SpaceX nails the landing with JCSAT-16 launch

Launch of JCSAT-16
Photo Cred: SpaceX

Sunday morning at 1:26am EDT, SpaceX successfully launched the JCSAT-16 satellite into it's GTO Transfer orbit. It The launch was a flawless on-time launch as SpaceX's Falcon 9 ignited all of its engines and flew off the pad. As the rocket's engines lit, the sky was illuminated as it travelled toward space. Unlike the CRS-9 launch of Dragon, the first stage continued along its ballistic trajectory toward the droneship OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You) instead of doing a boostback burn back to land. Most high-velocity mission landings consist of a landing burn with 3 engines, but this landing was done using the single center engine for better control over the vehicle. As the first stage separated and fell toward  OCISLY the second stage continued to power JCSAT to its LEO parking orbit. The first stage the went through its reentry burn then shortly started the landing burn to softly touch down on the surface

JCSAT-16 first stage on Droneship after landing
Photo Cred: SpaceX

of the droneship located in the Atlantic Ocean. The second stage coasted until it reignited the engine to bring it's trajectory to the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) and released JCSAT shortly after shutting down.