Recovered Payload Fairing from SpaceX Telstar launch Sails into Port Canaveral, Booster on the Way

Ocean recovered piece of spent and mangled payload fairing from SpaceX Telstar 19V launch from Cape Canaveral on July 22, sails into Port Canaveral, FL, resting exposed on top of GO Pursuit vessel two days later on July 24, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Ken Kremer  --   SpaceUpClose.com  --   24 July 2018

PORT CANAVERAL, FL –  A large broken off mangled piece of the payload fairing that successfully did its job protecting the Telstar 19v telecomsat from aerodynamic forces on the ascent to orbit after launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9, sailed into Port Canaveral this afternoon, Tuesday, July 24, barely two days after Sundays (July 22) blastoff from Cape Canaveral.

And not far behind is the intact and upright landed recovered first stage booster from the July 22 liftoff - that’s likewise on the way and could arrive into Port as soon as sometime Wednesday. 

Check out our Space Upclose image gallery snapped today from various angles around the Port after the fairing portion berthed right next to where the recovered first stage boosters have always docked.

Ocean recovered piece of spent and mangled payload fairing from SpaceX Telstar 19V launch from Cape Canaveral on July 22, sails into Port Canaveral, FL, resting exposed on top of GO Pursuit vessel two days later on July 24, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The fairing was not covered by tarps this time, unlike prior occasions, making for eyepopping viewing.

Ocean recovered piece of spent and mangled payload fairing from SpaceX Telstar 19V launch from Cape Canaveral on July 22, sails into Port Canaveral, FL, resting exposed on top of GO Pursuit vessel two days later on July 24, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

What looks to be roughly half of one of the two payload fairing halves sailed into Port Canaveral around 3 p.m. EDT today – seen exposed on the deck of the GO Pursuit vessel leased by SpaceX to find and retrieve it from the ocean and haul it back to land.

Although not surprisingly it was smashed in half after crashing into the Atlantic Ocean, the mangled and muddied  fairing remains were nonetheless an amazing sight to see.

The fairing slice was undoubtedly further damaged by the corrosive effects of the sea water and waves.

That’s given the fact that SpaceX is not trying to recover the fairings launched from the US East Coast with the recently upgraded “Mr.Steven” boat catcher as the firm is doing with US West Coast launches.  

Ocean recovered piece of spent and mangled payload fairing from SpaceX Telstar 19V launch from Cape Canaveral on July 22, sails into Port Canaveral, FL, resting exposed on top of GO Pursuit vessel two days later on July 24, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

At a media telecon earlier this year SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his engineers are working hard to recover the fairings. They cost about $6 million or roughly 10 percent the cost the Falcon 9 rocket.

Musk hopes his innovative team can successfully recover and recycle the fairing – just as they have done over two dozen times with the first stage booster.

Ocean recovered piece of spent and mangled payload fairing from SpaceX Telstar 19V launch from Cape Canaveral on July 22, sails into Port Canaveral, FL, resting exposed on top of GO Pursuit vessel two days later on July 24, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The adventure began with the magnificent post-midnight liftoff of the massive 7.8 ton Telstar 19 VANTAGE (or Telstar 19v) Canadian commercial telecommunications satellite atop the upgraded Falcon 9 taking place right at the opening of the lengthy launch window at 1:50 a.m. EDT (0550 GMT) Sunday, July 22 from seaside Space launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. 

Streak Shot! Beefed Up SpaceX Falcon 9 blazes trail to geostationary orbit carrying massive Telstar 19 VANTAGE telecom satellite after launch at 1:50 a.m. EDT, July 22, 2018 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL – seen in this long duration exposure photo taken as the rocket soars over the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville, Fl.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Satellites are encapsulated inside payload fairings to protect them from destructive aerodynamic forces and frictional heating as the rocket accelerates through the Earth’s atmosphere on the way to orbit.

Prior to launch the fairing is pristine and pretty – check out my Space UpClose prelaunch photos captured at pad 40 on Sunday afternoon.

Up Close view of nose cone encapsulating Telstar 19 VANTAGE comsat bolted atop SpaceX upgraded Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex-40 slated for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on July 22, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

They are jettisoned after the rocket rises high enough to escape the damaging impact of the atmosphere.

In this case, the bisector payload fairing was jettisoned 3 minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff from pad 40. 

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of Telstar 19v telecomsat from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 1:50 a.m. EDT, July 22, 2018 – in this remote camera view from pad40.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The newly built two stage 229-foot tall (70-meter) SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivered the Telstar 19 VANTAGE comsat to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) for  Telesat, one of the world’s leading commercial satellite operators.

Beautiful sunset view of raised Falcon 9 upgraded Block 5 rocket at Space Launch Complex-40 for SpaceX middle of the night 1:50 AM ET launch of massive Telstar 19 VANTAGE comsat from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station targeted for July 22, 2018.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Note that SpaceX will attempt to catch the fairing following Wednesday’s launch from Vandenberg AFB of the next batch of ten Iridium NEXT satellites. 

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com