Falcon 9 launched Transporter-5, SpaceX’s fifth dedicated smallsat ridesharing program mission, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday, May 25 at 2:35 p.m. ET.
This was the Falcon 9 stage booster’s seventh launch and landing, having previously assisted the launch of Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, and one Starlink mission, as well as Transporter-4. SpaceX landed Falcon 9’s first phase on Base Area 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after stage separation. 59 spacecraft, including CubeSats, microsats, non-deploying hosted payloads, and orbital transfer vehicles, were on board this voyage.
The “Ascension Flight” was the name given to the Celestis memorial spaceflight mission, which honored 47 persons from five different countries. Musk’s photo is the clearest depiction of the rocket’s real size yet.
Falcon 9 Stands At A Towering 50m
Celestis flew for the 18th time in a commemorative spaceflight as part of SpaceX’s 22nd mission of the year. 59 spacecraft were launched into orbit as part of the Transporter-5 mission, comprising CubeSats, microsats, non-deploying hosted payloads, and orbital transfer vehicles. In a statement, Celestis CEO and co-founder Charles Chafer said that the cremated remains would be affixed to a satellite, which would circle the Earth for at least a decade.
Family members have also been given a tracking gadget to help them find their loved ones’ remains in space. The satellites would be deactivated after 10 years, and their remains would burn up upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Celestis had even prepared a three-day commemoration in Florida‘s Brevard county leading up to the launch, which saw roughly 160 people gather.
Michael Dufton, whose mother worked for NASA roughly 60 years ago, was one of the buyers of space in Celestis. “She was invited to take part in it, and one of her life’s greatest regrets was that she never got to travel to space.” The cost of releasing the remains starts at $2,500, according to the business, which was founded by Charles Chafer in 1994.
