Air Force requirements will keep SpaceX from landing Falcon 9 booster after GPS launch

The demands of launching the first in an upgraded line of U.S. Air Force GPS navigation satellites, including a late load of extra fuel for the spacecraft and a military policy of reserving fuel to eliminate space junk, will keep SpaceX from recovering the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket following liftoff Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, according to mission managers. The mission set for launch during a 26-minute window opening at 9:11 a.m. EST (1411 GMT) Tuesday will mark the first time SpaceX has launched one of its new Falcon 9 “Block 5” boosters in an expendable configuration since the latest Falcon 9 variant debuted in May, with modifications aimed at making the first stage easier to recover and reuse. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 18)