RADARSAT Date Change: June 11
The RADARSAT Constellation Mission, previously scheduled for May 16 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5, has been rescheduled to June 11, due to issues on SpaceX’s end. The time of launch is still unknown, but the date change now means an RTLS (Return To Launch Site) landing attempt is now possible.
This is a little more complex than it seems, as Teslarati reports, while the booster in question, Falcon 9 core 1051, is very capable of doing an RTLS, the area around LZ-4 is closed March through June due to harbor seal pups. This rule is part of SpaceX’s contract for LZ-4, and cannot be negated.
The Radarsat Constellation Mission is a very high-profile launch for SpaceX too, while it is pretty small in size, the payload is worth nearly $1 billion USD. SpaceX will be taking absolutely zero risks with this launch.
More information to follow when it is available. For now, if you’d like to know more about the Radarsat Constellation Mission, check out the Canadian Space Agency’s website at
http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/radarsat/default.asp.
I’ve moved away from the West coast, but would’ve loved to meet some fellow launch rats. Btw, Bishop road is a great spot with direct line of sight to SLC-4 where SpaceX launches/lands, only a few minutes from Santa Maria.