View source for Falcon 9 B1046

{{short description|Falcon 9 first stage booster}}
{{Redirect|B1046|the British road|B1046 road}}
{{Infobox individual space vehicle
| name = Falcon 9 B1046<br />{{Flagicon|USA}}[[File:SpaceX logo.png|frameless|upright=0.25|link=SpaceX]][[File:Falcon 9 logo by SpaceX.png|frameless|upright=0.15|link=Falcon 9 Block 5]]
| image = Bangabandhu Satellite-1 Mission (42025499722).jpg
| caption = B1046 launches Bangabandhu-1 from [[Launch Complex 39A]], May 2018
| type = [[Multistage rocket|First stage]] of [[launch vehicle|orbital rocket]]
| class = [[Falcon 9 Block 5]]
| manufacturer = [[SpaceX]]
| construction_number = B1046
| first_flight =  [[Bangabandhu-1]]
| first_flight_date = May 11, 2018
| last_flight = [[Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test]]
| last_flight_date = January 19, 2020
| flights = 4
| fate = Disintegrated mid-air following its last flight
| succession = [[List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters|Falcon 9 boosters]]
| previous_vehicle = B1045
| next_vehicle = B1047
}}
'''Falcon 9 B1046''' was a reusable [[Falcon 9]] [[Multistage rocket|first-stage]] [[Booster (rocketry)|booster]] manufactured by [[SpaceX]]. It flew four times between 2018 and 2020 before it was expended during a [[Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test|successful abort test]] of the [[Crew Dragon]]. It was the first rocket of the final Falcon 9 upgrade, [[Falcon 9 Block 5|Block 5]].
== Manufacturing ==
In October 2016, [[Elon Musk]] announced the [[Falcon 9 Block 5]], which featured revisions such as increased thrust, improved landing legs, and upgrades for easier reuse, including thermal protection on the side of the vehicle and a reusable heat shield at the base to protect the engines and plumbing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spacenews.com/musk-offers-more-details-about-mars-mission-architecture/|title=Musk offers more details about Mars mission architecture|date=2016-10-23|website=SpaceNews.com|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/08/spacex-falcon-9-block-5-targets-24-hour-turnaround-no-refurbishment-reuse-and-relaunch-a-dozen-times.html|title=Spacex Falcon 9 Block 5 targets 24 hour turnaround, no refurbishment reuse and relaunch a dozen times|date=2017-08-29 |website=NextBigFuture.com|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref>
After a year of delays, B1046 was completed and transported to SpaceX's [[SpaceX Rocket Development and Test Facility|McGregor facility]] for testing in preparation for its maiden flight.
== Flight history ==
This Falcon 9 was first launched on May 11, 2018. It carried [[Bangabandhu-1]], Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite, from Kennedy Space Center. This marked the 54th flight of the Falcon 9 and the first flight of the Falcon 9 Block 5.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/bangabandhu-1-launch-spacexs-affordable-space/|title=Bangabandhu-1 {{as written|suce|ssfully [sic]}} launched by first Block 5 Falcon 9 – SpaceX's goal of affordable access to space|website=www.nasaspaceflight.com|date=11 May 2018 |access-date=2018-11-14}}</ref> After completing a successful ascent, B1046 separated from the second stage and landed on the [[Autonomous spaceport drone ship|drone ship]] ''Of Course I Still Love You''. This marked the 11th successful landing on OCISLY and the 25th successful landing of the Falcon 9.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
After inspection and refurbishment, B1046 was launched a second time on August 7, 2018, carrying the [[Merah Putih (satellite)|Telkom-4 (Merah Putih)]] satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Telkom-4 mission marked the first time an orbital-class rocket booster launched two GTO missions. This was also the first re-flight of a Block 5 booster.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/08/06/falcon-9-launch-timeline-with-merah-putih/|title=Falcon 9 launch timeline with Merah Putih|website=spaceflightnow.com|access-date=2018-11-14}}</ref>
Four months after the Telkom-4 mission, B1046 arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base to support the [[SSO-A]] mission. Following delays for additional satellite checks,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.space.com/42479-spacex-rocket-third-flight-sso-a-launch-delay.html|title=SpaceX Delays Historic Third Launch of Used Rocket (and Its Flock of Satellites)|work=Space.com|access-date=2018-12-03}}</ref> liftoff occurred from [[Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4|SLC-4E]] on December 3, 2018. This marked the first time that the same orbital-class booster flew three times.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/10/spacex-may-use-a-falcon-9-rocket-for-the-third-time-next-month/|title=SpaceX official says company about to launch a Falcon 9 for the third time|work=Ars Technica |access-date=2018-11-14}}</ref> While the mission profile allowed for the booster to return to the launch site, it landed offshore on the drone ship ''Just Read The Instructions'' due to vibration concerns for a Delta IV Heavy and its [[National Reconnaissance Office|NRO]] payload awaiting launch at nearby [[Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6|SLC-6]].{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
On its fourth and last mission, it launched a [[SpaceX Dragon 2|Crew Dragon]] capsule from Kennedy Space Center, up to the point of [[Max q|maximum dynamic pressure]], where the stack separated to [[Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test|test the capsule's abort system in flight]]. Flying in expendable configuration, the booster had its engines turned off during the most challenging part of the flight to imitate a critical anomaly, after which the Dragon successfully activated its escape engines. The booster was subsequently destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Atkinson |first=Ian |date=2020-01-17 |title=SpaceX conducts successful Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/01/spacex-crew-dragon-in-flight-abort-test/ |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=NASASpaceFlight.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Launches ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Flight{{nbsp}}#
! Launch date (UTC)
! [[List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches|Mission{{nbsp}}#]]
! Payload
! Pictures
! Launch pad
! Landing location
! Notes
|-
| 1
| May 11, 2018
| [[List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches_(2010–2019)#F9-054|54]]
| [[Bangabandhu-1]]
| [[File:Bangabandhu_Satellite-1_Mission_(42025498972).jpg|250x250px|Bangabandhu Satellite-1 Mission (42025498972)]]
| [[Kennedy Space Center|KSC]], [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A|LC-39A]]
| ''[[Of Course I Still Love You]]'' (ASDS)
| First flight of a Block 5 booster, launch of Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite
|-
| 2
| August 7, 2018
| [[List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches_(2010–2019)#F9-060|60]]
| [[Merah Putih (satellite)|Merah Putih]]
| [[File:Merah_Putih_(30041972208).jpg|250x250px|Merah Putih (30041972208)]]
| [[CCAFS]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40|SLC-40]]
| ''[[Of Course I Still Love You]]'' (ASDS)
| First reflight of a Block 5 booster
|-
| 3
| December 3, 2018
| [[List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches_(2010–2019)#F9-064|64]]
| [[SSO-A|Spaceflight SSO-A (SmallSat Express)]]
| [[File:Spaceflight SSO-A Mission (45257568225).jpg|center|frameless|alt=|250x250px]]
| [[Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4|VAFB, SLC-4E]]
| [[Just Read the Instructions|''Just Read The Instructions'']] (ASDS)
| First third flight of the same orbital-class booster
|-
||4
| January 19, 2020
| [[List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches (2020–2022)#F9-079|79]]
| [[Crew Dragon C205]]<ref name="nsf1904202">{{cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/04/spacexs-crew-dragon-spacecraft-anomaly-static-fire-testing/|title=SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft suffers an anomaly during static fire testing at Cape Canaveral|date=April 20, 2019|access-date=April 21, 2019}}</ref>
| [[File:KSC-20200119-PH-GEB01 0011.jpg|thumb]]
|KSC, [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A|LC-39A]]
| No Attempt
| [[Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test|High-speed abort test of Crew Dragon]]; no attempt at landing the booster as recovery was deemed too complicated due to the unorthodox nature of the test flight.
|}
== B1046 records and achievements ==
* First Block 5 booster to fly<ref name=":0"/>
* Launched Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite<ref name=":0"/>
* First re-flight of a Block 5 booster<ref name=":1"/>
* First booster to fly two missions to geosynchronous transfer orbit<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/first-block-5-falcon-9-static-fire-bangabandhu-1/|title=First Block 5 Falcon 9 static fires ahead of Bangabandhu-1 launch – NASASpaceFlight.com|date=7 May 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/08/spacex-falcon-9-merah-putih-block-5-reflight/|title=SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Merah Putih for first Block 5 reflight – NASASpaceFlight.com|date=7 August 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref>
* First orbital-class booster to fly and land three times<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/12/spacex-falcon-9-sso-multi-sat-launch/|title=SpaceX Falcon 9 launches SSO-A multi-sat mission|website=www.nasaspaceflight.com|date=3 December 2018 |access-date=2018-12-04}}</ref>
* The first Falcon 9 to have launched from all three of SpaceX's active launch sites
* Largest batch of satellites launched from the United States (record subsequently broken)<ref name=":2"/>
== See also ==
{{portal|Spaceflight|Transport}}
* [[List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters]]
* [[SpaceX Grasshopper|Grasshopper]]
* [[New Shepard|Blue Origin New Shepard]]
* [[McDonnell Douglas DC-X]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{SpaceX}}
{{Reusable launch systems}}
[[Category:Individual Falcon 9 boosters]]