LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 - NROL-76 - May 1, 2017 - UPDATES

• #220 by FutureSpaceTourist on 01 May, 2017 11:43
• Wow! F9 is a beast, but a nimble one!
  
  The most amazing shoots on the live coverage, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. I'm with Eric Berger:
  
  

  Quote

  And *that* is how you do spaceflight in the 21st century.

  https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/859005639963627521
  
  Many congratulations to all involved and especially to SpaceX for one amazing feat after another. Just wow!
• #221 by jgoldader on 01 May, 2017 11:43
• Congrats to all at SpaceX for once again making the "impossible" look easy.  That S1 video coverage was way better than we (or at least, *I*) deserved to get; there aren't words adequate to describe how amazing it was.
• #222 by Shanuson on 01 May, 2017 11:43
• Quote from: Chris Bergin on 01 May, 2017 11:37

  Elon's called it.
  
  Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk  1m1 minute ago
  More
   Launch and landing of the NRO spy satellite was good. Tough call, as high altitude wind shear was at 98.6% of the theoretical load limit.
  
  Congrats to all involved. Thanks to Chris and Steven - and others - for the coverage!
  

  
  I did not know they were also landing the satellite.
  Anyways, congratulations on the amazing launch and landing, and thank you, SpaceX and NSF for the coverage and being there in person.
• #223 by EspenU on 01 May, 2017 11:43
• Congratulations to SpaceX and NRO, and thanks to NSF for excellent coverage. Great launch, and those visuals during the landing burn... just wow...
  Note to self: I have to stop drinking red bull just before launch, I don't think my heart can take it..
• #224 by WindnWar on 01 May, 2017 11:43
• Congrats to all the hard working folks from SpaceX and the government that made this a success.
  
  That return footage was spectacular! Wow!!!
• #225 by DJPledger on 01 May, 2017 11:44
• Congrats to SpaceX and NRO for the successful launch and great work from the camera operators to deliver the amazing footage of the S1 return and landing.
• #226 by Joffan on 01 May, 2017 11:45
• Very impressive webcast coverage of a launch that puts SpaceX in a strong position for future missions of this nature. Clearly improved techniques in use for the flip and boostback as Spacex benefit from experience and their unique post-use knowledge of their launch stage.
  
  And great work on the NSF coverage as usual. Congratulations to all!
• #227 by Craftyatom on 01 May, 2017 11:46
• I wonder when SpaceX is going to stop introducing improvements to the footage of their webcasts - live landings, then following the first stage through descent, then 100% uptime tracking cameras?  I'm loving all this wonderful footage.  Anyways.
  
  Huge congrats to everyone involved in this launch, doing a brilliant job as always.  Sounds like there were two tight calls in a row - sensor malfunction yesterday and upper-altitude winds today.  Even with all the pressure, there's now a payload in orbit and a first stage upright at LZ-1, so all the constituent teams deserve a serious pat on the back.
• #228 by Aussie_Space_Nut on 01 May, 2017 11:47
• Magnificent!
  
  LOVED watching those thrusters fire so often which was such a surprise to me! :-)
  
  Congrats!
• #229 by NASAGeek on 01 May, 2017 11:48
• Amazing S1 return footage. Another launch and another core back. Congrats to SpaceX and NRO. Got to watch that landing footage several more times. That was jaw dropping awesome!
• #230 by Graham on 01 May, 2017 11:49
• Wow. Well that's probably in my top five of spaceflight related things I've seen...
  
  I say it all the time and I'll say it again: congrats to all the SpaceX, USAF, and NRO personnel that made this happen.
• #231 by Steven Pietrobon on 01 May, 2017 11:49
• Congratulations to SpaceX and NRO for the successful launch and SpaceX for the successful landing! Also thanks to those involved in providing the fantastic landing footage! Now to watch the launch again. :-)
• #232 by macpacheco on 01 May, 2017 11:49
• Congratulations. Again WOW !!!!
  Now I wanna see that on a FH launch, with 2 boosters RTLS and the center core landing on ASDS !
• #233 by FutureSpaceTourist on 01 May, 2017 11:50
• New shot from SpaceX overnight.

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• #234 by deruch on 01 May, 2017 11:52
• Congratulations SpaceX, NRO, and Ball Aerospace on your beautiful launch!  Wonderful.
• #235 by montyrmanley on 01 May, 2017 11:52
• Congratulations to SpaceX on another successful launch and landing! That video of MECO/SEP was amazing!
  
• #236 by Michael Baylor on 01 May, 2017 11:53
• That was one boring launch. 
• #237 by CorvusCorax on 01 May, 2017 11:55
• Congrats to SpaceX!!!! What an amazing show!!!!
  
  And of course to NRO for having another eye in the sky. I guess whatever they wanted to see from SpaceX in that first NRO launch, SpaceX definitely has delivered
  
  
• #238 by pb2000 on 01 May, 2017 11:57
• Beautiful. Congrats to the team at SpaceX. Anyone taking bets on how long before the orbit and general purpose of the bird is deciphered?
• #239 by Herb Schaltegger on 01 May, 2017 11:57
• Congratulations to all involved. That was a beautiful launch and the coverage of S1 returning was incredible.