Tag: Falcon 9 V1.1

SpaceX Completes First Development for Falcon V 1.1

SpaceX Completes First Development for Falcon V 1.1

Wacotrib.com reports via its Joe Science blog, the following notification from  SpaceX received Thursday evening. “SpaceX completed first-stage development testing on June 19 with a test fire.  This test achieved all verifications needed following earlier stage testing, and with this test we have achieved the equivalent of nearly two full mission duty cycles on the integrated stage.  […]

Roundup: SpaceX Adds Launch Orders,  Lots in Texas

Roundup: SpaceX Adds Launch Orders, Lots in Texas

Two week ending notes for SpaceX.  In a report in Space News, SpaceX has received orders for two launches, one of which dates back to the last time the Falcon 1(e) was on the manifest. As observers may recall, the company had listed a Falcon 1E launch for Astrium for some period of time, only to […]

Posted in: NASA, SpaceX
SpaceX Conducts New Test

SpaceX Conducts New Test

Although there has been no official word from SpaceX, nor even a tweet from Elon Musk,  according to Wacotrib.com Space X apparently conducted another moderately long duration test of the Falcon 9-R Wednesday evening.   It is unclear just how long the test lasted with witnesses saying it was “about a minute.”  NASAspaceflight.com has a […]

SpaceX Takes Another Step into EELV Market

SpaceX Takes Another Step into EELV Market

The U.S. Air  Force Space and Missile  Systems Center announced yesterday that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Space Exploration Technologies Corp., paving the way for the company to take the next steps along the pathway to entering the EELV business as outlined in the New Entrants Certification Guide which was introduced in October 2011.  […]

SpaceX Conducts First Firing for Falcon 9-R

SpaceX Conducts First Firing for Falcon 9-R

Based on a tweet from company founder Elon Musk, it appears that SpaceX has begun full-scale testing of all 9 engines for the Falcon 9-R  at the company’s McGregor, Texas development facility.  Musk tweeted  ” 1st firing of Falcon -R advanced prototype rocket. Over 1M lbs thrust,  enough to lift a skyscraper,”  accompanied by the image above.  Musk later clarified the comparison […]

NASA Seeks Tenant for Pad 39A

NASA Seeks Tenant for Pad 39A

It is starting to look like a case of too little, too late for the Kennedy Space Center.  After KSC Director Bob Cabana earlier this week seemed to reluctantly conceed that NASA would not stand in the way of Space Florida’s proposed commercial spaceport near Shiloh,  provided it passes environmental  review,  KSC released a synopsis today outlining its plans to […]

Posted in: NASA
SpaceX Fairing Separation Video

SpaceX Fairing Separation Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LtI1V624vWM SpaceX  has released this video of a fairing separation test being conducted at NASA’s Plum Brook Station, part of the Glenn Research Center.   In designing the composite fairing, SpaceX kept with its overall philosophy of both in-house production as well as a preference for pneumatic separation systems which can be tested before flight. Market leader Arianespace […]

Posted in: SpaceX
SpaceX Nears EELV Certification Plan

SpaceX Nears EELV Certification Plan

  Aviation Week is reporting that SpaceX and the U.S. Air Force are “days away” from finalizing details for a certification plan which would allow the company to compete for national security launches aboard its Falcon 9 V1.1 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles.  Having already won two launch orders under the Air Force’s separate Orbital/Suborbital-3  (OPS-3)  program, which […]

SpaceX, Virgin Galactic Tests Could Mean a Big Week Ahead for NewSpace

SpaceX, Virgin Galactic Tests Could Mean a Big Week Ahead for NewSpace

This week could see  significant developments for two of the most visible companies in NewSpace.  Things got off to an early start with a tweet from Elon Musk dated 5:54 AM Sunday, announcing an ignition test for the “Falcon 9-R (reusable) ignition system.”  The nomenclature is interesting,  as it might have been expected to be identified as the  […]

Falcon 9 Fairing Testing

Falcon 9 Fairing Testing

One of the challenges standing between SpaceX and the debut of the Falcon 9 V1.1  is  completing testing of the enormous payload fairing which will protect commercial spacecraft on rides to orbit aboard the new booster.  The 5.2 meter diameter fairing with a  13.9 meter usable length which will be among the largest in the world, is built by SpaceX  and is […]

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