Falcon 9 return to flight a "couple" months away
Posted: Thu, Sep 3, 2015, 9:54 AM ET (1354 GMT)
SpaceX expects to perform the next launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, and the first since a June failure, in a couple of months, company executives said this week. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said Monday that launch is likely a "couple of months" away, longer than the company originally expected as it takes time to perform thorough engineering reviews of the vehicle. The last Falcon 9 launch, on June 28, failed when a strut holding down a helium bottle in an upper stage propellant tank failed, causing the tank to overpressurize and burst. That next launch will also be the first of the "uprated thrust" version of the Falcon 9, with a 33% increase in performance over the existing Falcon 9 v1.1. The company has not disclosed who the customer will be for that return-to-flight mission.
SpaceX expects to perform the next launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, and the first since a June failure, in a couple of months, company executives said this week. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said Monday that launch is likely a "couple of months" away, longer than the company originally expected as it takes time to perform thorough engineering reviews of the vehicle. The last Falcon 9 launch, on June 28, failed when a strut holding down a helium bottle in an upper stage propellant tank failed, causing the tank to overpressurize and burst. That next launch will also be the first of the "uprated thrust" version of the Falcon 9, with a 33% increase in performance over the existing Falcon 9 v1.1. The company has not disclosed who the customer will be for that return-to-flight mission.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, May 13
A new ‘Boost!’ for space transportation companies
ESA — 6:12 am ET (1012 GMT) Elon Musk Is Out to Rule Space. Can Anyone Stop Him?
Wired — 6:11 am ET (1011 GMT) AST SpaceMobile ‘Optimistic’ About New Glenn Pad Return
Aviation Week — 6:08 am ET (1008 GMT) AST SpaceMobile Confirms Target for 45 BlueBirds This Year, Despite Blue Origin Launch Failure
ViaSatellite — 6:06 am ET (1006 GMT) ULA to prep future Vulcan launch for Amazon despite rocket investigation
Orlando Sentinel — 6:06 am ET (1006 GMT) |
