Wali Kota Bogor, Bima Arya saat meninjau langsung Jembatan Otista di Jalan Otista Kota Bogor. FotoL Adi Wirman/pojokbogor.com
Pemerintah Kota Bogor telah memustukanbakan menutup Jalan Otto Iskandar Dinata (Otista) pada tanggal 1 Mei 2023.
Penutupan Jalan Otistas dilakukan terkait adanya pembangunan Jembatan Otista yang akan dilakukan setelah lebaran nanti.
Jembatan Otista ini adalah salah satu titik kemacetan di Kota Bogor yang diilustrasikan seperti leher botol sehingga terjadi bottlenecking.
Rencananya, jalan akan ditutup karena pembangunan fisik mulai 1 Mei hingga 8 Desember 2023.
Untuk mengatasi itu, Wali Kota Bogor Bima Arya menyampaikan berdasarkan kajian maka tidak ada pilihan lain kecuali melebarkan Jembatan Otista untuk melancarkan arus lalu lintas.
Awalnya, pelebaran jembatan Otista ini dijadwalkan dilakukan pada 2021 lalu.
Tapi ditunda karena ada proses rasionalisasi sehubungan dengan sumber bantuan berasal dari dana bantuan keuangan Provinsi Jawa Barat.
“Jadi, waktu itu sudah akan dilakukan, tetapi karena terjadi rasionalisasi maka ditunda. Dan alhamdulillah tahun ini diselenggarakan kegiatan tersebut,” ujar Bima Arya, hari Kamis, 20/04/2023.
Pembangunan jembatan Otista ini bersumber dari dana bantuan keuangan Provinsi Jawa Barat dengan nilai Rp 49.066.819.311 tahun anggaran 2023 yang sudah dilelang dan dimenangkan PT Mina Fajar Abadi dengan masa kerja 235 hari kalender.
“Sempat ada masa sanggah sekali, tapi tidak berlanjut pada masa sanggah banding. Jadi prosesnya sudah sesuai menurut hukum dan sudah dilakukan penandatanganan kontrak dengan pemkot,” jelasnya.
Saat ini, lanjut Bima Arya, kegiatan sudah resmi dimulai sejak 18 April 2023 dan sudah dilakukan rapat koordinasi teknis pengerjaan.
Saudi youth dance as they celebrate Eid Al-Fitr in Riyadh. (Reuters/File)
There are many popular Eid Al-Fitr traditions among the people of Saudi Arabia. Some like to hand out sweets to children, for example, while others exchange gifts. One of the most common is for families to get together on Eid morning for a special breakfast.
This is no normal morning snack, it is a veritable feast many families enjoy together after returning from the early-morning Eid prayers. In some places, such as Hail in northern Saudi Arabia, families share their Eid breakfast with neighbors, either by inviting them into their homes or joining together for an outdoor street party, complete with seasonal decorations and carpets, for which each family prepares food to share.
In the Kingdom’s central region, and some other areas, families typically cook mufattah, a traditional meat dish reserved for special occasions such as weddings or the Eid holiday. Although only eaten once or twice a year, it is highly popular in Saudi Arabia and usually made with lamb.
Asim Alotaibi, the owner of Asim’s farm, a butcher’s shop in the Alnarjis neighborhood of northern Riyadh, said: “The animal itself should be clean and healthy. At our farm, we feed our animals grass and barley. The animal can either be young or old; therefore the taste of the meat differs according to the age of the animal.
“The most important thing to me is the quality of meat, and you won’t fully know how good of a quality your product is unless you fed the animal yourself, you managed the process of feeding the animal, and know exactly what your animal is eating.”
Alotaibi said his shop specializes in locally reared lamb and wild camel meat. He owns his own farm in the desert outside of Riyadh, where he said it is important the animals, especially camels, are able to roam free and graze naturally.
This style of organic, free range farming has its challenges, however. Alotaibi told Arab News that it means livestock is more vulnerable to theft, for example, and on one occasion he lost 120 sheep to thieves while his business was preparing delivery orders for a large number of customers a week or two before Eid.
When asked what people should look for when buying meat, Alotaibi said that the way it has been prepared and stored is no less important that the initial quality of the meat itself. Often, people look for what they think is the freshest meat at their local grocery store without paying any attention to how it has been stored, he added.
Khalil Mohammed, a butcher at a supermarket in northern Riyadh, explained how he ensures meat remains at its best.
“We first wash the meat immediately after we skin the lamb,” he said. “Then we wrap the meat in a white cloth. After that, the meat must be stored in refrigerators in cool temperatures ranging from 0 to 5 degrees Celsius.”
He said that storage temperature is key to ensuring the quality of the meat remains high. The lower the temperature, the better the chance it will remain fresh and flavorful for longer.
In terms of the quality of the meat itself, Mohammed said that “the ratio of meat to fat matters,” along with the quality of veterinary care the animals receive.
“The animal must be examined by the veterinarian before it is slaughtered, to ensure it is healthy,” he explained.
Eid Al-Fitr, which begins on Friday in Saudi Arabia, marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the start of three days of celebrations and family gatherings.
Eid Al-Fitr prayer proves to be a memorable and heartfelt affair for Saudi residents
As Muslims across the globe prepare to celebrate the first of two eids on the Muslim calendar, many initiate the day’s festivities with a morning prayer.
Muslims pray at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah during the last hours of fasting on Thursday. (SPA)
The Eid Al-Fitr prayer has long surpassed its type as a sunnah (an action of the Prophet Muhammad) and positioned itself, emotionally, as a fardh (obligatory act) in the hearts of Muslims around the world and across the Kingdom.
Abdullah Hajjaj’s family stays up all night on the eve of Eid Al-Fitr for the sweet reclamation of morning coffee after a month of abstinence during Ramadan. He gets together with members of his father’s side of the family for the caffeine boost, handing out chocolates and taking photos, just before heading off to perform Fajr prayer, followed by the Eid Al-Fitr prayer.
Originally hailing from Madinah, their usual destination was the Prophet’s Mosque, but due to the congestion of crowds and difficulties in coordination and reaching the location, they now perform the two prayers in Al-Qiblatain mosque.
Muslims pray at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah during the last hours of fasting on Thursday. (SPA)
He told Arab News: “Praying at Al-Qiblatain doesn’t feel too different as long as we go there together as a family.”
“Later after prayer, we go back to my uncle’s house for breakfast. This has been a tradition in our family for over 40 years, since the days of my grandparents, God rest their souls,” he said.
Hajjaj recalls the morning breakfasts he would enjoy with family, composed of recipes passed down from his grandparents. As the sun rises before prayer, the sounds of Eid Takbeer, the act of chanting the name of Allah in unison, echo in the wind, creating a feeling of joy and harmony among the people.
Continuing this routine even though the prayer is not an obligatory religious act means continuing over four decades of family tradition. It is not only an act of faith, but a declaration of a strong familial bond.
Muslims pray at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah during the last hours of fasting on Thursday. (SPA)
“Being originally from Madinah, the home of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we always follow his teachings and try to pass them to the next generations. By praying together, we ensure this tradition is kept intact,” Hajjaj said.
Riyadh-based Atheer Al-Khudairi’s family arrives at the local neighborhood mosque already dressed to the nines in their Eid clothing. They hand out eidi, or money, and candy to the children and say hello to the neighbors just before prayer commences.
She told Arab News: “You can sense the energy in the air during Eid prayers. Everyone’s happy and celebrating…There’s always a cool wind in the morning. Everyone’s on good vibes.
She told Arab News: “You can sense the energy in the air during Eid prayers. Everyone’s happy and celebrating…There’s always a cool wind in the morning. Everyone’s on good vibes.
“This is what makes us feel like Eid has started. Before and after prayer, we start sending out texts and making calls to our family and friends.”
Afterward, they return home for a potluck breakfast with contributions from aunts and uncles, just before sinking into a “food coma” for the rest of the afternoon. She recalls her mother bringing the latest trending dish trend to the table, such as cheese platters and “the circle of happiness,” a dish made with Halloumi cheese, vegetables, eggs, and mugalgal meat all laid out in rings.
Former Jeddah resident Shaima Shamsi’s festivities began as soon as Eid Al-Fitr was announced. The day the holiday falls on is tentative, with each region confirming its celebration day with the sighting of the moon.
The night before, her mother would lay out the milk, cream, Indian vermicelli, dates, nuts, and spices, to start preparing sheer khurma — an indication that Eid is just a sunrise away. While the parents would go to bed after a rushed night of errands and last-minute preparations, the children stayed up in anticipation.
Al-Amoudi Mosque in Jeddah’s Al-Khalidiyyah district was the destination of their loved ones.
Shamsi told Arab News: “Everybody would go to that mosque as well, so it was a collective decision where you begin your Eid by being around people who are important to you, all doing the same thing.
“There were sweets given out throughout the mosque. Little girls and boys all dressed up in their adorable dresses and thobes, everybody wearing their most beautiful abayas. There’s a calmness in the entire room that I feel like I remember very clearly.”
As a child, expecting abundant goodie bags, sweets, and small amounts of money made the whole affair worth the wait.
“As I grew older, it was nice to take those chocolates and give them out to younger kids, so we always went to the mosque with something as well,” Shamsi said.
After coming back from Eid prayer, breakfast was served at home in the company of their closest neighbors, followed by an afternoon nap in preparation for the night’s official celebrations.
Keeping up with these small traditions is part of embracing community, she believes. “Coming together is what makes it so memorable.”
Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah melaksanakan Sholat Idul Fitri 1444 Hijriah hari ini. Gedung Pimpinan Pusat (PP) Muhammadiyah, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat menjadi salah satu tempat penyelenggaraan Sholat Ied pada hari Jumat ini, 21/04/2023. (Liputan6.com/Winda Nelfira)
Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah melaksanakan Sholat Idul Fitri 1444 Hijriah hari ini. Gedung Pimpinan Pusat (PP) Muhammadiyah, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat menjadi salah satu tempat penyelenggaraan Sholat Ied pada hari Jumat pagi ini, 21/04/2023.
Dari pantaun, jamaah telah memenuhi Gedung Pusat Dakwah Muhammadiyah. Barisan shaf sholat Id pun nampak membludak hingga gerbang luar gedung.
Satu sisi jalan persis depan gedung PP Muhammadiyah menuju Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan juga telah ditutup aksesnya bagi pengendara untuk dijadikan tempat bagi jamaah untuk melaksanakan sholat. Sejumlah petugas kepolisian pun berjaga di luar gedung.
Dikelola Ta’mir Masjid At Tanwir Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah, Sholat Ied diimami Muhammad Choirin. Sholat dimulai sekitar pukul 6.40 WIB.
Selain itu, anggota pimpinan Majelis Tabligh PP Muhammadiyah yang juga dosen Fakultas Agama Islam Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta ini juga bertindak sebagai khotib Sholat Id.
Diketahui, penetapan Hari Raya Idul Fitri pada 2023 ini berbeda antara pemerintah dan Muhammadiyah. Pemerintah menetapkan Hari Raya Idul Fitri pada Sabtu, 22 April 2023 besok.
Keputusan itu disampaikan langsung oleh Menteri Agama, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas usai mengikuti Sidang Isbat yang berlangsung di Kantor Kementerian Agama, Kamis 20 April 2023.
Pada Idul Fitri kali ini, Masjid Gedhe Kauman Yogyakarta hanya menyelenggarakan Sholat Ied satu kali pada hari ini. Sedangkan besok hari Sabtu, 22/4/2023, takmir tidak mempersiapkannya.
"Karena keyakinan mereka memang bahwa hari inilah 1 Syawal dan sudah tidak bukan bulan Ramadhan lagi. Jadi memang kita persiapkan hanya sekali ini saja," ungkapnya
Dijelaskan Azman, penentuan Sholat Idulfitri pada hari ini berdasarkan Hisab Wujudul Hilal yang diyakini oleh Muhammadiyah. Termasuk oleh beberapa negara lain yang sebagian besar melaksanakan Shalat Ied pada hari ini.
Ia menyebut hanya sebagian kecil saja yang merayakan Idul Fitri pada hari Sabtu esok.
"Terlepas dari itu semuanya memang secara Hisab hari ini memang sudah masuk 1 Syawal 1444 Hijriah, dan kita selenggarakan Shalat Idul Fitri pada hari ini," ujarnya.
Meski demikian, Azman tidak mempermasalahkan perbedaan penentuan 1 Syawal 1444 H antara Muhammadiyah dan pemerintah. Sehingga jika ada masyarakat yang baru merayakan Idulfitri pada esok hari, ia menyebut tidak masalah.
Sebab menurutnya, persoalan keyakinan itu tidak bisa diatur oleh siapapun. Baik Muhammadiyah dan pemerintah sama-sama memiliki dalil yang shahih untuk menentukan awal bulan Syawal.
"Kita yakini bahwa semuanya ini memiliki dalil-dalil yang shahih juga, artinya baik yang beridulfitri hari ini ataupun yang beridulfitri besok pagi itu tidak masalah, semuanya benar, tinggal kemudian keyakinan kita masing-masing meyakini hari ini atau besok pagi," bebernya.
Seperti diketahui, Muhammadiyah telah menetapkan Hari Raya Idulfitri 1 Syawal 1444 H jatuh pada Jumat, 21 April 2023. Sedangkan pemerintah memutuskan 1 Syawal 1444 H jatuh pada hari Sabtu, (22/4/2023).
Ribuan jamaah Muhammadiyah Tanjungpinang gelar shalat Idul Fitri
Ribuan jamaah Muhammadiyah Kota Tanjungpinang, Kepulauan Riau (Kepri), menggelar shalat Idul Fitri 1444 Hijriah/2023 Masehi di lapangan Masjid At-Taqwa Qauman Muhammadiyah, Jalan Raja Haji Fisabilillah, Kilometer 8.
"Ada sekitar 6.000 jamaah dari Tanjungpinang dan Bintan bergabung shalat Idul Fitri pada hari ini," kata Sekretaris Muhammdiyah Kota Tanjungpinang Delwi Jon Sanre, Jumat.
Ia menyebut shalat Idul Fitri 1444 Hijriah digelar sesuai maklumat dari Pengurus Pusat Muhammadiyah yang menetapkan bahwa 1 Syawal 1444 Hijriah jatuh pada tanggal 21 April 2023.
Menurutnya pelaksanaan shalat Idul Fitri di lingkungan Muhammadiyah Tanjungpinang pada tahun ini dipusatkan di Masjid At-Taqwa Qauman, satu-satunya masjid Muhammadiyah di pusat ibu kota Provinsi Kepri tersebut.
"Tahun ini, antusiasme jamaah shalat Idul Fitri sangat luar biasa. Meningkat tajam dibanding tahun lalu," ujarnya.
Ia berharap momentum hari raya Idul Fitri 1444 Hijriah menjadi ajang untuk memupuk persaudaraan antarsesama, menumbuhkan toleransi sosial, meningkatkan silaturahmi, serta memperbanyak amal saleh setelah sebulan berpuasa di bulan Ramadhan.
"Mari saling maaf dan memaafkan. Jadikan setiap perbedaan sebagai kekuatan untuk merajut persatuan," ucapnya.
Sementara itu, seorang jamaah Muhammdiyah Friska mengaku yakin dengan penetapan jadwal salat Idul Fitri yang dilaksanakan pada tanggal 21 April 2023.
"Selain terafiliasi dengan Muhammadiyah, saya yakin hari ini adalah 1 Syawal 1444 Hijriah" ujarnya.
Ia mengutarakan sehari sebelum 1 Syawal, berbagai persiapan sudah dilakukan, mulai dari menata rumah, menyiapkan aneka kue Lebaran, hingga masak lontong dan rendang untuk santapan pagi hari raya.
"Kebetulan tahun ini tidak mudik ke kampung halaman. Lebarannya di Tanjungpinang," ucap Friska.
Pelaksanaan shalat Idul Fitri di di lapangan Masjid At-Taqwa Qauman Muhammadiyah Tanjungpinang mulai digelar sekitar pukul 07.15 WIB. Bertindak sebagai Khatib Buya Amril, dan Imam Muhammad Risky.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attends a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Friday that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China, and that it is right and proper for China to uphold its sovereignty.
Qin made the remarks at the Lanting Forum in Shanghai, where he discussed a wide range of topics from debt, the global economy, and Taiwan.
"Recently there has been absurd rhetoric accusing China of upending the status quo, disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Qin said. "The logic is absurd and the conclusion dangerous."
He added that "fair-minded people can see who is engaged in hegemonic bullying and high-minded practices."
"It is not the Chinese mainland, but the Taiwan independence separatist forces and a handful of countries attempting to disrupt the status quo," Qin said. "Those who play with fire on Taiwan will eventually get themselves burned."
China recently held military exercises around the self-ruled island after Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, returned to Taipei following a meeting in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Beijing views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim the government in Taipei strongly rejects, and routinely denounces high-level meetings between Taiwanese and foreign leaders and officials.
Accusations of Playing with Fire
Qin argued that the real source of disruption was not the Chinese mainland, but rather the Taiwan independence separatist forces and a few countries attempting to interfere with the status quo. "Those who play with fire on Taiwan will eventually get themselves burned," he warned.
China recently conducted military exercises around the self-ruled island following Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen's return to Taipei from a meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
Beijing views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim that the government in Taipei vehemently denies. China also routinely denounces high-level meetings between Taiwanese and foreign leaders and officials, arguing that such interactions threaten China's sovereignty and the delicate balance of peace in the region.
Qin Gang to attend Lanting Forum in Shanghai
The Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World will be held at the Grand Halls in Shanghai on April 21. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang will attend the opening ceremony of the forum and deliver a keynote speech.
The forum is expected to host foreign dignitaries, prestigious experts and scholars, business leaders, foreign diplomatic envoys and representatives of international organizations in China and representatives from international media.
The forum is jointly organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association, the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. Under the theme of “Chinese Modernization and the World”, the forum consists of three panel sessions and a luncheon with the business community for in-depth exchanges on topics including the new development of China, better global governance, closer people-to-people exchanges and high-standard opening up.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang will attend the opening ceremony of the Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World in Shanghai on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced.
The event will be held at the Grand Halls in Shanghai, and Qin will deliver a keynote speech.
The forum is expected to host foreign dignitaries, prestigious experts and scholars, business leaders, foreign diplomatic envoys and representatives of international organizations in China and representatives from international media, said Wang.
The forum is expected to host foreign dignitaries, prestigious experts and scholars, business leaders, foreign diplomatic envoys and representatives of international organizations in China and representatives from international media, said Wang.
Under the theme of "Chinese Modernization and the World", the forum consists of three panel sessions and a luncheon with the business community for in-depth exchanges on topics including the new development of China, better global governance, closer people-to-people exchanges and pursuing high-standard opening up, according to Wang.
The forum is co-organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association, the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.
Texas - SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft exploded minutes after liftoff in an uncrewed test flight from South Texas on Thursday, cutting short a key step in Elon Musk's development of a rocket vessel to eventually take humans to the moon and Mars.
The flight test was the first for Starship mounted atop the company's new Super Heavy rocket, and the first launch ever for that lower-stage booster, which SpaceX has touted as the most powerful launch vehicle on Earth.
Even though the two-stage rocket ship made it less than halfway to the edge of space, climbing to just under 25 miles (40 km), the flight achieved a primary objective of getting the new vehicle off the ground at liftoff despite some of its engines failing.
While SpaceX officials were heartened by the outcome, the mission fell short of reaching several objectives.
The plan was for Starship to soar into space at least 90 some miles (150 km) above Earth before it would re-enter the atmosphere and plunge into the Pacific near Hawaii.
But SpaceX said in a statement afterward that the spacecraft "experienced multiple engines out" during its ascent, then "lost altitude and began to tumble," before the "flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and the ship."
Musk, SpaceX's founder, chief executive and chief engineer, had appeared eager to temper expectations in remarks made Sunday that downplayed the odds of a successful first flight. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told a conference in February that the "the real goal is to not blow up the launch pad."
By that measure, the debut flight of Starship with its booster rocket represented a milestone in SpaceX's ambition of sending astronauts back to the moon and ultimately to Mars, as a major partner in Artemis, NASA's newly inaugurated human spaceflight program.
NASA chief Bill Nelson congratulated SpaceX on Twitter, saying, "every great achievement throughout history has demanded some level of calculated risk, because with great risk comes great reward."
LAUNCH, THEN FIERY 'DISASSEMBLY'
The two-stage rocket ship, standing taller than the Statue of Liberty at 394 feet (120 meters), blasted off from the company's Starbase spaceport on the southern tip of Texas along the Gulf Coast east of Brownsville. SpaceX hoped, at best, to pull off a 90-minute debut flight into space but just shy of Earth orbit.
A live SpaceX webcast showed the rocket ship rising from the launch tower into the morning sky as the Super Heavy's Raptor engines roared to life in a ball of flame and billowing clouds of exhaust and water vapor.
But less than four minutes into the flight, the upper-stage Starship failed to separate as designed from the lower-stage Super Heavy, and the combined vehicle was seen tumbling end over end before blowing apart.
The pad and surrounding area were cordoned off well in advance of the test, SpaceX said. Any debris from the explosion should have landed over the water in areas placed off-limits by the U.S. Coast Guard.
SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft, atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket, explodes after its launch from the company's Boca Chica launchpad on a brief uncrewed test flight near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Joe Skipper
The spacecraft reached a peak altitude of about 24 miles (39 km) before its fiery disintegration, SpaceX said. The company also noted that the rocket reached the critical launch point of maximum aerodynamic pressure before appearing to lose control.
SpaceX officials on the webcast hailed the liftoff as a welcome accomplishment.
A throng of SpaceX workers shown during the webcast watching a livestream together at the company's headquarters near Los Angeles cheered wildly as the rocket cleared the launch tower - and again when it blew up.
'LEARNED A LOT'
Musk, shown seated in the Starbase mission control room in Boca Chica, Texas, wearing a headset, said on Twitter afterwards that the next Starship test launch would be in a few months.
"Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch," he tweeted. Musk, who purchased Twitter last year for $44 billion, is also CEO of electric carmaker Tesla Inc.
SpaceX principal integration engineer John Insprucker, one of the webcast commentators, said the experience would provide a wealth of data to inform further flight tests.
The road to Thursday's accident has not been without previous tests and setbacks.
A stationary test firing of the Super Heavy while bolted to a platform managed to ignite just 31 Raptor engines in February, and an earlier static firing test in July 2022 ended with the vehicle's engine section exploding.
Before that, SpaceX had test-launched prototypes of Starship's top half in five short flights to an altitude of 6 miles (9.7 km), seeking to perfect its return landing capability. All but one crashed in flames.
The spectacular nature of Thursday's loss of the first fully integrated Starship-and-booster vehicle during its introductory launch further highlighted challenges SpaceX faces moving beyond its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, the centerpiece of the company's satellite launch business.
Still even a textbook test flight would have by design ended with crash landings of both portions of the spacecraft at sea.
The Super Heavy and Starship were each designed as reusable components, capable of flying back to Earth for soft landings in a maneuver that has become routine in dozens of missions for SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.
For Thursday's launch, however, the flight plan called for the lower stage to fall into the Gulf of Mexico after separating from the upper stage, which would have come down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii after achieving nearly one full Earth orbit.
