Elon Musk Shares Dramatic Video of Falcon 9 Rocket's Death Dive
The Starlink satellite view gives a wild perspective on the rocket's last moves.
This image from an earlier launch shows Starlink satellites being delivered to orbit.
SpaceX is launching so many Falcon 9 rocket missions, they're practically routine at this point: "Oh look, another Falcon 9 launch. What's for lunch?" But sometimes we get a new perspective on a mission that renews my excitement for rockets. On Thursday, SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted a remarkable look at a Falcon 9 second-stage deorbit burn.
Video pic.twitter.com/9gUJv2V143
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2022
It's not the highest-resolution view you'll ever see, but what's notable about the image and video is that they came from the point of view of a Starlink satellite. It's easier to spot the action in the video clip. Look past the string of satellites floating in space and watch for a small white object near the upper right corner. At first, it appears to float there, then it shoots away toward the right like a bat out of hell.
Here's what's happening. The Falcon 9 -- SpaceX's workhorse rocket, responsible for launching both satellites and astronauts -- uses two stages. The first handles the heavy lifting of takeoff and then brings itself back down to Earth for reuse. The second stage handles the delivery of the payload to orbit. The second stage is ultimately doomed to burn up in Earth's atmosphere. The deorbit burn puts it in position to safely dispose of itself.
SpaceX has been pumping Starlinks into orbit to build a global broadband network. The satellites have been a source of controversy for how they can appear as unwanted streaks of light in astronomical observations.
Musk's video also leads to questions about the camera capabilities of Starlink. I reached out to SpaceX to inquire about Starlink cameras, how many of the satellites might be equipped with them and what the main purpose is. I'll update if I hear back.