The SpaceX Falcon 9 two-stage rocket launches the Bangabandhu-1 communications satellite from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on May 11, 2018. The same first stage of the rocket launched another satellite in August 2018 and planned to deploy 64 small satellites of the SSO-A mission on November 19
The historic third flight will not take place on November 19th. SpaceX was planning to launch a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket with 64 small satellites from Vandenberg Air Force (California). The first stage has already completed two flights, and the flight on Monday was to mark the third historical mission. But you have to wait a bit.
Representatives of the company did not provide detailed explanations of the delay, so there is no news about a possible problem. The first stage of the Falcon 9, which is now going to bring satellites for SSO-A, has already flown twice this year with the Bangabandhu-1 satellite for the Government of Bangladesh and the satellite for PT Telkom Indonesia.
Such reusable use is a key priority for SpaceX and the company's founder and CEO Ilona Mask, who is seeking to reduce the cost of space flight. Thus, the third launch of the same Falcon 9 rocket will be a significant step towards achieving the company's goals. Mask recently wrote on his Twitter page that the company no longer intends to update the second stage of the Falcon 9. The BFR rocket comes into its place with an interesting and fascinating design. BFR (Big Falcon Rocket) is a giant reusable duet with a spaceship. SpaceX is actively developing this system to help people safely get to Mars and other destinations in the solar system.
If all goes according to plan, then the first BFR missions should start in the 2020s. It will be a universal system capable of performing all of the planned SpaceX events: from satellite launch to delivery of people into orbit and beyond. As soon as the BFR is in working condition, Ilon Musk will completely refuse to use Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Dragon capsules.
In the new mission, the rocket should launch 64 satellites into Earth orbit. This is a multi-aspect payload. More than 30 devices provided by various international organizations. And this is not the most ambitious launch in terms of the number of satellites. In February 2017, the Indian rocket PSLV launched 104 vehicles into orbit, many of which were tiny nano-satellites.
