The footage was captured on January 3 during the company’s 200th mission in good weather. It depicted the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on a mission that deployed satellites for several clients.
As is customary for a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, the first-stage booster blasted off into space before separating from the second stage carrying the payload. The first stage then descended to Earth and returned to Cape Canaveral with an impeccable upright landing. On different Falcon 9 missions, the booster may occasionally touch down on a barge waiting in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
During its most recent flight, the Falcon 9’s first stage was in the air for just over eight minutes, but the video has been sped up, condensing the journey into just 90 seconds.
The video provides a fantastic opportunity to fully appreciate the impressive work of the engineers at SpaceX who created the Falcon 9’s launch and landing system. Thanks to this system, the company has been able to reduce the cost of space missions by repeatedly using the same boosters and other rocket components, like the fairing.
Last week, the booster was used for the 15th time during the mission; it had previously supported the launch of the GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, and Intelsat G-33/G-34 missions, as well as 10 flights that deployed Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s internet-from-space service. Other Falcon 9 launches have put the Dragon spacecraft into orbit for cargo and crew missions to and from the International Space Station. A specially constructed capsule for SpaceX’s first all-civilian mission in 2021 was also launched on previous Falcon 9 launches.
If you liked this most recent SpaceX video, you might watch a different, just uploaded clip that offers a fresh perspective of the company’s Starship spacecraft’s next-generation static fire test. The vehicle will soon launch into orbit atop the powerful Super Heavy rocket when it makes its first test flight in the upcoming months.
