SpaceX's Secret Weapon: The Unseen Success of Falcon 9

Milestones and Achievements

SpaceX has been making waves with its Starship vehicle, but let's not forget about the unsung hero, the Falcon 9 rocket. This workhorse has been quietly achieving some serious milestones while launching Starlink satellites.

Starlink 10-56 Mission

• Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
• Booster: 1096 (second flight)
• Landing: Successfully landed on the drone ship "Just Read the Instructions"
• Milestone: Marked the 400th successful drone ship landing for SpaceX

Starlink 10-11 Mission

• Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
• Booster: 1067 (experienced booster)
• Milestone: Completed its 30th successful launch and landing (a record for a Falcon 9 booster)

The Journey of Reusability

These achievements are a big deal because they show just how far SpaceX has come in the last decade.

• 2013: SpaceX was just starting to figure out how to reuse the first stage of its rockets.
• First Successful Controlled Entry: Proved that supersonic retropropulsion was possible.

The Challenge

• Extreme Heat and Forces: The rocket has to withstand these during re-entry.
• Result: SpaceX pulled it off, making space travel more affordable and accessible.