CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is targeting an earliest possible launch date of June 4 for the maiden flight of the company's Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Lingering issues with processing all of the paperwork necessary in order for the U.S. Air Force, which runs the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral, to give final approval for launch have repeatedly pushed back the launch date.
"Due to delays in the recent GPS satellite launch, Air Force range safety officials unfortunately did not have the resources to process our final documentation," said a SpaceX representative in an email update today. "SpaceX is now looking at no earlier than Friday, June 4th for its first test launch attempt. Will let you know the confirmed date and time as soon as we know." LAUNCH HAZARD AREA • READ (PDF) RESTRICTED AIRSPACE MAP • READ (PDF) FALCON-9 USER'S GUIDE • READ (PDF) SPACEX BROCHURE • READ (PDF) Hopes are riding high for a successful flight of the Falcon 9 rocket and SpaceX has pinned its hopes for future work with NASA on the success of the new launch vehicle. President Obama's Fiscal Year 2011 budget request for NASA proposes scrapping the Constellation program to return astronauts ot the Moon, and the Ares I rocket that would have also ferried astronauts to the International Space Station. Instead, NASA would invest billions of dollars in private companies developing the capability to carry cargo and crews to the space station. SpaceX already has a contract to conduct a dozen unmanned cargo-only resupply flights to ISS using the Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule. Falcon 9 is 180 feet long and 12 feet wide at its base and weighs between 733,800 and 735,000 pounds at liftoff, depending on whether it is launch to low-Earth or Geosynchronous orbit. The rocket's 9 Merlin-1C engines generate a total vacuum thrust of 1,110,000 pounds of thrust. Whether or not SpaceX is eventually successful, the focus for now is on the inaugural Falcon 9 launch. Once the issues with the Flight Termination System and paperwork are resolved, that should clear SpaceX to conduct its first launch from Cape Canaveral. "As we continue to progress towards the first Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral, certification of the flight termination system (FTS) and subsequent range availability remain the two primary schedule drivers," states a recent launch update on the SpaceX website. "Air Force Range safety requires the FTS system, which allows them to safely end the launch should the vehicle stray from its designated flight corridor. The system consists of a command receiver and an ordnance system designed to split the vehicle's fuel and liquid oxygen tanks in the event of an errant flight. "SpaceX is working closely with Ensign Bickford to complete testing of the explosive elements of the FTS system, but there are other components, such as the FTS radios, antennas and the transponder that come from other suppliers as well. All of these components must be qualified specifically for our flight environments, so unfortunately, it is not simply a case of buying “off the shelf”. "FTS testing is an iterative process where the number of remaining tests depends on the results of previous tests, making it very difficult to predict a completion date. Once testing is complete, final data is submitted to SpaceX and Air Force Range safety officials for review and acceptance. Much of the range calendar for May is already reserved for other activities, so range availability will be a key factor in identifying a launch date. Fortunately the FTS is the last remaining significant milestone--the vehicle is otherwise ready for flight, so once we complete certification, we will be “all systems go” for launch." (The Spacearium / SpaceflightNews.net)
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