First Stage Lands Successfully; Second-stage Burn Complete

Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA's TESS spacecraft.
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s TESS spacecraft. Image credit: NASA TV

The Falcon 9 first stage completed its burn and has successfully landed on the SpaceX drone ship affectionately called, “Of Course I Still Love You,” which waited for it in the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the second stage’s first burn is complete and the vehicle has started a 32-minute coast phase. The payload fairing separated from the vehicle as expected minutes ago, leaving the TESS spacecraft exposed to space.