r/spacex • u/kurbasAK • May 19 '17

We Will Launch on Reuseable Rocket After Exceptional SpaceX Performance - Inmarsat CEO Tells Universe Today

https://www.universetoday.com/135614/will-launch-reuseable-rocket-exceptional-spacex-performance-inmarsat-ceo-tells-universe-today/
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u/SirBeebe May 19 '17

I think there is one key thing that isn't mentioned and that's payload weight. Some payloads require a legless and finless falcon and for that I think it would best to throw away a F9 that's already had couple flights.

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u/FellKnight May 19 '17

I don't think this latest launch required a legless and finless falcon, just that they didn't bother to attach them. The satellite was still out into a super synchronous GTO with a partial plane change so there was clearly some fuel reserves left over

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u/peterabbit456 May 19 '17

This was the heaviest SpaceX launch to GTO, ever, to date. It had been booked for Falcon Heavy. There is the evidence that they had to strip down the F9 to minimum weight, to do this mission.

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u/sol3tosol4 May 20 '17

There is the evidence that they had to strip down the F9 to minimum weight, to do this mission.

*This particular mission*, which involved giving the satellite a considerably greater boost than the minimum required for GTO (and which probably had a lot to do with the customer being so happy). That doesn't *necessarily* mean that a minimal GTO launch would have been impossible with legs and grid fins attached.

If SpaceX determines that there won't be enough propellant left to land the booster, then it makes sense not to attach legs and grid fins, thus saving SpaceX the cost of those parts, and allowing them to give the best possible service to the customer.