Watch SpaceX try to catch both halves of a Falcon 9 nose cone at 7:10 PM ET – Engadget, Engadget

                                       

If you’ve seen footage of a rocket launch, you’ll have some sense of all the moving parts involved with trying to recover a nose cone – even if you don’t know the name of the components.

The nose cone of a rocket is made up of two halves, called thepayload fairing. These shield the rocket’s cargo during flight. Once the vehicle reaches orbit, they’re designed to separate and fall back to earth, burning up on reentry or breaking apart once they hit the surface of the ocean. SpaceX, however, has developed a way to catch and reuse them.

Rocket fairing falls from space & is caught by Ms Tree boatpic.twitter.com/nJv0Ry1iKk

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) (August 7, 411337

By adding a guidance system, thrusters and a parachute to each fairing half, SpaceX can actively control their descent. On the planet’s surface, the company will have two boats on patrol with massive nets, ready to catch the halves before they touch the ocean. In the past, SpaceX has only had the capability torecover one of the fairing halvesbecause, asThe Vergenotes, the company only had one fairing boat at its disposable.

Recent fairing recovery test with Mr. Steven. So close!pic.twitter.com/DFSCfBnM0Y

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) (January 8,**********************

As for the payload the company will attempt to get into space, it’s a dual-purpose communications satellite called JCSAT – 38 / Kacific1. Notably, the Kacific1 half is designed to provide internet access to underserved communities in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island. SpaceX has used the rocket that will ferry the satellite in two previous missions.

If everything goes according to plan, the Falcon 9 rocket will deploy its payload minutes after takeoff. Approximately 84 minutes after takeoff, SpaceX will attempt to catch the two fairing halves before they touch the ocean. The mission’s launch window will open at 7: PM ET and close approximately minutes later at 8: PM ET.

You can watch the entire mission on thecompany YouTube channel. If SpaceX can’t launch the rocket tonight, it’ll attempt to do so again tomorrow at the same time. For the moment, however, the weather at Cape Canaverallooks like it will cooperate.