SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket launched
The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket made a successful launch into orbit on September 29, 2008. The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket has been privately funded by multimillionaire CEO and CTO of SpaceX (Space Exploration Technology Corp.) Elon Musk. This was SpaceX’s fourth effort to launch the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket into orbit.
- The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket
The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket was launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the Central Pacific, 2500 miles southwest of Hawaii. The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket lifted off at 4:15 p.m. (PDT) /23:15 (UTC) from the Reagan Test Site (RTS) on Omelek Island.
The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket reached orbital velocity at 00:26 UK time. The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket achieved an elliptical orbit of 500 km by 700 km, 9.2 degrees inclination according to early information.
The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket is a new rocket designed by SpaceX. With the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket, SpaceX wants to be the pioneer in providing affordable access to space for smaller satellites.
The SpaceX Falcon rocket did not carry any commercial or scientific payload on this mission. The SpaceX Falcon 1 carried only a hexagonal aluminum alloy, a payload mass simulator – that simulates an actual
payload. The payload mass simulator, with mass of approximately 165 kg or 364 lbs, allowed the payload to remain attached to the second stage as it orbits Earth.
SpaceX’s earlier efforts to launch the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket into orbit did not work out but this time SpaceX was able to fix all the glitches to achieve a successful launch into orbit for SpaceX Falcon 1.
The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket is a liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) powered launch vehicle, comprising two stages.
The SpaceX Falcon 1 merlin 1c engine
The SpaceX Falcon 1 used the SpaceX-developed Merlin 1C regeneratively-cooled engine for this mission. This was the second time that the Merlin 1 C engine was used in a Falcon mission. According to SpaceX, a “hold before liftoff” system was used to enhance reliability by permitting all launch systems to be verified as functioning nominally before launch was initiated.
The SpaceX Falcon1 rocket liftoff
The second stage of the SpaceX Falcon 1 launch was powered by a single SpaceX-developed Kestrel engine powered the Falcon.
Flush with the success of the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket launch, SpaceX is now working on a rocket design on a bigger scale, called the SpaceX Falcon 9. With the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX aims to send astronauts into space with the a Dragon capsule, that is in the works. The SpaceX Falcon 9 will be able to carry large loads to orbit.
Musk has been quoted as saying, “This is a great day for SpaceX and the culmination of an enormous amount of work by a great team. The data shows we achieved a super precise orbit insertion—middle of the bull’s-eye — and then went on to coast and restart the second stage, which was icing on the cake.”
SpaceX wants to offer light, medium and heavy lift capabalities to launch spacecrafts into altitudes and inclinations of their choice, using the SpaceX Falcon series of vehicles.
SpaceX, the NASA COTS winner, will implement three SpaceX Falcon 9 launches and Dragon spacecraft for NASA.
The first SpaceX Falcon 9 will be ready for its maiden flight in 2009, and will arrive at its launch site at Cape Canaveral by 2008 end for launch preparation.
SpaceX will bring out an updated version of the SpaceX Falcon 1, the SpaceX Falcon 1e, in 2010.
The price per flight of the Falcon 1 is $7.9M while the Falcon 1e is expected to be priced at $9.1M.