SpaceX unveils large booster
Posted: Mon, Sep 12, 2005, 7:15 AM ET (1115 GMT)
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced last week that it has signed a contract for a new large rocket that will compete head-to-head with the largest expendable rockets on the market today. The Falcon 9 will be to place 9,500 kilograms into low Earth orbit in its baseline configuration for $27-35 million a launch; a heavy version will be able to launch up to 25,000 kilograms for $78 million. The company said it had already signed a contract with an unspecified government customer for a Falcon 9 launch in 2007. The Falcon 9, which uses nine engines in its first stage, will take development precedence over the Falcon 5, a medium-class vehicle that SpaceX announced in late 2003. SpaceX still plans to develop the Falcon 5 and make it available to customers in late 2007. SpaceX said that both the Falcon 5 and Falcon 9 are designed to be fully reusable, although that reusability is not factored into the launch costs the company has quoted. The first launch of the company's original launcher, the Falcon 1, is scheduled for the end of this month from Kwajalein.
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced last week that it has signed a contract for a new large rocket that will compete head-to-head with the largest expendable rockets on the market today. The Falcon 9 will be to place 9,500 kilograms into low Earth orbit in its baseline configuration for $27-35 million a launch; a heavy version will be able to launch up to 25,000 kilograms for $78 million. The company said it had already signed a contract with an unspecified government customer for a Falcon 9 launch in 2007. The Falcon 9, which uses nine engines in its first stage, will take development precedence over the Falcon 5, a medium-class vehicle that SpaceX announced in late 2003. SpaceX still plans to develop the Falcon 5 and make it available to customers in late 2007. SpaceX said that both the Falcon 5 and Falcon 9 are designed to be fully reusable, although that reusability is not factored into the launch costs the company has quoted. The first launch of the company's original launcher, the Falcon 1, is scheduled for the end of this month from Kwajalein.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, July 25
ESA statement on the wildfires near Cebreros
ESA — 10:51 am ET (1451 GMT) Does SpaceX’s plan for a data centre in space add up?
The Economist — 10:46 am ET (1446 GMT) Ispace Gets ESA Backing For Magpie Rover
Aviation Week — 10:38 am ET (1438 GMT) SpaceX Successfully Deploys First V3 Starlink Satellites As Starship Completes Thirteenth Test Flight
Swarajya — 10:34 am ET (1434 GMT) Ukraine Plans $1.1 Billion Satellite Constellation to Reduce Reliance on Starlink
Kyiv Post — 10:33 am ET (1433 GMT) |
