SpaceX to Launch from Cape Canaveral
Falcon will fly in late 2008 (updated)
by G B Leatherwood
In its press release dated September 9, 2008 (see below), Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX
) disclosed that it had been granted an Operational License from the US Air Force for the use of Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the Florida coast.
This marks a significant breakthrough for a private company to use a US government facilities for development, testing, and future commercial space flights, something that private industry has been working for over the years. Some have referred to this as the “stranglehold” NASA has wielded over the commercial development by limiting contracts for major vehicles, propulsion and guidance systems, and launch/recovery facilities to the major corporations such as Boeing,
McDonnell Douglas, et al., all under the NASA umbrella.
SpaceX was the winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competition and is now in a position to help fill the gap in US spaceflight to the
International Space Station
(
ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010.
SpaceX has developed three vehicles—Falcon 1, designed for small satellite and other payloads, and Falcon 9 and Falcon 9 Heavy for large payloads and human crew, and the human crew/cargo capsule named Dragon. Development of Falcon 9 Heavy will be expedited because it uses the same engines as Falcon 9 and needs only additional structural modifications that have already been engineered.
Despite three Falcon 1 launch mishaps, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is confident that, like Thomas Edison who said “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work,” the problems with the Falcon 1 stage separation have been identified and will be fixed before the next launch.
Falcon 9 uses nine liquid oxygen/rocket grade kerosene fueled engines (hence the name “Falcon 9”) which were successfully tested at full power at its Texas Test Facility outside McGregor, TX on July 30th. A second firing on August 1st completed a major NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) milestone almost two months early.
Further evidence of real progress toward successful commercial operation lies in work already completed at Cape Canaveral. A huge oxygen storage tank has been moved to SLC-40, and Brian Mosdell, Director of Florida Launch Operations for SpaceX said “…we expect to complete construction of our hangar later this year.”
The fourth test launch of Falcon 1 is scheduled for September or October 2008 from the Kwajalein Pacific island launch site, with the first test flight of Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral before the end of 2008.
Far from the usual enthusiastic speculation and ambitious promises, SpaceX appears to have taken serious realistic steps toward commercial operations in the next frontier.
PRESS RELEASE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- (Business Wire) -- Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has been granted an Operational License by the US Air Force for the use of Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the Florida coast. Receipt of the license, in conjunction with the approved Site Plan, paves the way for SpaceX to initiate Falcon 9 launch operations later this year.
"We are developing Falcon 9 to be a valuable asset to the American space launch fleet," said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. "The support we received from General Helms and the US Air Force has been immensely helpful in developing the pathfinder processes necessary for SpaceX to realize commercial space flights from the Cape."
"Our developments at Complex 40 continue with great speed," added Brian Mosdell, Director of Florida Launch Operations for SpaceX. "We have moved our massive oxygen storage tank into place, and expect to complete construction of our hangar later this year."
Mosdell cited other supporters instrumental to SpaceX's efforts including the members of the Florida congressional delegation, the USAF Space Command, Col. Scott Henderson, Commander, 45th Launch Group, Col. (ret.) Mark Bontrager, formerly Commander of the 45th Mission Support Group, the public-private partnership Space Florida, and the Space Coast Economic Development Commission.
In operation since 1965, and located south of NASA's launch sites for the Apollo moon missions and Space Shuttle flights, SLC-40 has hosted numerous historic launches, including the departure of two interplanetary missions: the Mars Observer satellite, and the Cassini spacecraft now exploring the rings and moons of the planet Saturn.
SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles, Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon 9 Heavy, to increase the reliability and cost effectiveness of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. Falcon 9 is a two-stage, liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene powered launch vehicle, offering breakthrough reliability derived from the nine-engine, single tank first stage configuration. Falcon 9 is the first American launch vehicle since the Saturn V to offer true engine out redundancy and reliability.
Falcon 9 can deliver up to 12,500 kg to low Earth orbit ( LEO) and 4,640 kg to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), while the Falcon 9 Heavy can loft 29,610 kg to
LEO and 15,010 kg to GTO. Both rockets will operate from SLC-40, and payloads to Earth and Geostationary orbits and beyond will include commercial satellites, cargo and crew supply missions to the
International Space Station (
ISS), and future orbiting destinations.
As a winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), SpaceX is in a position to help fill the gap in U.S. spaceflight to the
International Space Station (
ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010. Under the existing Agreement, SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for NASA, culminating in Dragon berthing with the
ISS. As the only COTS contender with the capability to return cargo and crew to Earth, NASA also has an option for SpaceX to demonstrate crew transport services to the
ISS.
Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team now numbers more than 500, located primarily in Hawthorne, California, with four additional locations: SpaceX's Texas Test Facility in McGregor near Waco; offices in Washington DC; and launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida; and the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific. The SpaceX manifest currently lists 11 missions, plus indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts with NASA and the US Air Force.
) disclosed that it had been granted an Operational License from the US Air Force for the use of Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the Florida coast. This marks a significant breakthrough for a private company to use a US government facilities for development, testing, and future commercial space flights, something that private industry has been working for over the years. Some have referred to this as the “stranglehold” NASA
has wielded over the commercial development by limiting contracts for major vehicles, propulsion and guidance systems, and launch/recovery facilities to the major corporations such as Boeing,
McDonnell Douglas, et al., all under the NASA umbrella. SpaceX
was the winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competition and is now in a position to help fill the gap in US spaceflight to the
International Space Station (
ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010. SpaceX
has developed three vehicles—Falcon 1, designed for small satellite and other payloads, and Falcon 9 and Falcon 9 Heavy for large payloads and human crew, and the human crew/cargo capsule named Dragon. Development of Falcon 9 Heavy will be expedited because it uses the same engines as Falcon 9 and needs only additional structural modifications that have already been engineered. Despite three Falcon 1
launch mishaps, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is confident that, like Thomas Edison who said “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work,” the problems with the Falcon 1 stage separation have been identified and will be fixed before the next launch. Falcon 9 uses nine liquid oxygen/rocket grade kerosene fueled engines (hence the name “Falcon 9”) which were successfully tested at full power at its Texas Test Facility outside McGregor, TX on July 30th. A second firing on August 1st completed a major NASA
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) milestone almost two months early. Further evidence of real progress toward successful commercial operation lies in work already completed at Cape Canaveral. A huge oxygen storage tank has been moved to SLC-40, and Brian Mosdell, Director of Florida Launch Operations for SpaceX
said “…we expect to complete construction of our hangar later this year.” The fourth test launch of Falcon 1
is scheduled for September or October 2008 from the Kwajalein Pacific island launch site, with the first test flight of Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral before the end of 2008. Far from the usual enthusiastic speculation and ambitious promises, SpaceX
appears to have taken serious realistic steps toward commercial operations in the next frontier. PRESS RELEASE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- (Business Wire) -- Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX
) has been granted an Operational License by the US Air Force for the use of Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the Florida coast. Receipt of the license, in conjunction with the approved Site Plan, paves the way for SpaceX to initiate Falcon 9 launch operations later this year. "We are developing Falcon 9 to be a valuable asset to the American space launch fleet," said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX
. "The support we received from General Helms and the US Air Force has been immensely helpful in developing the pathfinder processes necessary for SpaceX to realize commercial space flights from the Cape." "Our developments at Complex 40 continue with great speed," added Brian Mosdell, Director of Florida Launch Operations for SpaceX
. "We have moved our massive oxygen storage tank into place, and expect to complete construction of our hangar later this year." Mosdell cited other supporters instrumental to SpaceX
's efforts including the members of the Florida congressional delegation, the USAF Space Command, Col. Scott Henderson, Commander, 45th Launch Group, Col. (ret.) Mark Bontrager, formerly Commander of the 45th Mission Support Group, the public-private partnership Space Florida, and the Space Coast Economic Development Commission. In operation since 1965, and located south of NASA
's launch sites for the Apollo moon missions and Space Shuttle flights, SLC-40 has hosted numerous historic launches, including the departure of two interplanetary missions: the Mars Observer satellite, and the Cassini spacecraft now exploring the rings and moons of the planet Saturn. SpaceX
is developing a family of launch vehicles, Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon 9 Heavy, to increase the reliability and cost effectiveness of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. Falcon 9 is a two-stage, liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene powered launch vehicle, offering breakthrough reliability derived from the nine-engine, single tank first stage configuration. Falcon 9 is the first American launch vehicle since the Saturn V to offer true engine out redundancy and reliability. Falcon 9 can deliver up to 12,500 kg to low Earth orbit ( LEO
) and 4,640 kg to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), while the Falcon 9 Heavy can loft 29,610 kg to
LEO and 15,010 kg to GTO. Both rockets will operate from SLC-40, and payloads to Earth and Geostationary orbits and beyond will include commercial satellites, cargo and crew supply missions to the
International Space Station (
ISS), and future orbiting destinations. As a winner of the NASA
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), SpaceX is in a position to help fill the gap in U.S. spaceflight to the
International Space Station (
ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010. Under the existing Agreement, SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for NASA, culminating in Dragon berthing with the
ISS. As the only COTS contender with the capability to return cargo and crew to Earth, NASA also has an option for SpaceX to demonstrate crew transport services to the
ISS. Founded in 2002, the SpaceX
team now numbers more than 500, located primarily in Hawthorne, California, with four additional locations: SpaceX's Texas Test Facility in McGregor near Waco; offices in Washington DC; and launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida; and the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific. The SpaceX manifest currently lists 11 missions, plus indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts with NASA and the US Air Force. 