Tag: Falcon Heavy
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SpaceX Roadmap building on its rocket business revolution
Following the recent success of the Falcon 9 launch with six ORBCOMM spacecraft, SpaceX is in the midst of speedy turnaround of its Cape Canaveral launch site, ahead of the ASIASAT-8 mission. While SpaceX remains on track for a record year, CEO Elon Musk believes the time is coming where there will be thousands of…
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Affordable habitats means more Buck Rogers for less money says Bigelow
Robert Bigelow, founder and President of Bigelow Aerospace, believes that cost effective habitats and transportation systems are key to America’s space explorations ambitions throughout the solar system. In expansive documentation provided to NASA, Bigelow Aerospace presented a fleet of vehicles that could enable humanity’s ambitions. Inflated Aspirations: In the first of two reports recently issued…
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Musk lays out plans for reusability of the Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk has laid out his plans for recovery and reusability of the first stage of the Falcon 9. The debut mission to launch the Cassiope satellite into orbit included a number of events that should help SpaceX recover and possibly even reuse the first stage of the Falcon 9…
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Falcon 9 boost as Merlin 1D engine achieves major milestone
SpaceX’s Merlin 1D engine has achieved flight qualification status during its test program at the company’s rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas. An enhanced design to the engines that have flown on the first five Falcon 9 launches, the Merlin 1D will debut on the first Falcon 9 v1.1 launch this summer. Merlin 1D: SpaceX’s…
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SpaceX get their foot in the EELV door with double launch contract win
The United States Air Force (USAF) have awarded SpaceX with two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV)-class missions to ride on their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets in 2014 and 2015 respectively. The launches, which fall under Orbital/Suborbital Program-3 (OSP-3), will mark SpaceX’s debut for this class of mission. SpaceX EELV-class Wins: OSP-3 is an…
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SpaceX joy at Merlin 1D test – Orbital fire up their AJ-26 engine
Two loud rumbles in the south of the United States marked two milestones for the country’s drive to regain its space flight independence, as SpaceX and Orbital both fired their new engines. SpaceX’s Merlin 1D rumbled for a full mission duration firing, while Orbital’s AJ-26 continued its testing ahead of its debut on their Antares launch…
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SpaceX: Falcon Heavy, Falcon 9 tag team set to share 20 launches a year
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) head Elon Musk revealed their latest launch vehicle on Tuesday, the Falcon Heavy. Effectively three Falcon 9 core stages strapped together, the new vehicle – set to debut as soon as 2013 – will be the most powerful US rocket to have launched since the Saturn V was built for the…