Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-07-2018 12:17 PM
SpaceX SAOCOM 1A mission
SpaceX is targeting Sunday, Oct. 7 at 7:21 p.m. PDT (0221 GMT Oct. 8) for the launch of the SAOCOM 1A satellite from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The SAOCOM 1A satellite is operated by Argentina’s Space Agency, the National Commission on Space Activities (CONAE).
Following stage separation, Falcon 9's first stage will return to land at SpaceX's Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This is SpaceX's first attempt at a land landing on the West Coast. LZ-4 is built on the former site of Space Launch Complex 4W, from which Titan rockets were previously launched.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-07-2018 09:30 PM
This was SpaceX's 30th Falcon 9 first stage landing. From SpaceX mission control:
Vandenberg, LZ-4, the Falcon has landed.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-08-2018 09:30 AM
Because the launch occurred soon after sunset, the plumes from the Falcon 9 first stage engines and thrusters were lit by the sun at altitude. SpaceX photos:
Lunar rock nut Member
Posts: 911 From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A. Registered: Feb 2007
posted 10-08-2018 09:31 AM
This was shot by my niece using her iPhone 10 from San Nicholas Island some 70 miles off the coast.
Aztecdoug Member
Posts: 1405 From: Huntington Beach Registered: Feb 2000
posted 10-08-2018 01:01 PM
I saw the launch from Huntington Beach, 200 miles from VAFB. It was a spectacular sight. What with the second stage going one way and the first stage going the other way it was simply a sight to see.
A friend says he saw it as far north as Oakland, and there were reports all the way to Arizona that it was visible on social media.
San Nic would have been almost under the flight path, that would have been amazing...
posted 10-07-2018 12:17 PM
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