SpaceX Recovered Falcon 9 Craned off Droneship, Landing Legs Detached not Retracted: Photos

Recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster is craned off the ocean going OCISLY droneship platform on Nov. 20, 2018 onto mounting cradle on land at Port Canaveral, FL, using Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device (BLLRD).  The nine Merlin 1D first stage engines are clearly visible at the booster base glistening in the sun. It was towed into port Nov. 19 after successful soft landing following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Ken Kremer  --SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM --20 November 2018

PORT CANAVERAL, FL –  After the recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster from the Es’hail-2 comsat launch and landing sailed back into Port Canaveral atop the OCISLY droneship on Monday, Nov. 19, and docked at the north side of the channel later in the day, work crews ended their work for the day, and decided to resume efforts early Tuesday, Nov. 20, to crane the twice used rocket off the ship from sea to terra firma. 

Given the midday Monday arrival time, the work crews apparently had insufficient time to proceed further with the spent rocket - standing upright and clamped firmly in place on the ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ (OCISLY) drone ship platform.

Ultimately the four landing legs were all detached with no effort directed to retraction.

So bright and early Tuesday morning, Nov. 20, they proceeded to pick up where they left off and started by attaching the high tech hoisting cap device.

We informally call the square-shaped cage-like hoisting device the ‘Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device’ or BLLRD.

Check out my Space UpClose gallery of eyewitness photos detailing the craning of the booster from OCISLY to the work cradle mounting platform on land - located a short distance away and estimated at perhaps 200 feet (60 m) or so. 

Click back for more photos as the gallery grows. 

Recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster is craned off the ocean going OCISLY droneship platform on Nov. 20, 2018 onto mounting cradle on land at Port Canaveral, FL, using Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device (BLLRD) – as pelicans watch and fly in foreground.  It was towed into port Nov. 19 after soft landing following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The now twice ‘flight-proven’ and twice ‘ocean-landed’ 1^st stage booster was towed into Port Canaveral channel around 12:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) Nov. 19, 2018.  

SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster sails back into Port Canaveral, FL on Nov. 19, 2018 towed to dockside berthing port by SpaceX Naval fleet atop the ocean going OCISLY droneship platform upon which it landed – after launching Es’hail-2 comsat on Nov. 15 from Launch Complex-39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The 156 foot tall Falcon 9 first stage was standing virtually perfectly upright on the OCISLY drone ship platform upon which it successfully soft landed propulsively at sea -  with all four landing legs fully deployed.  

Recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster is craned off the ocean going OCISLY droneship platform on Nov. 20, 2018 onto mounting cradle on land at Port Canaveral, FL, using Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device (BLLRD).  The nine Merlin 1D first stage engines are clearly visible at the booster base glistening in the sun. It was towed into port Nov. 19 after successful soft landing following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

OCISLY was prepositioned some 400 miles (640 km) off shore in the Atlantic Ocean a few days prior to the scheduled liftoff.

Recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster is craned off OCISLY droneship platform on Nov. 20, 2018 onto mounting cradle on land at Port Canaveral, FL, using Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device (BLLRD) – as pelicans watch in foreground.  It was towed into port Nov. 19 after landing following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from LC 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The first step Tuesday for the technicians was to install the BLLRD on top of the 15-story-tall booster standing atop the ship. 

The square-shaped cage-like BLLRD apparatus was noticeably different Tuesday from its prior incarnation and use on the recovered Telstar 18v booster in September.

Recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster is craned off the ocean going OCISLY droneship platform on Nov. 20, 2018 onto mounting cradle on land at Port Canaveral, FL, using Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device (BLLRD).  The nine Merlin 1D first stage engines are clearly visible at the booster base glistening in the sun. It was towed into port Nov. 19 after successful soft landing following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The BLLRD was rather stripped down – a good indication that the SpaceX engineers decided to simply dissect off all 4 legs from the start rather than try and retract them experimentally like for Telstar 18v  - as CEO Elon Musk said was the ultimate goal to enable quick launch turnaround in as little as 24 hours for the Block 5 version of Falcon 9. 

UpClose view of simplified square shaped cage-like shaped hoisting cap informally dubbed Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device (BLLRD) attached to top of recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 1^st stage. It’s used to crane off the booster from OCISLY droneship onto mounting cradle on land at Port Canaveral, FL. Noticeably absent were the pullies and cables used to retract the landing legs. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Noticeably absent were the pullies, cables and stabilizers installed on the square shaped cage - which still held the circular hoisting cap, and can be operated remotely. The BLLRD was raised into place by the crane operator around 8 a.m. ET Tuesday and mounted firmly.

It is also apparently powered by a trio of solar panels – seen in side views.  

Thus far the cables have been used in experimental efforts to retract the landing legs.

In the end, the technicians made no attempt at all to retract the legs. That will have to wait for a future recovered Falcon 9 sometime in 2019.

UpClose view of recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 1^st stage and Merlin 1D engines with octograbber, chains and cabling installed to restrain rocket atop deck of OCISLY droneship docked at Port Canaveral after Nov. 19, 2018 arrival from ocean landing. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Next they unclamped the octograbber and detached all the restraining chains holding the rocket legs firmly onto the deck of OCISLY. 

UpClose view of recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 1^st stage and Merlin 1D engines after technicians remove octograbber, chains and cabling installed to restrain rocket atop deck of OCISLY droneship docked at Port Canaveral after Nov. 19, 2018 arrival from ocean landing. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The crane operator and technicians then began hoisting the Falcon 9 first stage booster off OCISLY in a choreographed operation that began around 11:35 a.m. ET Nov. 20. Overall it and took about 20 min until being completed around 11:55 a.m. ET.

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose

Recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster is craned off OCISLY droneship platform on Nov. 20, 2018 onto mounting cradle on land at Port Canaveral, FL, using Booster Lift/Leg Retraction Device (BLLRD) – as pelicans watch in foreground.  It was towed into port Nov. 19 after landing following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from LC 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose

After lifting the booster, the crane operator swung the crane around to the back and moved the booster a short distance to a cradle mounting platform onshore a short distance away that holds the booster firmly in place for leg detachment or retraction.

As has been their habit all along, the work team mounted the platform mounting cradle to monitor the booster placement as it was lowered into place the last 6 feet or so.  

The technicians then prepared the booster core and four landing legs for disassembly and detachment by a process that looks quite like an insect dissection. 

All 4 landing legs were dissembled and detached and not retracted from the recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 1^st stage that sailed atop the OCISLY droneship into Port Canaveral on Nov. 19, 2018 following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from LC 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The team methodically removes the landing struts and then separately the landing pads in an operation accomplished at days end after nightfall – in this instance.

Historically it takes the workers roughly 2 to 3 hours crews for unbolting, detaching and dissecting off all 4 landing struts and all 4 landing pads. 

Landing leg retraction was touted by SpaceX CEO and billionaire founder Elon Musk as a key improvement milestone toward the goal of achieving far faster turnaround of ‘Flight-Proven’ first stages for the significantly improved Block 5 version Falcon 9 vs. the older and now retired Block 4 first stages. 

In fact Musk said he aims for his SpaceX team to launch, land and relaunch the same booster within a 24 hour period.

All 4 landing legs were dissembled and detached and not retracted from the recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 1^st stage that sailed atop the OCISLY droneship into Port Canaveral on Nov. 19, 2018 following Es’hail 2 comsat launch Nov. 15 from LC 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL- Dramatically backdropped by NASA’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 carrying the six ton Es’hail-2 telecommunications satellite at 3:46 p.m. EST (2046 GMT) Thursday, Nov. 15, from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This marked the first daytime launch since May from Florida’s spaceport.

This reused booster was previously used to launch the Telstar 19V telecomsat on July 22, 2018 for Canadian-based Telesat. 

The 229-foot-tall (70 meters) Falcon 9 successfully delivered the Es’hail 2 satellite for Qatar to its intended geostationary transfer orbit. Subsequently the satellite will be raised to geostationary orbit circling Earth 22,500 miles (36,000 kilometers) over the equator.

The precision guided rocket assisted soft landing of the 156 foot tall booster on OCISLY took place just over eight minutes after launch from KSC. All 4 landing legs successfully deployed in the last seconds. 

Manmade and Natural wonders:  Oceanside view of SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster arrival back into Port Canaveral, FL on Nov. 19, 2018 reflecting in ocean waters with crashing waves, egrets and water fowl watching by Jetty Park Pier.  Guided by SpaceX Naval fleet atop the ocean going OCISLY droneship platform upon which it landed after launching Es’hail-2 comsat on Nov. 15 from Launch Complex-39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

This landing counts as the 31st successful landing overall and the 18^th by sea. 

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

SpaceX’s next launch from Florida is slated for no earlier than Dec. 4 on the Dragon CRS-16 cargo resupply mission for NASA to the International Space Station (ISS).

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman 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

Dr. Kremer is a research scientist, journalist and photographer based in the KSC area.

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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events