SpaceX Launches Es'Hail-2
On Nov. 15, 2018, SpaceX launched a used Falcon 9 rocket carrying a satellite for Qatar, then returned the booster's first stage to Earth for a pinpoint landing. See photos from the awesome launch here! (You can see launch video read our full story here.) Shown here:
Launch Streak
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Qatar's Es'Hail-2 satellite streaks into space in this long-exposure view taken of the launch from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 15, 2018.
Punching Through a Vapor Cloud
A vapor cloud forms around the nose of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Es'Hail-2 satellite into space in this dazzling photo of the launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 15, 2018.
Liftoff!
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Es'hail-2 communications satellite for Qatar from Launch Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 15, 2018. It was the second launch for the Falcon 9's first stage.
Soaring to Space
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Es'hail-2 satellite rises into the Florida skies on Nov. 15, 2018.
The View from Here
The Falcon 9's first-stage engines power the rocket to space on Nov. 15, 2018.
Satellite in Transit
This view from a camera on SpaceX's Falcon 9 second stage shows the Es'Hail-2 satellite as it rides into space.
Separate Stages
The Falcon 9's first (left) and second (right) stages go about their separate business during the Es'hail-2 launch.
First Stage Touchdown!
The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on the deck of the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" after launching the Es'hail-2 satellite on Nov. 15, 2018.
Es'Hail-2 in Space
Qatar's Es'Hail-2 communications satellite (right) separates from the second stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to enter an initial orbit in this view from a camera on the Falcon 9 stage taken after its Nov. 15, 2018 launch. The milestone marked the end of SpaceX's role in the satellite's mission.
You can see launch video read our full story here.
SpaceX on the Pad
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Launch Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida ahead of launch.
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