Posted by
mwallis on
7 January 2010, 6:05 pm
Inaugural Falcon 9 / Dragon Flight Hardware Update
Monday, January 4, 2010
The SpaceX team kicked off 2010 with the successful full duration orbit insertion firing of the Falcon 9 second stage at our Texas test site (details below). This was the final stage firing required for launch, so the second stage will soon be packaged for shipment and should arrive at Cape Canaveral by end of month. Depending on how well full vehicle integration goes, launch should occur one to three months later.
2009 was an exciting year for SpaceX. In July, with the successful launch of RazakSAT, Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to put a commercial satellite in orbit. That same month, DragonEye — SpaceX's Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor — launched on NASA's STS-127 shuttle mission and successfully completed flight system trials in preparation for guiding the Dragon spacecraft as it approaches the International Space Station. We also hosted the first astronaut training day at our Hawthorne headquarters in preparation for flights to the Space Station.
Last year also saw the successful arc jet testing of PICA-X, SpaceX's high performance heat shield material developed in collaboration with NASA, which will be used to protect our Dragon spacecraft on reentry. And our Merlin Vacuum engine demonstrated the highest efficiency ever for an American hydrocarbon rocket engine. SpaceX also signed deals with several key customers, including CONAE (Argentina’s National Commission on Space Activity), Astrium and Orbcomm.
The ongoing evolution of the commercial space industry was recently featured as the cover story (“The New Space Rush”) in Popular Science magazine. The article provided a great perspective on the industry as a whole, but I disagree with the subheading, “Who Needs NASA?”. If you read the article, it's clear their intent was just to convey excitement for the developments in commercial space, but obviously NASA is and always will be critical to the future of space exploration, particularly at the outer edge where there is no commercial market. Without NASA, SpaceX certainly would not be where it is today.
As we get closer to our first Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX would like to thank NASA, the Air Force, the FAA, and our commercial customers for their continued support. And, of course, I would like to thank the whole SpaceX team for their unwavering commitment to our company and our mission, especially over these last few months. Through their hard work and dedication, 2010 promises to be another great year.
–Elon–
Continue reading ‘Falcon 9 Ready To Fly’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
5 January 2010, 5:36 pm
Person Of The Year: The Space Entrepreneur … features Dave Masten and Xoie!
Aviation Week’s article starts out:
The quiet work of space entrepreneurs is becoming reality, and metal and fire are streaking through the upper atmosphere into low Earth orbit. (Photo: Chad Slattery)….
Working quietly in the background since the days of viewgraphs, a group of space entrepreneurs has long been pitching far-fetched ideas to skeptical moneymen with the fervor of evangelists. Now their viewgraphs—updated to Powerpoint and CAD/CAM—are becoming reality, and metal and fire are streaking through the upper atmosphere into low Earth orbit.
While not mentioning E.R.P.S. by name, amateur liquid fuel rocketry is talked about as where he got started in space development until “… it got to the point with these projects where I couldn’t do it all on weekends and evenings anymore.”
Posted by
mwallis on
15 December 2009, 9:12 pm
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Attending:
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Gerald N, Ed S, Stallen L, Julie P, Stu C and Michael W
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Call to order:
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The meeting was called to order by Vice President Julie P. at 20:15 on Dec. 15th, 2009.
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Continue reading ‘General Meeting #345’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
16 November 2009, 2:39 pm
Playa Vista, Calif. (November 13, 2009) – A team of scientists from NASA announced today that significant amounts of water ice have been found at the Moon’s South Pole. This landmark finding, achieved through analysis of the material blasted from the lunar surface as part of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, provides a great boon to an international community of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs cultivating a new era of lunar exploration. The announcement also builds upon the groundbreaking research conducted by both NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization, which recently revealed trace amounts of water distributed across the Moon’s surface, previously thought to be more dehydrated that the driest deserts of Earth. Continue reading ‘Water Confirmed At Lunar South Pole’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
6 November 2009, 12:37 pm
From left to right:
George Nield (FAA);
Charlie Bolden (NASA);
Doug Comstock(NASA);
David Masten (Masten Space Systems);
Phil Eaton (Armadillo Aerospace);
Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX 4th);
Peter Diamandis (X PRIZE);
Mitch Waldman (Northrop Grumman)
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NASA’s Centennial Challenges program awarded $1.65 million in prize money today to the winners of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. Masten Space Systems and Armadillo Aerospace are the two innovative aerospace companies that successfully met the challenge, simulating landing a spacecraft on the moon and lifting off again.
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden along with Doug Comstock, Director of NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program, presented first place winner David Masten, CEO of Masten Space Systems, Mojave, Calif., a check for $1 million and Phil Eaton of Armadillo Aerospace, Rockwall, Texas, the second place check for $500,000 for meeting the level 2 requirements of the competition. In addition, Masten received a check for $150,000 for second place in the less demanding level 1 of the competition. Armadillo won the $350,000 first place prize for level 1 last year.
Other leaders from government and industry were on hand to give remarks and help present the awards, including: Congressmen Ralph Hall of Texas and Adam Schiff of California, Tom Kalil, Deputy Director for Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Dr. George Nield, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration; Mitch Waldman, Vice President for Advanced Programs and Technology, Northrop Grumman and Dr. Peter Diamandis, Chairman, X PRIZE Foundation.
The competition was managed for NASA by the X PRIZE Foundation. The Northrop Grumman Corporation is a commercial sponsor that provided operating funds to the X PRIZE Foundation. The award ceremony was held at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington.
Continue reading ‘NASA LLC Ceremony’ »