SpaceX

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SpaceX

Type	Private
Founded	2002
Headquarters	Hawthorne, California
Key people	Elon Musk: CEO and CTO
Industry	Aerospace
Products	Orbital rocket launch Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
Employees	800
Website	spacex.com

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is an American space transport company founded by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk. It has developed the Falcon 1 and is developing the Falcon 9, both of which are partially reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX is also developing the Dragon series of spacecraft to be orbited by Falcon 9 launchers. SpaceX designs, tests and fabricates the majority of their components in-house, including the Merlin, Kestrel, and Draco rocket engines.

Originally based in El Segundo, SpaceX now operates out of Hawthorne, California.

Contents 1 Background 2 Space vehicles 2.1 Falcon 1 2.2 Falcon 9 2.3 Dragon 3 Launcher versions 3.1 Cancelled launcher designs 4 Launch sites 5 References 6 External links 6.1 Articles

[edit] Background

SpaceX was founded in June 2002 by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk who had invested US$100 million of his own money by March 2006.^[1] On 4 August 2008, SpaceX accepted a further US$20 million investment from the Founders Fund.^[2]

SpaceX grew from 160 employees in November 2005 to more than 500 by July 2008.^[3][4] The launch crew in the Marshall Islands has 25 people with 6 in mission control. This small number, compared to similar space launch companies is part of Musk's design to reduce costs. Musk believes the high prices of other space-launch services are driven in part by unnecessary bureaucracy. He has stated that one of his goals is to improve the cost and reliability of access to space, ultimately by a factor of ten.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2005, SpaceX bought a 10% stake in Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.^[5]

On 18 August 2006, SpaceX announced that it has won a NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract to demonstrate cargo delivery to the International Space Station with a possible option for crew transport.^[6]

On 23 December 2008, SpaceX announced that it had won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract, which guarantees NASA missions worth US$1.6 billion for resupplying the International Space Station, after the Space Shuttle retires in 2010.^[7]

[edit] Space vehicles

SpaceX is manufacturing two main space launch vehicles; the Falcon 1 which made its first successful flight on September 28, 2008, and the large EELV class Falcon 9 which is scheduled to have its first launch in 2009. A Falcon 5 launcher was also planned, but its development was stopped in favor of the Falcon 9. SpaceX is also designing the SpaceX Dragon, a human-rated orbital vehicle that will be launched on top of a Falcon 9 rocket.

On May 2, 2005, SpaceX announced that it had been awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Responsive Small Spacelift (RSS) launch services by the United States Air Force, which could allow the Air Force to purchase up to $100,000,000 worth of launches from the company.^[8] On April 22, 2008, NASA announced that it had awarded an IDIQ Launch Services contract to SpaceX for Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launches. The contract will be worth between $20,000 and $1 billion, depending on the number of missions awarded. The contract covers launch services ordered by June 30, 2010, for launches through December 2012.^[9]

Elon Musk stated in the same April 22 announcement that SpaceX has sold 14 contracts for flights on the various Falcon vehicles.^[10]

On June 16, 2009, SpaceX announced the opening of its Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance Department. It hired former NASA astronaut Ken Bowersox to oversee the department as a vice president of the company.^[11]

[edit] Falcon 1

The Falcon 1 is a small, partially reusable rocket capable of placing several hundred kilograms into low earth orbit. It also functions as a testbed for developing concepts and components for the larger Falcon 9.

The Falcon 1 succeeded in reaching orbit at its fourth attempt on September 28, 2008, becoming the first privately funded, liquid-fueled rocket to do so.^[12]

The Falcon 1 carried its first successful commercial payload into orbit on July 13, 2009. This was the fifth launch of the Falcon 1.^[13]

[edit] Falcon 9

On 8 September 2005, SpaceX announced the development of the Falcon 9 rocket, which was to have nine Merlin engines in its first stage.^[14][15][16] The design is an EELV-class vehicle, intended to compete with the Delta IV and the Atlas V rockets. Both stages were designed for reuse. A similarly designed Falcon 5 rocket was also envisioned to fit between the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9, but development was dropped to concentrate on the Falcon 9.^[17]

The company purchased the McGregor, Texas testing facilities of defunct Beal Aerospace, where it refit the largest test stand at the facilities for Falcon 9 testing. On 22 November 2008, the stand tested the nine Merlin 1C engines of the Falcon 9, which deliver 350-metric-tons-force (3.4-meganewtons) of thrust, well under the stand's capacity of 1,500 metric-tons-force (15 meganewtons).^[18]

Company plans in 2004 called for "development of a heavy lift product and even a super-heavy, if there is customer demand" with each size increase resulting in a significant decrease in cost per pound to orbit. Projected dollar cost per pound to orbit could drop from $4,000 to $1,300 ($8,800/kg to $2,900/kg) between Falcon 1 and the five-engine concept vehicle, Falcon 5. CEO Elon Musk said: "I believe $500 per pound ($1,100/kg) or less is very achievable."^[19]

The Falcon 9 vehicle was integrated at Cape Canaveral on 30 December 2008. NASA was planning for a flight to take place in January 2010.^[20]

SpaceX revealed in a June 2009 AIAA presentation another future plan, the Raptor project to create a higher performance LOX/liquid hydrogen second stage.^[21]

[edit] Dragon

SpaceX announced plans to pursue a manned commercial space program through the end of the decade.^[22]

On Friday 18 August 2006, NASA announced that the company was one of two selected to provide crew and cargo resupply demonstration contracts to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. SpaceX will demonstrate crew and cargo resupply using the SpaceX Dragon, a conventional blunt-cone ballistic capsule, which is capable of carrying 7 persons or a mixture of personnel and cargo to and from low Earth orbit.^[23] It will be launched atop a Falcon 9 vehicle. The nose cone of the vehicle has a hinged cap, which opens to reveal a standard ISS Common Berthing Mechanism, which allows the Dragon to dock to the U.S. segment of the ISS. NASA's plan calls for SpaceX demonstration flights between 2008 and 2010. SpaceX may receive up to $278 million if it meets all NASA milestones.^[24][25][26]

First flight of Dragon is planned for 2009 from Cape Canaveral.^[27]

[edit] Launcher versions

Launcher Versions	Falcon 1	Falcon 1e	Falcon 9	Falcon 9 Heavy
Stage 1	1 × Merlin 1A (2006-2007); 1 x Merlin 1C (2008 ff) [28]	1 x Merlin 1C	9 × Merlin 1C	3 boosters with 9 × Merlin 1C each
Stage 2	1 × Kestrel	1 x Kestrel	1 × Merlin 1C	1 × Merlin 1C
Height (max; m)	21.3	26.83	50 or 54	54
Diameter (m)	1.7	1.7	3.6	3.6
Initial thrust (kN)	318	454	3,400	12,258
Takeoff weight (tonnes)	27.2	38.56	325	885
Fairing diameter (Inner; m)	1.5	1.71	3.6 or 5.2	5.2
Payload (LEO; kg)	570	1010 (430 to SSO)	9,900	27,500
Payload (GTO; kg)	—	—	4,900	12,000
Price (Mil. USD)	6.7	9.1	In 2005 announced as 27 with 12 ft (3.7 m) payload fairing; 35 with 17 ft (5.2 m) fairing to LEO[17]. In 2009: 44 or 49.5 to LEO or GTO with 5.2 m (17 ft) fairing[29]	90 to LEO or between 55 and 90 (according to Satellite Mass) to GEO
minimal Price/kg (LEO; USD)	11,754	9,010 (21,163 to SSO)	4,737	3,273
minimal Price/kg (GTO; USD)	—	—	10,903	7,826
Success ratio (successful/total)	2/5	—	—	—

^{[30] [31] [32] [33] [34]}

[edit] Cancelled launcher designs

• Falcon 5

[edit] Launch sites

• Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, Omelek Island
• Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Space Launch Complex 40
• Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3

All Falcon 1 launches have taken place at Omelek Island.
All Falcon 9 launches on the SpaceX manifest are planned for Cape Canaveral SLC-40.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

This article's external links may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Falcon rockets

• SpaceX official website
  • Maiden flight slide presentation (pdf)
• Full Summons and Complaint by SpaceX against Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation (October 23, 2005)
• Notes from SpaceX pre-launch conference (Michael Belfiore, November 18, 2005)
• Kwajalein Atoll and Rockets (Candid and highly unofficial blog by Elon Musk's brother Kimbal, with on-site pictures and reporting.)
• Latest Space Fellowship SpaceX News (Space Fellowship)
• Video of Elon Musk discussing his interest in enabling human missions to Mars (YouTube, May 11, 2009)

[edit] Articles

• Private firms to haul ISS cargo (BBC, December 30, 2008)
• A tour/interview of SpaceX (The Space Review, February 27 - March 13, 2006): Parts 2, 3, 4
• The SpaceX Dragon: America's First Privately Financed Manned Orbital Spacecraft? (SpaceRef, March 6, 2006)
• A bold plan to go where men have gone before (New York Times, February 5, 2006)
• Interview with Elon Musk and VP of Development Operations (NasaSpaceFlight.com, January 20, 2006)
• Big plans for SpaceX (The Space Review, November 14, 2005)
• Shooting the Moon (Discover Magazine cover article, September 2005)
• Space X, with video interviews (ScienCentral News, August 12, 2005)
• SpaceX Private Rocket Shifts to Island Launch (Space.com, August 12, 2005)
• Privately-made Falcon 1 rocket roars on the pad (Spaceflight Now, May 27, 2005)
• Private rocketeer looks to August flight (Space.com, May 23, 2005)
• Small firm fired up to test new rocket (Santa Maria Times, April 27, 2005)
• Hondas in Space (Fast Company, February 2005)
• SpaceX starting small as it dreams of grand plans (Spaceflight Now, January 20, 2005)
• Broadcast interviews with Elon Musk about SpaceX (The Space Show)

v • d • e SpaceX Vehicles Falcon 1  · Falcon 5  · Falcon 9  · Dragon  · Raptor Engines Merlin  · Kestrel  · Draco Launch Sites Cape Canaveral  · Vandenberg AFB  · Omelek Island Missions Falcon 1 Flight 1 (2006)  · Flight 2 (2007)  · Flight 3 (2008)  · Flight 4 (2008)  · Flight 5 (2009) Falcon 9 (none) Contracts Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS)  · Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)