The Falcon 9 is flying right on target, and its second-stage power and telemetry are performing as expected. The next major milestone will be second-stage engine cutoff.
Month: January 2015
MECO; Second Stage Takes Over
Main engine cutoff and first stage separation are complete. The single Merlin vacuum engine on the Falcon 9’s second stage has taken over the job of delivering the Dragon spacecraft to orbit.
LIFTOFF
Liftoff! The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is thundering away from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on its way to a Monday-morning rendezvous with the International Space Station. The booster’s nine Merlin engines are generating 1.3 million pounds of thrust as the vehicle begins its climb to orbit.
Launch in One Minute
The first-stage engines ignite seconds before liftoff, and a hold-before-release system quickly verifies all engines are working at top performance before releasing the rocket to fly.
T-2 Minutes
The Eastern Range is “go” for launch at 4:47 a.m.
LOX topping has ended and stage 1 tanks have been raised to flight pressure.
Strongback Retracted
The strongback has been retracted away from the rocket.
Falcon 9 Transferring to Internal Power
The Falcon 9 rocket is being switched from ground-based to internal power. Six minutes until launch.
ISS at Launch Time
At launch time, the International Space Station will be flying 261 miles above the middle of the Indian Ocean.
10 Minutes until Launch
The terminal count is under way with 10 minutes left in the countdown.
‘Go’ to Begin Terminal Count
Launch Director Brian Childers and Launch Conductor Ricky Lim have given the team the go-ahead to begin the terminal count at 4:37 a.m., 10 minutes prior to launch. At that point, the Falcon 9 and Dragon autosequences will carry out all rocket and spacecraft commands automatically.