SpaceX Curveball Sends Experimental Reentry Capsule Off Course

A German startup was aiming to test a reentry capsule designed to reach orbit and survive the intense heat of returning to Earth. For its first flight, PHOENIX 1 launched to space as part of a SpaceX ride-share mission, but a change in launch plans largely messed the whole thing up. ATMOS Space Cargo launched its PHOENIX 1 capsule at 8:48 p.m. ET on Monday, with the device tucked inside a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. About two hours after liftoff, the capsule reentered Earth’s atmosphere, but its splashdown point ended up much farther from the target than originally planned. Missing its intended splashdown zone meant that the spacecraft could not be recovered, and the company could not acquire valuable data and imagery of PHOENIX 1 to see how well it fared during reentry. The company’s inaugural mission was designed to test the capsule’s heat shield during reentry. In doing so, ATMOS is hoping to develop a capsule capable of carrying out research in orbit and returning back to Earth with ... Read full article.