Friday, June 4, 2010

Falcon in Flight


The Falcon flew today, but luckily, this time it doesn't involved a crazy balloon and a cross county police chase. Even though this launch was also somewhat of a publicity stunt, it makes sense. Space Exploration Technologies, known widely as SpaceX, successfully launched their Falcon 9 rocket today, topped with a dummy version of their Dragon capsule. This launch is significant in the fact that the Falcon 9 rocket is their primary vehicle that would be used to supply the International Space Station and possibly eventually fly NASA astronauts (or private astronauts) to orbit.

SpaceX is one of the few new commercial space flight companies that are developing space faring vehicles for public use. (Some of the other companies being Virgin Galactic, XCOR Aerospace, Bigelow Aerospace, and Orbital Sciences Corporation). It is also the leading private company in spaceflight. NASA awarded SpaceX (and Orbital Sciences Corporation) contracts for resupplying the ISS once the shuttle fleet is retired and while a new NASA space vehicle is developed. SpaceX plans for three space launch vehicles. The Falcon 1, the Falcon 9, and the Falcon 9 Heavy.

The Falcon 1 first test launched in the fall of 2008, and carried it's first commercial payload on July 13, 2009. It is a smaller sized rocket with an emphasis on reliability. It can launch a 1010kg payload into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for $10.9M (According to estimates, the Space Shuttle can launch the same payload for $44.4M). It is a two stage, liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene fueled vehicle with a launch thrust of 115,000 lbf (for comparison, the shuttle launches with 5,600,000 lbf).

The Falcon 9 Heavy, not yet developed, will be a version of the Falcon 9 with extra boosters on the side. It will be able to carry a payload of around 32,000lbs to LEO.

The Falcon 9, launched today, is larger sized version of the Falcon 1. It uses the same fuel mixture and is also a two stage rocket. It is a bit over twice the size of the Falcon 1. It launches to LEO but also to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GEO, the orbit where GPS satellites sit, rotating at the same speed of the Earth, so they are always in the same place). Launch costs to LEO average at $48.6M for between 8,560kg to 10,450kg. Launch cost to GEO average the same, but for payloads around 4,600kg. (According to estimates, the Space Shuttle can launch the same LEO payload average around $418.2M. It can not launch directly to GEO). Falcon 9 has a launch thrust of 1,110,000 lbf in space.

The launch today seemed to go as planned. Although the first launch attempt was aborted at T-2 seconds to liftoff, this was reported to be a feature, not a bug; a safety measure to help ensure there is nothing wrong with the rocket at launch. The vehicle did liftoff the second time around, with the vehicle payload making it to orbit. The only reported mistake so far came when the recovery ships arrived to recover the first stage of the rocket. Apparently, the parachute to slow the decent did not deploy, and it hit hard on the water breaking into pieces. This is the reason for test launches, and the problem is sure to be corrected.

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