SpaceX Goes For Two Big Reuse Milestones With Next Launch

SpaceX is returning to the launch pad to send its second batch of Starlink Internet satellites into low Earth orbit. "On Tuesday, SpaceX completed a static test firing of the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage that is presently scheduled to launch on November 11 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida," reports Ars Technica. "Beyond the primary mission, this flight is going for two rocket reuse milestones." From the report: This will be the first time that SpaceX has attempted to fly the same Falcon 9 first stage four times. This particular stage flew on July 25 (Iridium 7 mission) and October 8 (SAOCOM 1-A) in 2018 as well as February 22 (Nusantara Satu and Beresheet spacecraft) this year. Additionally, SpaceX will also attempt to reuse a payload fairing for the first time. After a Falcon Heavy launch of the Arabsat-6A mission in April, SpaceX recovered both halves of the payload fairing from the Atlantic Ocean. Those fairings have since been refurbished -- it is not clear how much work needed to be done to clean them and mitigate the effects of any salt water damage -- and will now fly on the Starlink mission.

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