SpaceX Sticks Sea Landing, Sends Japanese Satellite To Orbit

SpaceX launches a Japanese communcation satellite from Cape Canaveral. Photo: SpaceX
SpaceX successfully launched a Japanese communications satellite to orbit early Sunday morning.
The private space company launched a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral early Sunday morning, sending the satellite to a high, geostationary transfer orbit — that’s an orbit that allows the satellite to remain focused on one spot back on Earth.
After sending the satellite on its way, SpaceX landed the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket at sea on a drone ship called “Of Course I Still Love You.”
First stage landing confirmed on the droneship. Second stage & JCSAT-16 continuing to orbit https://t.co/tdni5406Hi pic.twitter.com/h6llIXSVu7
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 14, 2016
Last month, SpaceX recovered a booster at a landing facility at Cape Canaveral.
The private space company hopes to reuse the boosters and lower the cost of sending payloads to space. Although the company has yet to launch a reused booster, it’s testing a recovered first stage at a facility in Texas with the hopes of launching one later this year.
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