News Archive / Tagged: Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship

• ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ arrives in Port Canaveral

  Theresa CrossJuly 18th, 2021

  On July 15, SpaceX’s newest drone ship, “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” made its way into Port Canaveral on Florida’s Space Coast.

• ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ added to SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet

  Theresa CrossJuly 12th, 2021

  SpaceX is adding a third autonomous spaceport drone ship to its fleet. "A Shortfall of Gravitas" has left Port Fourchon, Louisiana, to begin sea trials before heading to the Space Coast.

• Processing of Starlink 2 booster underway, following return to Port Canaveral

  Theresa CrossJanuary 11th, 2020

  SpaceX's B1049.4 returned to Port Canaveral January 9, 2020 after the completion of its fourth flown mission delivering the third set of Starlink satellites into low-Earth-orbit (LEO). This is Spacex’s first launch supported by the newly-created U.S. Space Force and its forty-eighth successful booster recovery.

• Gallery: SSO-A soars in historic flight

  Jason RhianDecember 6th, 2018

  LOMPOC, Calif. -- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (with a first stage on its third mission) lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 4E in California on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The mission got underway at 10:34 a.m. PST and saw some 64 small satellites delivered to orbit. About eight minutes after lifting off, the Falcon 9's first stage carried out its third controlled landing on the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship located out in the Pacific. 

• Gallery: Telstar 18v Falcon 9 leaves Canaveral through skies, returns via the sea

  Jason RhianSeptember 12th, 2018

  Another day another launch - and landing. SpaceFlight Insider's team of photographers captured exclusive imagery of the first stage of the Falcon 9's journey.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage arrives in Port Canaveral

  Jim SharkeyAugust 20th, 2016

  The first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that successfully launched the Japanese JCSAT-16 satellite into orbit on Aug. 14 was brought into Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Aug. 18 aboard the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) Of Course I Still Love You.

• SpaceX launches JCSAT-16, lands Falcon 9 first stage

  Derek RichardsonAugust 14th, 2016

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Night briefly turned into day as SpaceX’s Falcon 9, carrying the Japanese JCSAT-16 satellite, leapt off the pad for the black of space. The launch took place at 1:26 a.m. EDT (05:26 GMT) Aug. 14 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in Florida.

• After hard landing, Falcon 9 first stage back at Port Canaveral

  Derek RichardsonJune 2nd, 2016

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — For the third time, a SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage returned to Port Canaveral via a drone ship after launching toward the heavens from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) five days prior. The booster landed at sea some 400 miles (644 kilometers) downrange less than 10 minutes after liftoff.

• JCSAT-14 Falcon 9 first stage returns to Port Canaveral

  Derek RichardsonMay 10th, 2016

  The SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage that rocketed skyward last Friday, and successfully landed on SpaceX’s drone ship some 400 miles off-shore, has arrived back at Port Canaveral. The booster and ship, accompanied by tugboats, pulled into the port just before 11 p.m. EDT Monday night (03:00 GMT Tuesday morning).

• Space community waits for return of OCISLY with SpaceX’s CRS-8 Falcon 9

  Jason RhianApril 11th, 2016

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Ever since SpaceX carried out the first completely successful landing of its Falcon 9 FT rocket's first stage on the "Of Course I Still Love You" ASDS positioned out in the Atlantic Ocean, the space community and the public have been waiting for the triumphant return to port of the unique vehicle.