Autonomous spaceport drone ship explained

Autonomous spaceport drone ship
Site:
Location:
  • & :
  • Of Course I Still Love You:
Short:ASDS
Operator:SpaceX
Paddetails:
Landing:yes
Designation:Just Read the Instructions (I)
Status:Retired (May 2015)
Landings:2 (0 success, 2 failures)
First Landing:10 January 2015
First Landing Details:(CRS-5)
Last Landing:14 April 2015
Last Landing Details:(CRS-6)
Rockets:
Landing:yes
Designation:Of Course I Still Love You
Status:Active
Landings:106 (98 successes, 7 failures, 1 partial failure)
First Landing:4 March 2016
First Landing Details:(SES-9)
Last Landing:12 August 2024
Last Landing Details:(ASBM 1 & ASBM 2)
Rockets:
Landing:yes
Designation:Just Read the Instructions (II)
Status:Active
Landings:89 (87 successes, 1 failure, 1 partial failure)
First Landing:17 January 2016
First Landing Details:(Jason-3)
Last Landing:10 August 2024
Last Landing Details:(Starlink Group 8-3)
Rockets:
Landing:yes
Designation:A Shortfall of Gravitas
Status:Active
Landings:80 (all successful)
First Landing:29 August 2021
First Landing Details:(CRS-23)
Last Landing:20 August 2024
Last Landing Details:(Starlink Group 10-5)
Rockets:

An autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) is a modified ocean-going barge equipped with propulsion systems to maintain precise position and a large landing platform. SpaceX developed these vessels to recover the first stage (also called the booster) of its launch vehicles. By recovering and reusing these boosters, SpaceX has significantly reduced the cost of space launch.

SpaceX operates three ASDS: Just Read the Instructions (II) (JRTI), A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG), and Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY). JRTI and ASOG operate from Port Canaveral supporting launches from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station landing in the Atlantic Ocean, while OCISLY operates from the Port of Long Beach supporting launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Depending on mission requirements, SpaceX can return the booster to the launch site for a ground landing, land the booster at sea on an ASDS, or discard it. While a ground landing is the least expensive option, it requires the most fuel and thus reduces payload capacity. Sea landings offer a balance of cost and performance, making them the most common choice, used on approximately three-quarters of missions.

History

In 2009, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk articulated ambitions for "creating a paradigm shift in the traditional approach for reusing rocket hardware". In October 2014, SpaceX announced that they had contracted with a Louisiana shipyard to build a floating landing platform for reusable orbital launch vehicles. Early information indicated that the platform would carry an approximately landing pad and would be capable of precision positioning so that the platform could hold its position for launch vehicle landing.[1] [2] On 22 November 2014, Musk released a photograph of the "autonomous spaceport drone ship" along with additional details of its construction and size.

As of December 2014, the first drone ship used, the McDonough Marine Service's Marmac 300 barge, was based in Jacksonville, Florida, at the northern tip of the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal, where SpaceX built a stand to secure the Falcon stage during post-landing operations. The stand consisted of four, tall and wide pedestal structures bolted to a concrete base. A mobile crane would have lifted the stage from the ship and placed it on the stand. Tasks such as removing or folding back the landing legs prior to placing the stage in a horizontal position for trucking would have been undertaken while the booster was on the stand.[3]

The ASDS landing location for the first landing test was in the Atlantic approximately northeast of the launch location at Cape Canaveral, and southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.[4] [5]

On 23 January 2015, during repairs to the ship following the unsuccessful first test, Musk announced that the ship was to be named Just Read the Instructions,[6] with a sister ship planned for West Coast launches to be named Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY).[7] On 29 January 2015, SpaceX released a manipulated photo of the ship with the name illustrating how it would look once painted.[8]

The first Just Read the Instructions was retired in May 2015 after approximately six months of service in the Atlantic Ocean, and its duties were assumed by Of Course I Still Love You. The former ASDS was modified by removing the wing extensions that had extended the barge surface and the equipment (thrusters, cameras, and communications gear) that had been added to refit it as an ASDS; these items were saved for future reuse.[9]

In 2018, Elon Musk announced plans for an additional barge, A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG), to support East Coast operations[10] but the build of the droneship was delayed, and instead JRTI was moved to the East Coast and began operations in June 2020. ASOG was completed in July 2021.

By June 2020, SpaceX had received the ability to use "its own private Automatic Identification System (AIS) aids to navigation (ATON) to mark the temporary exclusion areas it uses during rocket launches [from] Cape Canaveral, Florida", the first such use of dynamic restricted area ever approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.[11]

Fleet

VesselHome PortStatus
Just Read The Instructions (I)Scrapped
Of Course I Still Love YouLong BeachActive
Just Read The Instructions (II)Port CanaveralActive
A Shortfall of GravitasPort CanaveralActive

Just Read the Instructions (I)

SpaceX's first ASDS was named Just Read the Instructions (JRTI). Converted from the existing Marmac 300 barge, JRTI served as a testbed for just two landing attempts, SpaceX CRS-5 and SpaceX CRS-6, the latter of which ended with the booster toppling over and exploding, damaging JRTI beyond repair on 14 April 2015.[12]

Of Course I Still Love You

SpaceX's second ASDS, Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) was constructed in a Louisiana shipyard beginning in early 2015 on the Marmac 304 hull. While the dimensions of the ship are nearly identical to the original JRTI, OCISLY incorporated improvements including a steel blast wall. Initially intended for West Coast operations, OCISLY's role shifted after the loss of the original JRTI in April 2015. The ship entered service in late June 2015, based in Jacksonville, Florida, before relocating to Port Canaveral later that year.

OCISLY achieved a historic first on April 8, 2016, successfully landing the first stage of the Dragon SpaceX CRS-8 mission.[13] Despite sustaining damage during the Falcon Heavy Test Flight in February 2018, the ship was repaired and continued operations.[14]

A pivotal moment arrived on May 30, 2020, when OCISLY captured the first stage of the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission, marking the return of human spaceflight from U.S. soil.[15] [16]

In 2021, OCISLY was relocated to the Port of Long Beach to support West Coast launches from Vandenberg.[17] [18] [19] [20]

Just Read the Instructions (II)

The third ASDS barge was named Just Read The Instructions, using the Marmac 303 barge hull. It was converted during 2015 in a Louisiana shipyard. When the refit as an ASDS was complete, the barge transited the Panama Canal in June 2015, carrying its wing extensions – the same ones originally built for the first ASDS built, JRTI on Marmac 330) – as cargo on the deck because the ASDS, when complete, would be too wide to pass through the canal. The ship underwent a major refit in September 2019 to May 2020, first in Louisiana, and finished at Port Canaveral, including four new, much larger, positioning thrusters.

The home port for the Marmac 303 was initially the Port of Los Angeles (until in August 2019) at the Altana Sea marine research and business campus in San Pedro, California's outer harbor.[21] The landing platform and tender vessels began docking there in July 2015 in advance of the main construction of the AltaSea facilities.[22] [23]

SpaceX announced that the Marmac 303 would be the second ASDS to be named Just Read the Instructions in January 2016, shortly before its first use as a landing platform for Falcon 9 Flight 21.[24]

On 17 January 2016, JRTI was put to first use in an attempt to recover a Falcon 9 first-stage booster from the Jason-3 mission from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4.[9] The booster successfully landed on the deck; however, a lockout collet failed to engage on one of the legs, causing the first stage to tip over, exploding on impact with the deck.[25] On 14 January 2017, SpaceX launched Falcon 9 flight 29 from Vandenberg Air Force Base and landed the first stage on the JRTI, which was located about downrange in the Pacific Ocean, making it the first successful landing in the Pacific.[26]

In August 2019, JRTI left the Port of Los Angeles to be towed to the Gulf of Mexico; it transited through the Panama Canal.[27] JRTI arrived in Morgan City, Louisiana in late August 2019 and stayed there until December 2019 then moved to Port Canaveral.[28]

JRTI is based at Port Canaveral and began operations in the Atlantic in June 2020, supporting the first time a Falcon 9 would land after a 5th use.

A Shortfall of Gravitas

A fourth ASDS, A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG), was announced in February 2018 and was originally planned to enter service in mid-2019.[29] [30] It was made by modifying Marmac 302. In October 2020, Elon Musk re-affirmed plans to build a ship of this name.[31] In January 2021, Marmac 302 was spotted at Bollinger Fourchon site.[32] On 6 April 2021, NASASpaceFlight.com spotted the Octagrabber presumed to be for A Shortfall of Gravitas at the Cidco Road facility in Cocoa Beach, Florida. It may have originated as an upgraded Octagrabber for Just Read The Instructions.[33] By mid April 2021, Marmac 302 had scaffolding to prepare for construction, which was confirmed on 9 May 2021.[34] It joined the East Coast fleet in July, after sending OCISLY[35] to the West Coast in July 2021.[32]

On 9 July 2021, Elon Musk tweeted aerial footage of the completed drone ship in the Gulf of Mexico while undergoing its first sea-trials. According to him, this drone ship will not require a tug boat to be towed to the landing area. ASOG is used to support rocket launches from a base at Port Canaveral.[36] After completing a sea trial in Port Fourchon, transiting over the Gulf of Mexico while being towed by Finn Falgout from its construction port, Port Fourchon to its recovery base, Port Canaveral, arriving at 16:47 UTC on 15 July 2021, and completing a number of sea trials, it successfully completed its first booster landing attempt for a Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1061.4 being used in CRS-23 mission at 300 km downrange in the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first ASDS to land a first stage booster in its maiden landing attempt.[37] [38] [39]

ASOG is based at Port Canaveral to support east coast recovery operations.

Characteristics

The ASDS are autonomous vessels capable of precision positioning, originally stated to be within even under storm conditions,[40] using GPS position information[41] and four diesel-powered azimuth thrusters.[42] In addition to the autonomous operating mode, the ships may also be telerobotically controlled.[4]

The azimuth thrusters are hydraulic propulsion outdrive units with modular diesel-hydraulic-drive power units manufactured by Thrustmaster, a marine equipment manufacturer in Texas. The returning first stage must not only land within the confines of the deck surface, but must also deal with ocean swells and GPS errors.

SpaceX equips the ships with a variety of sensor and measurement technology to gather data on the booster returns and landing attempts, including commercial off the shelf GoPro cameras.[43]

At the center of the ASDS landing pads is a circle that encloses the SpaceX stylized "X" in an X-marks-the-spot landing point.[44]

Names

The ASDS have names that are the same as or similar to[45] spaceships that appear in the Culture series of science fiction novels by Iain M. Banks.[36] [46]

Just Read the Instructions (Marmac 300)

The landing platform of the upper deck of the first barge named Just Read the Instructions was, while the span of the Falcon 9 v1.1 landing legs was .[47] [48]

Of Course I Still Love You (Marmac 304)

Of Course I Still Love You is registered as 1247500 was built as a refit of the barge Marmac 304 for landings in the Atlantic Ocean. Its homeport was Port Canaveral, Florida, from December 2015 to June 2021, after being ported for a year at the Port of Jacksonville during most of 2015. Of Course I Still Love You worked successfully as a landing platform after the Falcon 9 rocket brought astronauts to space on the crewed mission Demo-2 on 30 May 2020. In June 2021, OCISLY was transported to the Port of Long Beach to begin supporting launches on the west coast. On 8 July 2021, OCISLY was docked in Long Beach after transiting the Panama Canal.

Just Read the Instructions (Marmac 303)

Just Read the Instructions, the second barge with that name, is registered as 1245062 with MMSI 368219920, and was built as a refit of the barge Marmac 303 in 2015 for landings in the Pacific Ocean. Its homeport was in the Port of Los Angeles, California from 2015 to 2019[49] but in August 2019 it was moved to the Gulf of Mexico.[27] After undergoing upgrades and refurbishment, in December 2019 it was moved to Cape Canaveral.[50] After several months of additional work, including installation of new thrusters, Just Read the Instructions went back into service in June 2020 with booster recovery from Starlink v1.0 L7 mission.[51]

A Shortfall of Gravitas (Marmac 302)

The fourth ASDS, named A Shortfall of Gravitas,[52] is registered as 1240683 with MMSI 368219910 and was mentioned by SpaceX in February 2018 and again in October 2020 to help support East Coast launches.[31] In May 2021, conversion of Marmac 302 into ASOG began and was expected to move to the East Coast for operation in the following months.[53] A Shortfall of Gravitas underwent its first sea trials on 9 July 2021, and a short video of the ship underway was shared on Twitter by Elon Musk.[36] After completing the sea trials, it was towed by Finn Falgout from its construction port, Port Fourchon, to its recovery base, Port Canaveral, arriving 15 July 2021.[54] [55] [56]

Operation

A tug is used to bring the ASDS to its oceanic position, and a support ship stands by some distance away from the unmanned ASDS.[57] Following landing, technicians and engineers typically board the landing platform and secure the rocket's landing legs to lock the vehicle in place for transport back to port.[4] The first stage is secured to the deck of the drone ship with steel hold-downs welded on to the feet of the landing legs.[58] In June 2017, OCISLY started being deployed with a robot that drives under the rocket and grabs onto the hold-down clamps located on the outside of the Falcon 9's structure after landing.[59] The robot is officially called the "octagrabber".[60]

Vessel missions

The first flight test was 10 January 2015,[61] when SpaceX conducted a controlled-descent flight test to land the first stage of Falcon 9 Flight 14 after it helped to loft a contracted payload into Earth orbit.[1] [2] Before the first landing attempt, SpaceX estimated that the likelihood of a successful landing on the platform would be 50% or less.[47] [2] The landings went from being landing tests to become routine parts of missions.

Autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) Statistics

Booster landings

Mission details

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Foust . Jeff . Next Falcon 9 Launch Could See First-stage Platform Landing . 25 October 2014 . SpaceNews . 25 October 2014 . 16 March 2015 . https://archive.today/20150316020242/http://spacenews.com/42305next-falcon-9-launch-could-see-first-stage-platform-landing/ . dead.
  2. News: Bullis . Kevin . SpaceX Plans to Start Reusing Rockets Next Year . 25 October 2014 . MIT Technology Review . 26 October 2014 . 25 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141025212734/http://www.technologyreview.com/news/532066/spacex-plans-to-start-reusing-rockets-next-year/ . live .
  3. Web site: DRAFT Environmental Assessment for the Space Exploration Technologies Vertical Landing of the Falcon Vehicle and Construction at Launch Complex 13 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Florida . U.S. Air Force . 17 . October 2014 . 8 January 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150108071150/http://www.patrick.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-141107-004.pdf . 8 January 2015.
  4. News: Harwood . William . SpaceX readies rocket for station launch, barge landing . 23 December 2014 . CBS News . 16 December 2014 . A 300-foot-long barge will be used as an off-shore landing platform during launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Friday. The primary goal of the flight is to deliver critical supplies and equipment to the space station, but SpaceX hopes to land the rocket's first-stage on the barge for possible refurbishment and reuse – a key milestone in the company's push to reduce launch costs. . 18 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191218003704/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-readies-rocket-for-station-launch-barge-landing/ . live.
  5. News: Clark . Stephen . Photos: SpaceX's autonomous spaceport drone ship . 16 December 2014 . Spaceflight Now . 16 December 2014 . 23 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190423181455/https://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/16/photos-spacexs-autonomous-spaceport-drone-ship/ . live.
  6. 558665265785733120 . elonmusk . Repairs almost done on the spaceport drone ship and have given it the name "Just Read the Instructions" . 23 January 2015.
  7. 558703223909781505 . elonmusk . West Coast droneship under construction will be named "Of Course I Still Love You" . 23 January 2015.
  8. 560909571691380736 . elonmusk . Painting the name on the droneship ... . 29 January 2015.
  9. News: SpaceX Augments and Upgrades Drone Ship Armada . 18 June 2015 . NASASpaceFlight.com . 18 June 2015 . 23 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190923203945/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/06/spacex-augments-upgrades-drone-ship-armada/ . live.
  10. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/07/spacex-five-recoveries-less-two-weeks-fleet-activity/ SpaceX to attempt five recoveries in less than two weeks as fleet activity ramps up
  11. News: SpaceX Gets its Own AIS Aids to Navigation Markers . Maritime Executive . 27 June 2020 . The company's non-charted safety zones will be established from Cape Canaveral, Florida, into the Atlantic Ocean in four different areas, which will be activated individually based on the rocket's planned flight path. The safety zones are designed to keep vessels from entering the area while a launch is taking place. ... [Previously, the] periodic activations have been announced to the maritime community through the Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and Local Notice to Mariners . 27 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200627235425/https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/spacex-gets-its-own-ais-aids-to-navigation-markers . live.
  12. Web site: Just Read the Instructions - SpaceX Droneship . 2024-04-03 . space-offshore.com . en-GB.
  13. Web site: 8 April 2016 . SpaceX Rocket Makes Spectacular Landing on Drone Ship . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160420062151/http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/08/spacex-rocket-makes-spectacular-landing-on-drone-ship/ . 20 April 2016 . 10 April 2016 . National Geographic.
  14. News: 26 March 2018 . SpaceX's drone ship fleet spied prepping for future rocket recoveries . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191218003655/https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-drone-ship-fleet-spied-rocket-recovery/ . 18 December 2019 . 27 March 2018 . Teslarati.
  15. Web site: Potter . Sean . 30 May 2020 . NASA Astronauts Launch from America in Test of SpaceX Crew Dragon . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210323141953/https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronauts-launch-from-america-in-historic-test-flight-of-spacex-crew-dragon/ . 23 March 2021 . 30 May 2020 . NASA.
  16. Web site: SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 Key Launch Information . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200528140851/https://www.launch360.space/demo2 . 28 May 2020 . 30 May 2020 . Launch360.
  17. Web site: 26 April 2021 . SpaceX closes in on West Coast Starlink launches with lease for drone ship dock space . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210427090116/https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-west-coast-starlink-launches-new-port-lease/ . 27 April 2021 . 27 April 2021 . Teslarati.
  18. Web site: Ralph . Eric . 10 June 2021 . SpaceX drone ship heads to the Bahamas for its ride to California . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210611231205/https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-drone-ship-ocisly-bahamas-california/ . 11 June 2021 . 16 June 2021 . Teslarati.
  19. 1405149113201528837 . SpaceXFleet . Of Course I Still Love You droneship and MS1 have departed from Freeport and are en-route to the Panama Canal! . 16 June 2021.
  20. .
  21. Web site: Just Read the Instructions . SpaceX . 9 December 2019 . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209224053/https://www.spacexfleet.com/just-read-the-instructions . live.
  22. News: SpaceX Planning To Base Rocket, Spacecraft Retrieval at Port of Los Angeles . 18 June 2015 . CBS Los Angeles . 18 June 2015 . 19 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150619015825/http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/06/18/spacex-planning-to-base-rocket-spacecraft-retrieval-at-port-of-los-angeles/ . live.
  23. News: Groundbreaking partnership announced between SpaceX and AltaSea in San Pedro . Littlejohn . Donna . Redlands Daily Facts . 18 June 2015 . 19 June 2015 . 2 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200802102952/https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2015/06/18/groundbreaking-partnership-announced-between-spacex-altasea-in-san-pedro/ . live.
  24. News: Graham . William . SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 set for Jason-3 launch . NASASpaceFlight.com . 17 January 2016 . 17 January 2016 . For the barge that will be used, an ASDS based on the Marmac 303 barge and bearing the name Just Read the Instructions, it will be the first recovery attempt. The name "Just Read the Instructions", an homage to the literary works of Iain M. Banks, was previously borne by the first ASDS, based on the Marmac 300 barge. . 18 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160118012245/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/01/spacex-launch-jason-3/ . live.
  25. News: Pasztor . Andy . SpaceX Stumbles, as Booster Landing Fails . 19 January 2016 . The Wall Street Journal . 17 January 2016 . 19 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160119051355/http://www.wsj.com/articles/spacexstumbles-as-booster-suffers-hard-barge-landing-1453062105 . live.
  26. Web site: SpaceX returns to flight, nails rocket landing . CNN . 2017-01-14 . 14 January 2017 . 15 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170115161613/http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/14/us/spacex-falcon-9-launch/ . live.
  27. News: SpaceX sends Falcon 9's West Coast drone ship to the Panama Canal in surprise move . 6 August 2019 . 15 August 2019 . 13 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190813115633/https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-sends-falcon-9-west-coast-drone-ship-east/ . live.
  28. NextHorizonsSF . 1204496825501323266 . Just Read The Instructions arrives in @PortCanaveral! We now have 2 East Coast droneships! You can see lots of stuff on the deck, including 6 new massive thrusters for station keeping. . 10 December 2019 . 14 January 2020.
  29. News: Kelly . Emre. Elon Musk: New SpaceX drone ship, A Shortfall of Gravitas, coming to East Coast . 13 February 2018 . Florida Today . 12 February 2018 . 14 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180214063503/https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2018/02/12/elon-musk-new-spacex-drone-ship-coming-east-coast-port-canaveral/330356002/ . live.
  30. 1023073822080098304 . elonmusk . Probably ships next summer . 28 July 2018.
  31. Elon Musk on Twitter: New SpaceX droneship will be called "A Shortfall of Gravitas". .
  32. Web site: Gavalar . 2021-05-09 . Where is A Shortfall of Gravitas Droneship? . 2021-05-10 . SpaceX . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509170405/https://spacexfleet.com/where-is-a-shortfall-of-gravitas-droneship . live.
  33. Web site: Bergeron . Julie . 6 April 2021 . New permits shed light on activity at SpaceX's Cidco and Roberts Road facilities . NASASpaceFlight.com . 8 April 2021 . 7 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210407182128/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/04/new-permits-spacex-cidco-roberts/ . live.
  34. Web site: newest droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas?" . 2021-05-10 . Twitter . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509204001/https://twitter.com/SausseImages/status/1391487119936397321 . live.
  35. 1402835341816573954 . It's OCISLY departure time! After 43 successful East Coast landings, OCISLY if off to enjoy a more relaxed life on the West Coast. . SpaceXFleet . 10 June 2021.
  36. News: Elon Musk Shows Off New SpaceX Falcon 9 Autonomous Droneship -'A Shortfall Of Gravitas' . Arevalo . Evelyn . Tesmanian . 9 July 2021 . 11 July 2021 . 11 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210711114700/https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/gravitas . live .
  37. 1415733818594521088 . ElonMusk . ASOG after reaching Port Canaveral . 15 July 2021.
  38. 1430251269856366596 . GavCornwell . ASOG departs from Port Canaveral for CRS-23 Mission . 25 August 2021.
  39. Web site: 2021-08-24 . Dragon CRS-2 SpX-23 Falcon 9 Block 5 . 2021-08-25 . Everyday Astronaut . en-US . 25 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210825042141/https://everydayastronaut.com/dragon-crs-2-spx-23-falcon-9-block-5/ . live .
  40. 536262624653365248 . elonmusk . Autonomous spaceport drone ship. Thrusters repurposed from deep sea oil rigs hold position within 3m even in a storm. . 22 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141125055222/https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/536262624653365248 . 25 November 2014.
  41. News: Dean . James . SpaceX to attempt Falcon 9 booster landing on floating platform . 27 October 2014 . 24 October 2014 . 5 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150905144606/http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2014/10/24/spacex-attempt-falcon-booster-landing-floating-platform/17847817/ . live.
  42. Web site: SpaceX Announces Spaceport Barge Positioned by Thrustmaster's Thrusters . Thrustmaster . 22 November 2014 . 23 November 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141207091326/http://www.thrustmaster.net/out-drive-propulsion-unit/portable-dynamic-positioning-system/ . 7 December 2014.
  43. . Gwynne Shotwell comments at Commercial Space Transportation Conference . Commercial Spaceflight . Gwynne . Shotwell . 2:43:15–3:10:05 . 3 February 2016 . 4 February 2016 . Those are GoPro cameras by the way, unbelievable technology. We fly many of them. ... Our third attempt to land on a drone ship ... this past January ... we did stick the landing, we stuck it and then we unstuck it. ... I love these videos. I think these videos are great! You learn so much from this activity. ... for all of you curmudgeons who say that was a failure, you're totally wrong. We landed. We broke a leg. We learned a little bit. And we're going to land again. ... this is the previous version of the rocket. The landing legs weren't quite as robust ... from a previous design era. . 11 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210311150136/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cT7_iySwP8%3Ft%3D9000 . live .
  44. News: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship ready for action . 24 November 2014 . Chris Bergin . NASASpaceFlight.com . 23 January 2017 . 26 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190726082616/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/11/spacex-autonomous-spaceport-drone-ship/ . live.
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  48. News: Bergin . Chris . Pad 39A – SpaceX laying the groundwork for Falcon Heavy debut . 17 November 2014 . NASASpaceFlight.com . 18 November 2014 . 19 November 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141119183345/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/11/pad-39a-spacex-groundwork-falcon-heavy-debut/ . live.
  49. News: SpaceX rocket docks at San Pedro home port after successful mission . 17 January 2017 . Dailynews.com . 31 January 2017 . 3 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170203173912/http://www.dailynews.com/science/20170117/spacex-rocket-docks-at-san-pedro-home-port-after-successful-mission . live.
  50. Web site: Baylor . Michael . 2019-12-11 . SpaceX's Just Read the Instructions droneship arrives in Florida following upgrades . 2023-09-13 . NASASpaceFlight.com . en-US.
  51. Web site: Fletcher . Colin . 2020-06-03 . SpaceX Launches Eighth Starlink Mission, Read The Instructions With East Coast Droneship Debut . 2023-09-14 . NASASpaceFlight.com . en-US.
  52. Web site: Elon Musk on Twitter: "New SpaceX droneship will be called "A Shortfall of Gravitas"" / Twitter . 2020-10-05 . Twitter . 4 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201004174526/https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1312760295228547073 . live.
  53. Web site: Gavalar . 2021-05-09 . Where is A Shortfall of Gravitas Droneship? . 2021-05-10 . SpaceXFleet.com . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509170405/https://spacexfleet.com/where-is-a-shortfall-of-gravitas-droneship . live.
  54. 1414710919947509765 . GavinCornwell . ASOG going to Port Canaveral . 13 July 2021.
  55. 1414731897641476097 . HarryStranger . ASOG spotted being towed, enroute to Port Canaveral . 13 July 2021.
  56. Web site: ASOG towed to its recovery operations base, Port Canaveral . Marine Traffic . 13 July 2021 . 13 July 2021 . live . 13 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210713070416/https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:451328/mmsi:367586250/imo:7390765/vessel:FINN_FALGOUT.
  57. Web site: SpaceX Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Sets Sail for Tuesday's CRS-5 Rocket Landing Attempt . America Space . 4 April 2015 . 20 December 2017 . 4 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180104080759/http://www.americaspace.com/2015/01/04/spacex-autonomous-spaceport-drone-ship-sets-sail-for-tuesdays-crs-5-rocket-landing-attempt/ . live.
  58. Web site: Falcon 9 first stage sails into Port Canaveral atop ASDS – ahead of big plans . NASASpaceFlight.com . Chris . Bergin . 12 April 2016 . 16 January 2017 . 9 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201209023945/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/04/falcon-9-first-stage-port-canaveral-asds-big-plans/ . live.
  59. 29 June 2017 SpaceX debuts 'Optimus Prime' Robot, successfully recovers Falcon 9 1029 for the second time. . Teslarati.
  60. Web site: Facebook . 2024-05-29 . www.facebook.com.
  61. News: Bergin . Chris . SpaceX confirms CRS-5 launch slip to 6 January . 18 December 2014 . NASASpaceFlight.com . 17 December 2014 . 21 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190621095326/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/12/spacex-static-fire-falcon-9-crs-5/ . live.
  62. News: Clark. Stephen. Dragon successfully launched, rocket recovery demo crash lands. 10 January 2015. Spaceflight Now. 10 January 2015. 19 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150619130036/http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/01/10/dragon-successfully-launched-rocket-recovery-demo-crash-lands/. live.
    • 553855109114101760. elonmusk. Rocket made it to drone spaceport ship, but landed hard. Close, but no cigar this time. Bodes well for the future tho.. 10 January 2015.
    • 553856479590359040. elonmusk. Ship itself is fine. Some of the support equipment on the deck will need to be replaced.... 10 January 2015.
    • 553857574005915648. elonmusk. Didn't get good landing/impact video. Pitch dark and foggy. Will piece it together from telemetry and ... actual pieces.. 10 January 2015.
  64. 565659578915115011. elonmusk. Rocket soft landed in the ocean within 10m of target & nicely vertical! High probability of good droneship landing in non-stormy weather.. 11 February 2015.
  65. 588076749562318849. elonmusk. Ascent successful. Dragon enroute to Space Station. Rocket landed on droneship, but too hard for survival.. 14 April 2015.
  66. 588082574183903232 . elonmusk. Looks like Falcon landed fine, but excess lateral velocity caused it to tip over post landing. 14 April 2015.
  67. News: Harwood. William. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket destroyed in launch mishap. 28 June 2015. CBS News. 28 June 2015. 13 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200913220839/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-destroyed-in-launch-mishap/. live.
  68. http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/spacex-plans-drone-ship-rocket-landing-jan-17-launch-n492471 "SpaceX Plans Drone Ship Rocket Landing for Jan. 17 Launch"
  69. 17 January 2016. Jason-3 Hosted Webcast. 17 January 2016. 1:06:30 (25:20 after lift-off). SpaceX. 25 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190725051908/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivdKRJzl6y0. live.
  70. 688799901463883776. SpaceX. First stage on target at droneship but looks like hard landing; broke landing leg. Primary mission remains nominal → http://spacex.com/webcast. 17 January 2016.
  71. 688816554306191360. elonmusk. However, that was not what prevented it being good. Touchdown speed was ok, but a leg lockout didn't latch, so it tipped over after landing.. 17 January 2016.
  72. News: Boyle. Alan. SpaceX rocket launches satellite, but tips over during sea landing attempt. Geek Wire. 17 January 2016. 18 January 2016. 30 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160130022126/http://www.geekwire.com/2016/spacex-launches-jason-3-satellite-then-tries-landing-falcon-9-rocket-at-sea/. live.
  73. News: SpaceX: ice buildup may have led rocket to tip over. https://archive.today/20160310153839/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/latest-spacex-ice-buildup-may-have-led-rocket-to-tip-over/2016/01/18/ccecea90-bdb2-11e5-98c8-7fab78677d51_story.html. dead. 10 March 2016. The Washington Post. 18 January 2016. 18 January 2016. Musk tweeted that the lockout collet on one of the rocket's four legs didn't latch, causing it to tip over after landing. He said the "root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff"..
  74. elonmusk. 705917924972736512. Elon Musk. 5 March 2016. Rocket landed hard on the drone ship. Didn't expect this one to work (v hot reentry), but next flight has a good chance..
  75. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5bybH72JPo ASDS March 21, 2016 (OCISLY)
  76. Web site: Watch SpaceX achieve first-ever sea landing of reusable rocket. Los Angeles Times. 7 April 2016. 14 April 2016. 10 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200910042024/https://graphics.latimes.com/videochat-spacex-launch-040716/. live.
  77. News: Chris. Bergin. Falcon 9 first stage sails into Port Canaveral atop ASDS – ahead of big plans. NASASpaceFlight.com. 12 April 2016. 13 April 2016. 9 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201209023945/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/04/falcon-9-first-stage-port-canaveral-asds-big-plans/. live.
  78. https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/6/11599196/spacex-launch-landing-success-falcon-9-rocket-elon-musk SpaceX successfully lands its Falcon 9 rocket on a floating drone ship again
  79. http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2016/05/27/spacex-launches-falcon9-rocket-lands-first-stage-atlantic-ocean-drone-ship-thaicom8/85051798/ SpaceX lands fourth booster after successful Falcon 9 launch
  80. https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/06/15/falcon-9-flight-26-mission-status-center/ Live coverage: Pioneering telecom satellites launching today on Falcon 9
  81. 743096769001578498. elonmusk. Ascent phase & satellites look good, but booster rocket had a RUD on droneship . 15 June 2016.
  82. News: Falcon 9 rocket launches Japanese satellite, then nails bullseye landing. Spaceflight Now. Stephen. Clark. 14 August 2016. 14 August 2016. 8 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108095855/https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/08/14/falcon-9-rocket-launches-japanese-satellite-then-nails-bullseye-landing/. live.
  83. 820330549529047040. SpaceX. First stage has landed on Just Read the Instructions. 14 January 2017.
  84. Web site: SpaceX returns to flight, nails rocket landing. Azadeh Ansari and Jackie Wattles. CNN. 14 January 2017. 14 January 2017. 28 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210128163019/https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/14/us/spacex-falcon-9-launch/index.html. live.
  85. Web site: Space X News Conference. SpaceX. 6 February 2018. youtube.com. en. 6 February 2018. 5 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181205061934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KORTP545vAc#t=52m32s. live.
  86. Web site: SpaceX Falcon 9 : Hispasat 30W-6 (1F) : March 6, 2018 - UPDATES . 2022-06-18 . forum.nasaspaceflight.com . 18 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220618180015/https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44695.msg1791285#msg1791285 . live .
  87. Web site: SpaceX Falcon 9 : Hispasat 30W-6 (1F) : March 6, 2018 - UPDATES . 2022-06-18 . forum.nasaspaceflight.com . 26 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220726170933/https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44695.msg1794652#msg1794652 . live .
  88. Web site: Hispasat 30W-6. SpaceX. 5 March 2018. youtube.com. en. 3 April 2018. 4 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180404073322/http://www.spacex.com/news/2018/03/05/hispasat-30w-6-mission. live.
  89. Web site: SpaceX rocket test-fired at Cape Canaveral for NASA telescope launch. 11 April 2018. 14 April 2018. 20 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190520001731/https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/11/spacex-rocket-test-fired-at-cape-canaveral-for-nasa-telescope-launch/. live.
  90. Web site: Prelaunch Preview – SpaceX Demonstration Mission 1. 28 February 2019. Everyday Astronaut. en-US. 2 March 2019. 23 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201223005519/https://everydayastronaut.com/prelaunch-preview-spacex-demonstration-mission-1/. dead.
  91. Web site: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches Arabsat-6A . 11 April 2019 . 11 April 2019 . 12 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190412004843/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/04/spacex-falcon-heavy-second-launch-arabsat-6a/ . live .
  92. Web site: SpaceX's Center Core Booster for Falcon Heavy Rocket Is Lost at Sea. Space.com. 15 April 2019. 16 April 2019. 27 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210127174704/https://www.space.com/spacex-loses-falcon-heavy-core-booster-at-sea.html. live.
  93. Web site: SpaceX likely to move next rocket landing to drone ship. Stephen Clark. Spaceflight Now. 23 April 2019. 5 May 2019. 5 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210405124045/https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/23/spacex-likely-to-move-next-rocket-landing-to-drone-ship/. live.
  94. Web site: SpaceX scrubs Cargo Dragon, Falcon 9 launch due to drone ship power issue. Ralph. Eric. 3 May 2019. TESLARATI. en-US. 9 May 2019. 20 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210120225228/https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-cargo-dragon-launch-scrub-crs-17/. live.
  95. Web site: SpaceX's first 60 Starlink broadband satellites deployed in orbit – Spaceflight Now. Stephen. Clark. 25 May 2019. 2 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210402230928/https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/24/spacexs-first-60-starlink-broadband-satellites-deployed-in-orbit/. live.
  96. Web site: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explains why Falcon Heavy's center core missed the drone ship . Ralph . Eric . 26 June 2019 . TESLARATI . en-US . 26 June 2019 . 12 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201212123010/https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-ceo-elon-musk-explains-falcon-heavy-missed-landing/ . live .
  97. Falcon 9 first stage has landed on the of Course I Still Love You droneship – the fourth launch and landing of this booster. SpaceX. 1193907618575552514. 11 November 2019. 11 November 2019. 6 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210406054111/https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1193907618575552514. live.
  98. Web site: Falcon 9 launches Dragon cargo spacecraft to ISS . 5 December 2019 . 5 December 2019 . 1 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032055/https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-dragon-cargo-spacecraft-to-iss-2/ . live .
  99. Web site: SpaceX nails Falcon 9 landing as fairing halves begin journey back to Earth . 16 December 2019 . 17 December 2019 . 26 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201026095724/https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-9-landing-fairing-halves-journey-to-earth/ . live .
  100. Web site: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don't disrupt astronomy. 7 December 2019. 10 December 2019. 2 January 2020. https://archive.today/20200102000114/https://spacenews.com/spacex-working-on-fix-for-starlink-satellites-so-they-dont-disrupt-astronomy/. live.
  101. Web site: SpaceX successfully launched its fourth batch of Starlink satellites into orbit and nailed a rocket landing following days of weather delays for the mission. . . 29 January 2020 . 29 January 2020 . 9 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210309040112/https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-3-satellites-launch-rocket-landing-success.html . live .
  102. Web site: SpaceX successfully conducts fifth Starlink launch - booster misses drone ship. 17 February 2020. 20 February 2020. 30 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201230233558/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/02/spacex-falcon-reusability-record-fifth-starlink-launch/. live.
  103. Hans: Last launch had a landing failure due to the winds that the booster encountered not being as predicted. Therefore, the booster decided to divert to a water landing to protect the droneship. . 1236040847575134209 . nextspaceflight . 28 February 2021 . en.
  104. Falcon 9 out of family data during engine power check. Twitter.com. SpaceX. 1239182848076075009. 15 March 2020. 24 April 2020. 5 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182549/https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1239182848076075009. live.
  105. Isopropyl alcohol trapped in sensor dead leg. Twitter.com. elonmusk. 1252985622219960327. 22 April 2020. 24 April 2020. 28 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200828050424/https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1252985622219960327. live.
  106. Web site: 21 April 2020. Starlink 6 Falcon 9 Block 5 Prelaunch Preview. 13 August 2020. Everyday Astronaut. en-US. 23 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210423091335/https://everydayastronaut.com/starlink-6-falcon-9-block-5/. live.
  107. Web site: June 2020. Mike Wall 03. SpaceX rocket returns to shore after historic astronaut launch (photos). 4 June 2020. Space.com. 3 June 2020. en. 8 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210308170058/https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-returns-shore-after-astronaut-launch.html. live.
  108. Web site: 3 June 2020. SpaceX Launches Eighth Starlink Mission, Read The Instructions With East Coast Droneship Debut. 4 June 2020. NASASpaceFlight.com. en-US. 9 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201209174340/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/06/spacex-launch-eighth-starlink-jrti-debut/. live.
  109. Web site: 13 June 2020. SpaceX launches first Starlink rideshare mission with Planet Labs. NASASpaceFlight.com. en-US. 18 June 2020. 22 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422033546/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/06/spacex-launch-first-starlink-rideshare-planet-labs/. live.
  110. Web site: 30 June 2020. SpaceX launches third GPS Block III satellite. 13 August 2020. NASASpaceFlight.com. en-US. 24 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210324040452/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/06/spacex-launch-third-gps-block-iii-satellite/. live.
  111. Web site: 20 July 2020. SpaceX Launches ANASIS-II Military Communications Satellite for South Korea. 13 August 2020. NASASpaceFlight.com. en-US. 22 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422142025/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/07/spacex-launch-anasis-satellite-korea/. live.
  112. Web site: 6 August 2020. SpaceX successfully conducts Starlink v1.0 L9 launch. 13 August 2020. NASASpaceFlight.com. en-US. 21 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421084721/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/08/spacex-launch-starlink-v1-0-l9-mission/. live.
  113. Web site: 18 August 2020. SpaceX Breaks Record with Booster's Sixth Flight. 20 August 2020. NASASpaceFlight.com. en-US. 10 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201110074909/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/08/spacex-break-record-sixth-flight/. live.
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  115. Web site: 5 October 2020 . SpaceX launches Starlink v1.0 Launch 12 . 7 October 2020 . NASASpaceFlight.com . en-US . 4 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201004143258/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/10/spacex-twelfth-launch-starlink-v1-0/ . live .
  116. Web site: 16 February 2021. SpaceX Starlink Mission L19 Launch. 16 February 2021. YouTube. 16 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210216050327/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0dkyV09Zso. live.
  117. Web site: Clark . Stephen . Globalstar spare satellite to launch on SpaceX rocket this month . SpaceflightNow . 7 June 2022 . 7 June 2022 . 7 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220607164408/https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/06/07/globalstar-spare-satellite-to-launch-on-spacex-rocket-this-month/ . live .
  118. 1538960051414646796. planet4589 . . Space-Track confirms the presence of four secret payloads on the Globalstar Falcon 9 launch - USA 328 to USA 331, catalog 52889 to 52892, orbital data not available. One piece of debris, probably a Starlink-style tension rod? . 20 June 2022.
  119. 1539044005564100609 . cgbassa . SThe four classified satellites launched together with Globalstar FM15 on a Falcon 9 rocket yesterday have been detected in a ~535 km orbit at 53 deg inclination. . 21 June 2022.

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