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Falcon 9 Flight 20 is a Falcon 9 space launch that is currently planned to occur in December 2015. It will be the first launch of the substantially-upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 Full Thrust launch vehicle and will carry 11 Orbcomm-OG2 satellites to Earth orbit. The launch is also notable as it will be the first SpaceX launch following the failure of the Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle's second stage on Falcon 9 Flight 19 in June 2015. Following the first stage loft of the second stage and payload on its orbital trajectory, SpaceX plans to conduct another flight test on the spent first stage, its eighth test in the series. == History == SES originally committed to provide the payload on the first launch of the revised-design rocket, and announced that plan in February 2015.〔 〕 After the loss of the launch vehicle and payload on another SpaceX launch in June 2015, SES reviewed the data from the Falcon 9 failure review and by September had recommitted to launch SES-9 on the late-2015 launch, then scheduled for no earlier than 17 November 2015.〔 〕 However, after considering all ''return to flight'' capabilities and options, SpaceX announced a change on 16 October 2015: Orbcomm's payload of 11 OG2 satellites will be the payload on the launch that is both an RTF launch as well as the first launch of the new Falcon 9 rocket design.〔 〕 The launch date was also reset for no earlier than (NET) mid-December, while planning to launch the SES-9 communications satellite to a higher-orbit in late December 2015.〔 The schedule change will also allow a test of the redesigned Falcon 9 second stage (longer stage, more engine thrust) on the OG2 mission of a capability that will not be required until the SES-9 mission: two engine firings from the Merlin 1D vacuum engine. A successful restart test on OG2 will help validate the design changes before the SES-9 mission where the second burn will be used to accelerate the payload to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Falcon 9 Flight 20」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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