Falcon 9 Block 5

Falcon 9 Block 5 is a partially reusable, human-rated, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. It is the fifth major version of the Falcon 9 family and the third version of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust. It is powered by Merlin 1D engines burning rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX).

The main changes from Block 3 (the original Falcon 9 Full Thrust) to Block 5 are higher-thrust engines and improvements to the landing legs along with numerous other small changes to streamline recovery and re-use of first-stage boosters and fairing halves and increase the production rate. Each Block 5 booster is designed to fly ten times with only minor maintenance between launches and potentially up to 100 times with periodic refurbishment, while fairing halves have been recovered and reflown countless times.

In 2018, Block 5 succeeded the transitional Block 4 version. The maiden flight of the Block 5 launched the satellite Bangabandhu-1 on May 11, 2018. The CRS-15 mission on June 29, 2018, was the last to be launched on a Block 4 rocket, completing the transition to an all-Block 5 fleet.

Overview The Block 5 design changes are principally driven by upgrades needed for NASA's Commercial Crew program and National Security Space Launch requirements. They include performance upgrades, manufacturing improvements, and increase the margin for demanding customers.

In April 2017, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that Block 5 will feature 7–8% more thrust by uprating the engines (from to per engine). Block 5 includes an improved flight control system for an optimized angle of attack on the descent, lowering landing fuel requirements.

For reusability endurance: expected to be able to fly ten times with only minor maintenance between launchesSpaceX is about to land a whole lot more rockets. Loren Grush, The Verge. July 22, 2018. achieved in 2021 potentially fly up to 100 times with periodic refurbishmentSpaceX Test-Fires New Falcon 9 Block 5 Rocket Ahead of Maiden Flight (Updated). Robin Seemangal, Popular Mechanics. May 4, 2018.Elon Musk on Twitter: I don't want be cavalier, but there isn't an obvious limit. 100+ flights are possible. Some parts will need to be replaced or upgraded. a reusable heat shield protecting the engines and plumbing at the base of the rocket; more temperature-resistant cast and machined titanium grid fins; a thermal-protection coating on the first stage to limit reentry heating damage, including a black thermal protection layer on the landing legs, raceway, and interstage; redesigned and requalified more robust and longer life valves; redesigned composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPV 2.0) for helium, to avoid oxygen freezing inside the structure of the tanks that lead to rupture.

For rapid reusability: reduced refurbishment between flights; a set of retractable landing legs for rapid recovery and shipping. the Octaweb structure is bolted together instead of welded, reducing manufacturing time.

Improvements Since the debut of Block 5, SpaceX has continued to iterate on its design, manufacturing processes, and operational procedures. Later Block 5 boosters are also easier to prepare for flight, so SpaceX "prefer to retire" older cores by assigning them to expendable missions when possible.

A pressure relief valve was added to the grid fins’ hydraulic system following a stall that resulted in a landing failure in 2018. Similarly, after a booster was damaged at sea in 2022, much of the fleet was upgraded with "self-leveling" landing legs. These legs help ensure the booster can be properly secured to the Octograbber, even in suboptimal sea states.

To improve the rocket's performance, SpaceX has tweaked throttle settings and separation timings.

COPV 2.0 Initial Block 5 flights flew with the original COPV design and existing operational mitigations. COPV 2.0 tanks initially flew on the upper stage only, flying for the first time on the Es'hail 2 mission on November 15, 2018, and for a second time on the December 5, 2018 CRS-16 mission.

The first booster to feature COPV 2.0s was B1054, which launched GPS III SV01 on December 23, 2018. This was the first mission to fly COPV 2.0 on both stages.

Mission extension kits SpaceX CRS-18 featured a Falcon mission-extension kit to the standard second stage, which equipped the second stage with a dark-painted band (for thermal control), extra COPVs for pressurization control, and additional TEA-TEB ignition fluid. The upgrades afforded the second stage with the endurance needed to inject the payloads directly into geosynchronous or high energy orbit where the second stage needs hours after launch. Based on mission requirements, they are Medium Coast & Long Coast kits, i.e., the number of helium bottles for pressurization and added batteries for power and other hardware to make sure that the fuel and stages systems operate as long as needed.

Short nozzle second stage The Transporter-7 mission marked the debut of a second stage with a Merlin 1D Vacuum engine with a shorter nozzle extension designed to accelerate production and reduce costs. Unlike the first stage, the second stage on the Falcon 9 is not reused. This variant sacrifices 10% thrust in exchange for a 75% reduction in material usage, primarily the rare metal niobium. As a result, SpaceX can triple its launch frequency using the same amount of this critical resource. Due to its reduced performance, this nozzle is exclusively used on missions with lower performance requirements.

Human rating The NASA certification processes of the 2010s specified seven flights of any launch vehicle without major design changes before the vehicle would be NASA-certified for human spaceflight, and allowed to fly NASA astronauts.

The Block 5 design launched astronauts for the first time on May 30, 2020, on a NASA-contracted flight, Crew Dragon Demo-2. This was the first crewed orbital spaceflight launched from the United States since the final Space Shuttle mission in 2011, and the first ever operated by a commercial provider.

Specifications Specifications and characteristics are as follows:

CharacteristicFirst stageSecond stageHeightDiameterEmpty massGross massStructure typeLOX tank: monocoqueFuel tank: skin and stringerLOX tank: monocoqueFuel tank: skin and stringerStructure materialAluminum lithium skin; aluminum domesEngines9 × Merlin 1D1 × Merlin 1D VacuumEngine typeLiquid, gas-generatorFuelKerosene (RP-1)OxidizerSubcooled liquid oxygen (LOX)Liquid oxygen (LOX)LOX tank capacityRP-1 tank capacityEngine nozzleGimbaled, 16:1 expansionGimbaled, 165:1 expansionTotal thrustPropellant feed systemTurbopumpThrottle capabilityRestart capabilityYes (only 3 engines for boostback/reentry/landing burns)Yes, dual redundant TEA-TEBpyrophoric ignitersTank pressurizationHeated heliumAscent attitude control(pitch, yaw)Gimbaled enginesGimbaled engine and nitrogen gas thrustersAscent attitude control(roll)Gimbaled engineNitrogen gas thrustersCoast/descent attitude controlNitrogen gas thrusters and grid finsNitrogen gas thrustersShutdown processCommanded

Gallery

Falcon 9 Block 5

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