SpaceX moves closer to Air Force certification for Falcon 9
Posted: Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 6:16 AM ET (1116 GMT)
SpaceX is one step closer to winning Air Force certification of its Falcon 9 rocket, a requirement for winning military launch contracts, after the Air Force accepted the first Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket launch as a successful mission. The Air Force said in a statement this week that the inaugural Falcon 9 v1.1 launch in September would count as one of the three successful launches required as part of the certification process. That launch successfully placed several satellites into polar orbit, but the rocket's second stage failed to relight after satellite deployment. The Air Force said it is still assessing the two Falcon 9 v1.1 launches since then, in December in January, but neither experienced any anomaly. Three successful launches, plus a series of reviews and audits, are required for the Air Force to certify that a rocket is qualified to launch satellites as part of its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, currently served by the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets.
SpaceX is one step closer to winning Air Force certification of its Falcon 9 rocket, a requirement for winning military launch contracts, after the Air Force accepted the first Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket launch as a successful mission. The Air Force said in a statement this week that the inaugural Falcon 9 v1.1 launch in September would count as one of the three successful launches required as part of the certification process. That launch successfully placed several satellites into polar orbit, but the rocket's second stage failed to relight after satellite deployment. The Air Force said it is still assessing the two Falcon 9 v1.1 launches since then, in December in January, but neither experienced any anomaly. Three successful launches, plus a series of reviews and audits, are required for the Air Force to certify that a rocket is qualified to launch satellites as part of its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, currently served by the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, September 13
SpaceX, Northrop Grumman to launch supplies to ISS
Spectrum News — 5:52 am ET (0952 GMT) Cornell-led space tech startup acquired by Pasteur Labs
Cornell Univ. — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT) How China Is Transforming Space Power
The Diplomat — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT) Two billionaires have very different — and equally wild — visions of a future in space. Is either possible?
CNN — 5:43 am ET (0943 GMT) Rare photos show 'deeply personal' moments in space
BBC — 5:36 am ET (0936 GMT) |
