Satnews Daily
February 22nd, 2019

SpaceX Sends Nusantara Satu, Beresheet Lunar Lander and U.S.AFRL's Spacecraft Soaring



Video screen capture of the SpaceX liftoff of the PSN6, SpaceIL and AFRL payloads aboard the company's Falcon 9 rocket. Image is courtesy of SpaceX.

On Thursday, February 21, SpaceX launched the Nusantara Satu satellite from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 8:45 p.m. EST, or 1:45 UTC.

The Falcon 9 launch vehicle also delivered the SpaceIL Beresheet craft — the first privately funded lunar lander — to space as well as  the experimental U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) S5 smallsat to orbit. Deployments occurred at approximately 33 and 44 minutes after liftoff.


Falcon 9 first stage landing on the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship, completing this booster’s third launch and landing. Video screen capture is courtesy of SpaceX.

Falcon 9’s first stage for the Nusantara Satu mission previously supported the Iridium-7 mission in July 2018 and the SAOCOM 1A mission in October 2018.

Following stage separation, SpaceX landed Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

A replay of this important launch may be viewed at this direct link...


Deployment of the Nusantara Satu satellite. Image is courtesy of SpaceX.