SpaceX
SpaceX Update 2
Wednesday, 17 June 2009 09:37 | Written by Geoff |
 Falcon 9 Flight 1 First Stage Engines Engine testing for the inaugural Falcon 9 flight proceeds at a rapid pace with no major problems or concerns. Six of the nine first stage flight engines have completed acceptance testing and all nine flight engines are on schedule to complete acceptance testing by mid July.  Merlin 1C first stage engine firing on the stand at our Texas testing facility. Second Stage Engines Our Merlin Vacuum engine (MVac), which powers the Falcon 9 second stage, entered development with a skirt temperature too hot for flight, but we have since tuned down the engine and brought the nozzle temperature within flight specifications. The MVac will complete development by month's end, with qualification testing to follow in July.  Merlin Vacuum (MVac) engine firing on the test stand in Texas. Like the smaller engine on our Falcon 1 second stage, during flight the MVac engine will also have a large radiatively cooled expansion nozzle to increase its performance in the vacuum of space. Launch Operations A key objective of taking Falcon 9 vertical at the Cape earlier this year was to validate ground systems interfaces and operations with the vehicle in its final flight configuration, prior to executing the launch campaign.  First Falcon 9 vehicle at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40, former launch site of the Titan IV rocket. The successful operation allowed us to validate several key interfaces and operations including:
Since that time, our RP-1 system has become operational, the cryogenic liquid oxygen handling system is nearing completion, and we have completed construction of our horizontal vehicle integration hangar. The Transporter Erector is getting reassembled into flight configuration and will be back into system level testing in mid July.  Exterior view of the vehicle integration building, located to the south of the launch pad.  Interior of the vehicle integration building showing the massive overhead crane system, each with a 20 ton lifting capacity. Our 125,000 gallon liquid oxygen storage sphere (shown below) and supporting pumping station are nearing completion and will undergo cryo shock testing in early July. Next up for completion at the launch site will be auxiliary systems like TEA-TEB handling, spin start support systems, engine purge and launch pad water deluge systems, and helium chill systems.  SpaceX update 16/06/2009
Wednesday, 17 June 2009 09:06 | Written by Geoff |
FORMER ASTRONAUT BOWERSOX JOINS SPACEX AS VICE PRESIDENT OF ASTRONAUT SAFETY AND MISSION ASSURANCE Hawthorne, CA – (June 16, 2009) – Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) announces Ken Bowersox as vice president of the newly formed Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance Department. He will be co-located in Houston, Texas, and SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Bowersox joins SpaceX with over 19 years of experience at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Selected to the astronaut corps in 1987, he has flown five times on NASA's Space Shuttle, serving as pilot, commander and mission specialist, and once on a Russian Soyuz, where he served as the flight engineer during descent. During his five orbital missions, Bowersox has logged over 211 days in space, including five and a half months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), where he was the mission commander of the 6th expedition. He was also a crew member for the first two Hubble Space Telescope repair flights and two United States Microgravity Laboratory flights. Subsequent to his mission aboard the ISS, Bowersox served as the director of the Johnson Space Center's Flight Crew Operations Directorate, where he was responsible for the NASA Astronaut Office and all aircraft operations at the Johnson Space Center. Most recently, Bowersox has been working as an independent aerospace consultant, serving on the NASA standing review boards for Space Shuttle, ISS, Constellation, Orion and the Constellation Suit System. "Ken Bowersox is a critical asset to the SpaceX team, as we prepare for crewed missions aboard our Dragon spacecraft," said Elon Musk, Founder and CEO of SpaceX. "His experience in the U.S. astronaut corps, and aboard the International Space Station, will be invaluable in shaping the future of commercial manned spaceflight." About SpaceX SpaceX is revolutionizing access to space with a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft designed to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. As a winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, culminating in Dragon berthing with the ISS. In addition, NASA recently selected the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for the ISS Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract award. The contract includes 12 flights between 2010 and 2015 and represents a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg to be carried to the ISS. Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team now numbers more than 700 full time employees, located primarily in Hawthorne, California, with additional locations, including 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. Photo Caption: Ken Bowersox named Vice President of Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance Spacex
Tuesday, 02 June 2009 09:01 | Written by Administrator |
SPACEX AND ATSB ANNOUNCE NEW LAUNCH DATE FOR RAZAKSAT SATELLITE Hawthorne, CA (June 1, 2009) – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn Bhd (ATSB) of Malaysia announce a new launch window has been set for Falcon 1 Flight 5, carrying the RazakSAT satellite to orbit. The launch window opens Monday, July 13th and extends through Tuesday, July 14th, with a daily window to open at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) / 7:00 p.m. (EDT). The launch was delayed last month after SpaceX identified the potential for an unfavorable interaction between the satellite and the launch vehicle. After further analysis, SpaceX determined the implementation of a simple vibration isolation system would address this concern. SpaceX selected the SoftRide isolation system from CSA Engineering for this purpose, citing the system's strong flight heritage and established success in addressing vibration concerns. Falcon 1, a two-stage, liquid oxygen/rocket-grade kerosene vehicle designed from the ground up by SpaceX, will place the RazakSAT satellite, equipped with a high resolution Medium-Sized Aperture Camera (MAC), into a near equatorial orbit. RazakSAT was designed and built by ATSB, a pioneer and leader in the design and manufacture of satellites in Malaysia. The satellite is expected to provide high resolution images of Malaysia that can be applied to land management, resource development and conservation, forestry and fish migration. SpaceX's Falcon 1 launch site is located approximately 2500 miles southwest of Hawaii on Omelek Island, part of the Reagan Test Site (RTS) at United States Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) in the Central Pacific. Due to the location of the launch site, the Kwajalein local date at the opening of the launch window will be Tuesday, July 14th. SpaceX will provide live coverage of the Falcon 1 Flight 5/RazakSAT mission via webcast at: www.SpaceX.com. The webcast will begin 20 minutes prior to launch and will include mission briefings, live feeds and launch coverage from the launch site. Post-launch, video footage and photos will be available for download on the Web site. About SpaceX SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 vehicles, SpaceX offers highly reliable/cost-efficient launch capabilities for spacecraft insertion into any orbital altitude and inclination. Starting in 2010, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will provide Earth–to-LEO transport of pressurized and unpressurized cargo, including resupply to the International Space Station (ISS). Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team now numbers over 700, with corporate headquarters in Hawthorne, California. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.spacex.com . About ATSB® Astronautic Technology Sdn. Bhd. (ATSB) was established to thrust Malaysia into the orbit of nations with space satellite technology. ATSB focuses on research and development in the area of design and development of space qualified systems employing advanced and innovative technologies. As the pioneer and leader in the small satellite business in Malaysia, ATSB has recorded numerous achievements within a short span of time. These include the design, development, launch and operation of Malaysia's first micro-satellite, the TiungSAT-1. This hereditary knowledge leads to the design and development of the second micro-satellite, the RazakSAT and also the undertaking of Malaysia's high-technology intensive programmes. For more information, please visit the company's Web site at www.atsb.my About CSA Engineering CSA Engineering delivers products and services in vibration suppression, precision motion and noise control. CSA has a 27-year history of meeting customer needs in government programs and commercial products, specializing in aerospace vehicles, structures and components. A three-time winner of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) awards, CSA was named the National Small Business Government Contractor for the year 2002. CSA was also acknowledged with the SBIR Tibbetts Award, and has received commendations from Boeing, Lockheed, NASA, Orbital Sciences, TRW and others. CSA Engineering is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Moog Inc. and is part of Moog's Space and Defense Group. For more information, please visit the company's Web site at www.csaengineering.com . |
