- Falcon 9
Infobox rocket
name =Falcon 9
caption =Falcon 9 (left) and Falcon 9 Heavy (right)
function =Man-rated re-usable heavyorbit allaunch vehicle
manufacturer =SpaceX
country-origin =United States
cpl-year =2006
cpl = Normal: $35m (USD )
Heavy: $78m (USD )
height =54 m
alt-height =178 ft
diameter =3.60 m
alt-diameter =12 ft
mass = 325,000 kg
alt-mass =716,000 lb
stages = 2
LEO-payload = Normal: 9,900 kg
Heavy: 27,500 kg
alt-LEO =
payload-location = GTO
payload = Normal: 4,900 kg
Heavy: 12,000 kg
alt-payload =
status = In Development
sites =Omelek Island
LC-40 Cape Canaveral
first=Normal:2009 (planned)
Heavy:2010 (planned)
boosters =2
diff = Falcon 9 Heavy
boosterengines =9 Merlin 1C
boosterthrust =4,086 kN
alt-boosterthrust =918,000 lbf
boosterSI =Sea level : 255 sec (2.6 kN/kg)Vacuum : 304 sec (3.0 kN/kg)
boostertime = Unknown
boosterfuel =LOX /RP-1
stage1engines =9 Merlin 1C
stage1thrust =4,086 kN
alt-stage1thrust =918,000 lbf
stage1SI =Sea level : 255 sec (2.6 kN/kg)Vacuum : 304 sec (3.0 kN/kg)
stage1time = Unknown
stage1fuel =LOX /RP-1
stage2engines =1 Merlin 1C (vacuum modified)
stage2thrust =513 kN
alt-stage2thrust =115,400 lbf
stage2SI =Vacuum : 304 sec (3.07 kN/kg)
stage2time =345 seconds
stage2fuel =LOX /RP-1 The Falcon 9 is anEELV classlaunch vehicle planned bySpaceX and scheduled to launch in 2009. Several variants are proposed with payloads of between 9,900 kg and 27,500 kg tolow Earth orbit , and between 4,900 kg and 12,000 kg togeostationary transfer orbit . It will have a fairing diameter of 5.2 m or 3.6m.The Falcon 9 is also the intended launch vehicle for the
SpaceX Dragon manned spacecraft.Design
The Falcon 9's first stage will have nine Merlin rocket engines while the second stage will have a single Merlin engine modified for vacuum operation [. [http://www.spacex.com/falcon9.php SpaceX.com Falcon 9 overview] ] Both stages are designed for reuse.cite paper|author=NASA, SpaceX|title=Space Act Agreement Between National Aeronautics And Space Administration And Space Explorations Technologies Corp. For Commercial Orbital Transport Services Demonstration (COTS)|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/162330main_SPACE_ACT_AGREEMENT_FOR_COTS.pdf|date=unknown|format=
PDF |accessdate=2007-11-22]As with the
Falcon 1 , Falcon 9's launch sequence includes a hold-down feature that allows full engine ignition and systems check before liftoff. If a problem is detected, the vehicle automatically shuts down and offloads the fuel.SpaceX is developing several launch facilities, with the first four launches of the Falcon 1 taking place from
Omelek Island in theMarshall Islands .The two planned variants are:
*Falcon 9 - Consisting of a single sustainer and second stage, it is predicted to cost $35 millionUSD , and will be able to boost 9,900 kg to LEO, 4,900 kg to GTO.
*Falcon 9 Heavy - Based on the Falcon 9, it will add an additional two nine-engine boosters and increase payload to 27,500 kg to LEO, 12,000 kg to GTO. It is predicted to cost $78 millionUSD .Launcher versions
[ cite news |url=http://www.geocities.com/launchreport/falcon.html#config |title=SpaceX Falcon Data Sheet |date=
5 July 2007 |publisher=Space Launch Report] [ cite news |url=http://www.spacex.com/updates.php#Falcon9Update081507 |title=Monster Progress Update (Mostly Falcon 9) |date=17 August 2007 |publisher=SpaceX] [ cite news |url=http://www.spacex.com/falcon1.php |title=Falcon 1 Overview |date=28 September 2007 |publisher=SpaceX] [ cite news |url=http://www.spacex.com/falcon9.php |title=Falcon 9 Overview |date=28 September 2007 |publisher=SpaceX] [ cite news |url=http://www.spacex.com/falcon9_heavy.php |title=Falcon 9 Heavy Overview |date=28 September 2007 |publisher=SpaceX]Initial descriptions
At an appearance in May 2004 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Elon Musk testified, "Long term plans call for development of a heavy lift product and even a super-heavy, if there is customer demand. [...] Ultimately, I believe $500 per pound [of payload delivered to orbit] or less is very achievable." [cite web |url=http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Testimony&Hearing_ID=9881572c-d894-4ba2-9547-b587757f8f26&Witness_ID=c280eafb-e9f9-4266-8dde-b1484c00d118 |title=Space Shuttle and the Future of Space Launch Vehicles |author=Testimony of Elon Musk |publisher=U.S. Senate]
SpaceX formally announced the Falcon 9 on
2005-09-08 , describing it as being a "fully reusable heavy lift launch vehicle." [cite web |url=http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=18 |title=SpaceX Announces the Falcon 9 Fully Reusable Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle |date=2005-09-08 |publisher=SpaceX] A Falcon 9 medium was described as being capable of launching approximately convert|21000|lb|abbr=on to low Earth orbit, priced at $27 million per flight ($1286/lb).Production and testing
On
April 12 ,2007 SpaceX announced it had completed the primary structure for its first Falcon 9 first-stage tank. [cite news |url=http://sev.prnewswire.com/aerospace-defense/20070412/LATH04412042007-1.html |title=SpaceX Completes Primary Structure of the Falcon 9 First Stage Tank |date=2007-04-12 |publisher=PR Newswire] The tank walls and domes are made from friction stir welded aluminum 2198. [cite news |url=http://www.satnews.com/stories2007/4291/ |title=Testing to Begin for SpaceX Falcon 9 First Stage Tank |date=2007-04-16 |publisher=satNews.com] The tank has been shipped to a SpaceX test facility in Texas, where first-stage static firings are already conducted. AroundJanuary 28 ,2008 , the first multi-engine (with two engines connected to the first stage, running simultaneously) firing test have been completed successfully. OnMarch 8 three Merlin 1C were fired simultaneously for the first time. The next test took place onMay 29 ,2008 , and saw five engines firing together. The latest multi-engine firing tests successfully took place onJuly 31 andAugust 1 ,2008 and saw all nine engines firing. Until now, no unexpected data was collected during the multi-engine firing tests and development of the Falcon 9 rocket was ahead of schedule by two months according to SpaceX. [ cite web |url=http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=13931.0 |title=SpaceX: First nine engine firing of its Falcon 9 |date=August 02 2008 |publisher=NASA Spaceflight ] [ cite web |url=http://spacefellowship.com/News/?p=4327 |title=SpaceX Conducts First Multi-Engine Firing of Falcon 9 Rocket |date=28 January 2008 |publisher=The Space Fellowship ] [ cite web |url=http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=40 |title=SpaceX conducts first Three-Engine firing of Falcon 9 rocket |date=28 March 2008 |publisher=SpaceX ]In February, 2008 it was revealed that the first Falcon 9/Dragon COTS Demo flight would be delayed by six months to late in the first quarter of
2009 due to the immense amount of development and regulatory work required. According to Elon Musk, the complexity of the development work and the regulatory requirements for launching from Cape Canaveral have contributed to the delay. [cite news |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/02/27/221883/spacex-falcon-9-maiden-flight-delayed-by-six-months-to-late-q1.html |title=SpaceX Falcon 9 maiden flight delayed by six months to late Q1 2009 |publisher=Flight Global |date=2008-02-27 |author=Rob Coppinger]Scheduled launches
From [http://spacex.com/launch_manifest.php SpaceX.com] ;
* Q4 2008 (arrival at launch site): Demonstration flight of Falcon 9 from
Cape Canaveral
* 2009: Demo flight 1 of Falcon 9 for NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program
* 2009: Launch of MDA Corp. payload on Falcon 9
* 2009: Launch ofHYLAS for Avanti Communications. First geosynchronous launch.
* 2009: Demo flight 2 of Falcon 9 for NASA COTS program, 2nd stage becomes a rendezvous target for the Dragon capsule
* 2010: Demo flight 3 of Falcon 9 for NASA COTS program, demonstration of cargo delivery to the International Space Station
* 2011: Launch ofBigelow Aerospace prototype inflatable space station module on Falcon 9See also
*
Comparison of heavy lift launch systems
*Falcon 1
*Falcon 5 Notes
External links
* [http://mfile.akamai.com/22165/wmv/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/PR35-1.asx Test firing of two Merlin 1C engines connected to Falcon 9 first stage] , Movie
* [http://mfile.akamai.com/22165/wmv/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/PR35-2.asx Test firing of two Merlin 1C engines connected to Falcon 9 first stage] , Movie
* [http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=17763 Press release announcing design] (September 9, 2005)
* [http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2005/09/13/201518/SpaceX+hopes+to+supply+ISS+with+new+Falcon+9+heavy+launcher.html SpaceX hopes to supply ISS with new Falcon 9 heavy launcher] (Flight International, September 13, 2005)
* [http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/09/spacex-launches-falcon-9-with-a-customer/index.php SpaceX launches Falcon 9, With A Customer] (Defense Industry Daily, September 15, 2005)
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