SpaceX F9 : NROL-146 : VSFB SLC-4E : 22 May 2024 (08:00 UTC)

• #40 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 07:59
• LD is go for launch!
• #41 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:00
• Liftoff!

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• #42 by catdlr on 22 May, 2024 08:01
• https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1793190272567763061
  
  

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  F9/NROL-146: LIFTOFF! At 4:00:20am EDT (0800 UTC)
• #43 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:02
• MaxQ

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• #44 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:02
• T+2

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• #45 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:03
• MECO, separation & SES

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• #46 by catdlr on 22 May, 2024 08:03
• https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1793190771283402995
  
  

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  Liftoff of the @NatReconOfc NROL-146 mission!
• #47 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:04
• Fairing separation (no views, due to nature of payload)
• #48 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:06
• Entry burn

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• #49 by catdlr on 22 May, 2024 08:07
• https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1793191400793579575
  
  

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  F9/NROL-146: 1st stage engine shutdown, stage separation, 2nd stage engine ignition confirmed; the first stage is now heading for touchdown on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You to wrap up its 16th flight; as usual with classified NRO launches, SpaceX is providing no details about upper stage performance, the trajectory or payload deployment at the request of the National Reconnaissance Office
  1:05 AM · May 22, 2024
• #50 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:08
• Landed!

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• #51 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:10
• Webcast has ended, no news on 2nd stage due to NRO mission

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• #52 by FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:10
• https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1793192661303886334
  
  

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  Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship
• #53 by Perchlorate on 22 May, 2024 08:11
• Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:08

  Landed!
  

  Thanks, FST and Tony.  Congrats, SpaceX!  Don't recall seeing the stream of water onto the droneship deck before.
• #54 by rsmath on 22 May, 2024 08:13
• Stick figure of tonight's launch vehicle.
  
  
  
  

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• #55 by catdlr on 22 May, 2024 08:13
• Quote from: Perchlorate on 22 May, 2024 08:11

  Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 22 May, 2024 08:08

  Landed!
  

  Thanks, FST and Tony.  Congrats, SpaceX!  Don't recall seeing the stream of water onto the droneship deck before.
  

  
  Thanks Pete, It's normal, I've seen them turn on before, it's just the view of the droneship was extended due to no views of the second stage.
• #56 by catdlr on 22 May, 2024 08:15
• Summary Video
  
  
• #57 by Nosu on 22 May, 2024 08:30
• Full rehost on YouTube
  
• #58 by GewoonLukas_ on 22 May, 2024 10:06
• Mission success confirmed:
  
  

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  NRO Launches First Mission of Proliferated System with NROL-146
  May 22, 2024
  
  The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), successfully launched the NROL-146 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 4:00 a.m. EDT.
  
  [...]
  

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  NROL-146_Press_Release_FINAL.pdf
• #59 by ATPTourFan on 22 May, 2024 12:46
• Falcon looks to have had significantly greater than zero velocity at touchdown. To my eyes the booster is sitting pretty low to the deck. I wonder if it’s too low for Octagrabber.
  
  Let’s see if it returns to Port of Long Beach chained to the deck.

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