section_path: Versions/Full Thrust
section_name: Full Thrust
paragraph_text: Full Thrust
  
  The Full Thrust upgrade (also known as FT, v1.2 or Block 3), made major changes. It added cryogenic propellant cooling to increase density allowing 17% higher thrust, improved the stage separation system, stretched the second stage to hold additional propellant, and strengthened struts for holding helium bottles believed to have been involved with the failure of flight 19. It offered a reusable first stage. Plans to reuse the second-stage were abandoned as the weight of a heat shield and other equipment would reduce payload too much. The reusable booster was developed using systems and software tested on the Falcon 9 prototypes.
  
  The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) replaced the ground-based mission flight control personnel and equipment. AFSS offered on-board Positioning, Navigation and Timing sources and decision logic. The benefits of AFSS included increased public safety, reduced reliance on range infrastructure, reduced range spacelift cost, increased schedule predictability and availability, operational flexibility, and launch slot flexibility".
  
  FT's capacity allowed SpaceX to choose between increasing payload, decreasing launch price, or both.
  
  Its first successful landing came in December 2015 and the first reflight in March 2017. In February 2017, CRS-10 launch was the first operational launch utilizing AFSS. All SpaceX launches after March 16 used AFSS. A June 25 mission carried the second batch of ten Iridium NEXT satellites, for which the aluminum grid fins were replaced by larger titanium versions, to improve control authority, and heat tolerance during re-entry.