Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is definitely on a roll this year. The American aerospace manufacturer is preparing for its fourth launch this year in an effort to send a Japanese satellite into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). In addition to that, people will get to watch the launch live at the comfort of their own homes!
SpaceX has recently announced on Twitter that the Falcon 9 launch scheduled for Thursday, May 4 has been moved to Friday, May 6 due to concerns about the weather. Nevertheless, JCSAT-14 will be delivered tomorrow to make sure Sky Perfect's new satellite can provide high-speed internet, cell phone service and TV programming to Asia Pacific-based users.
Static fire complete, teams reviewing data. Falcon 9 launch of JCSAT-14 communications satellite targeting May 5 at 1:21am ET
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 2, 2016
The Iain M. Banks Tribute
According to Tech Insider, the Falcon 9 launch on Friday will be SpaceX's fourth for 2016. The company had previously landed a drone ship in the middle of the ocean.
This time, SpaceX is also planning to recover the remains of Falcon 9's first stage from the droneship known as "Of Course I Still Love You." The name is SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's direct homage to the spaceship in Iain M. Banks' sci-fi novel "The Player of Games."
A 360° camera view of the @SpaceX #Falcon9 first-stage landing on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You," https://t.co/8ofHHyY7qc #CRS8 — Alasdair Allan (@aallan) April 30, 2016
The launch is definitely exciting for SpaceX, although it is not without peril. The company has addressed that another successful landing might be unlikely due to the high orbit.
This would mean that Falcon 9 will require more fuel and there is a possibility that the ship might not have enough to make it back to Earth. "The first-stage will be subject to extreme velocities and re-entry heating, making a successful landing unlikely," SpaceX said in a statement.
The Future Of SpaceX
Nevertheless, Elon Musk remains optimistic about the future of SpaceX. The CEO has previously confirmed that there will be more launches in 2016.
The launch will take place on Friday, May 6 at 1:21AM EDT. You can watch the launch in the video below.
