Same stuff, different day at SpaceX today with yet another launch from Pad 39A, this time of Bulgaria’s 1st satellite, BulgariaSat 1, to geosynchronous orbit. Yep, another communications satellite, but as mentioned, this is the 1st satellite made by Bulgaria, so that’s special: I hope it works out well for them and their needs!
The 1st stage was previously used to launch an Iridium satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base back in January – the stage made a high-energy (read, very stressful) entry and landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic, marking another 1st stage re-use and landing for SpaceX. An accomplishment, certainly, but something almost already mundane. We know they can do it, now prove it provides a cost savings!
As usual, we move on to the webcast of this event – no “hosted” and “technical” this time, just the one webcast that is mostly like the other two types fused together – it’s the kind I like, although I still find the announcers explanations juvenile, and the applause and gasps of the audience almost childish in nature – you can hear them ho “awe” when the video feed cuts out, and when the announcement is made that the drone ship has AOS (acquisition of signal) from the Falcon 9, they don’t react at all, but when the engine fires up, they sure applaud that!
It’s almost like the people gathered at the SpaceX HQ don’t actually understand what’s going on, no matter how many times its explained to them!