NROL-108

Rocket

Falcon 9 Block 5 – SpaceX

• Family: Falcon
• Length: 70 m
• Diameter: 3.65 m
• Launch Mass: 549 T
• Low Earth Orbit Capacity: 22800 kg

The Falcon 9 Block 5 was manufactured by SpaceX with the first launch on 2018-05-11. Falcon 9 Block 5 has 157 successful launches and 0 failed launches with a total of 157 launches. Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

Core Landing

B1059 has successfully landed back at LZ-1 after its fifth launch.

Landing Zone 1 – LZ-1

LZ-1 Pad located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at the previous LC-13

Return to Launch Site – RTLS

A return to launch site usually means that after stage separation the booster flips and does a burn back towards the launch site, landing near where it initially launched from.

Agency

SpaceX – SpX

• Type: Commercial
• Abbreviation: SpX
• Administration: CEO: Elon Musk
• Founded: 2002
• Launchers: Falcon | Starship
• Spacecraft: Dragon
• Country: USA

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.