Space Exploration Corporation has set a new date for the maiden flight of the Falcon 1 Rocket. This non-government rocket (the first American private launch services company), will liftoff from its tropical island launch site at 4:00 p.m. EST on November 25th with a mission to place a small U.S. Air Force Academy satellite into orbit.
On launch day, Falcon 1 will make history for several reasons:
It will be the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit and the world's first all new orbital rocket in over a decade.
The main engine of Falcon 1 (Merlin) will be the first all new American hydrocarbon booster engine to be flown in forty years and only the second new American booster engine of any kind in twenty-five years.
The Falcon 1 is the only rocket flying 21s century avionics, which require a small fraction of the power and mass of other systems.
It will be the world s only semi-reusable orbital rocket apart from the Shuttle (all other launch vehicles are completely expendable). When the Shuttle stops flying in 2010, Falcon 1 will be the only semi-reusable launch vehicle.
Most importantly, Falcon 1, priced at $6.7 million, will provide the lowest cost per flight to orbit of any launch vehicle in the world. Though low cost, Falcon 1 has received a design reliability rating equivalent to that of the best launch vehicles currently flying in the United States.
The maiden flight of Falcon 1 will take place from the Reagan Test Site in the Marshall Islands (Kwajalein Atoll). The customer for this mission is DARPA and the Air Force and the payload will be FalconSat-2, part of the Air Force Academy's satellite program that will measure space plasma phenomena, which can adversely affect space-based communications, including GPS and other civil and military communications. The target orbit is 400 km X 500 km (just above the International Space Station) at an inclination of 39 degrees.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - vikk
Okay, I must be blind this late at night but what is the date?
2 - Bennett
Heh, oh yeah Vikk, that's what late night blogging (on my part) will do to ya. The date is now in bold so it won't be missed.
Next Friday afternoon EST.
3 - DJRadiohead
I am going to be watching this with a lot of interest, too. I don't want them making it too cheap or they'll price me right out of a job!
One of the things that disappoints me a little with the CEV approach is the same thing I love about this venture. I wanted to see new technology... new approaches... advances- not that the CEV will be a total retread.
This is really exciting.
4 - Victor Plenty
Funny how they've scheduled the launch to occur on International Buy Nothing Day. I wonder whether they knew they were doing that?
All joking aside, I hope the launch is a great success and the first of many.
5 - Bennett
DJRadiohead, There's got to be a financial curve to it, and something tells me that Elon Musk has seen the graphs.
If the design is as flexible and expandable as claimed, these folks will be the next Ariene Space of France. I have a post on the way about this workhorse of the commercial launch industry.
I have nothing against Boeing or Lockheed Martin employees or their accomplishments of the last 55 years, just think there has been improper scullduggery between our elected officials and the big money players at most of our large American Corporations. Nothing new, mind you, and if I was them, who knows?
Great Link, Victor! Buy Nothing Day rocks!
Buy nothing on November 25th.
Instead, stay home and find the on-line video feed for the launch of this rocket!
Salut!
6 - Victor Plenty
Salyut indeed, Bennett! Though it may be a few years early for such a salute, I find it a salutary allusion.
7 - Bennett
UPDATE: Launch delayed 24 hours.
From SpaceX:
Falcon 1 Launch Delayed by Army Range
In order to facilitate preparations for a missile defense launch, the Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) has bumped the SpaceX Falcon 1 maiden flight from its officially scheduled launch date of 1 p.m. California time (9 p.m. GMT) on November 25. The new launch time is 1 p.m. California time (9 p.m. GMT) on November 26.