"The firststage should be currently floating around the Pacific Ocean, with our recoveryboat in hot pursuit," Musk said after Tuesday's launch. The rocket'sfirst stage is designed to be reusable, and carries parachutes to slow itsdescent and make a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean for later retrieval andrefurbishment. Standingabout 68 feet (21 meters) tall, SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket is a two-stage boosterdesigned to carry satellite payloads of up to 1,256 pounds (570 kilograms) intolow-Earth orbit for a flat price of about $7 million per space shot. "The delay of one year was used to allow us to develop the Falcon1, version two." "It didn'ttake us one year to build the new rocket," Musk told before Tuesday'sspace shot. Initially attributed to human error, the failed launch was ultimately found tobe the result of a corroded aluminum nut, prompting the El Segundo,California-based firm to institute a host of rocketand ground facility improvements. Tuesday's launchmarked SpaceX's second Falcon 1 test flight after a fuelleak and fire led to the failure of its inaugural space shot last year. office are celebrating with champagne," Gwynne Shotwell,SpaceX vice president of business development, told reporters after the launch."Falcon 1 clearly got to space." DefenseAdvanced Research Projects Agency to prove the booster's capabilities, thoughthe rocket also carried a 110-pound (50-kilogram) set of experiments, includingan automated flight safety system, low-cost satellite communications transceiver,and mechanical payload adapter ring. SpaceXlaunched the Falcon 1 rocket primarily as a demonstration for the U.S. "Wesuccessfully reached space, and really retired almost all of the riskassociated with the rocket," Musk added. The factthat the Falcon 1 rocket lifted off from its Kwajalein Atoll launch site in thePacific Ocean, experienced successful first-stage and payload fairingseparations - as well as the ignition of its second stage - proved that hundreds ofbooster improvements incorporated into the vehicle since its f irstMarch 2006 failure were a success, the SpaceX chief said. "The rocket business is definitely not alow-stress business, that's for sure, but I don't think I'm disappointed. "This was apretty nerve-wracking day," Musk said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |