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SpaceX Successful Static Fire

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the to-infinity-and-beyond dept.

ron_ivi writes "SpaceX's website is announced that they had a " great static fire today" where their Falcon rocket successfully had 3 seconds of thrust. Nice pictures and video of the test; and if analysis shows all was well, they'll be launching Thursday."

5 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Real-time launch info; SpaceX Dragon by FleaPlus · · Score: 4, Informative

    As the first link mentions, the launch is scheduled for Thursday, 1PM PST (4PM EST). According to RLV News, here's a few good sources for real-time commentary and info about the launch:

    * Mission Status Center - Falcon Launch Report - Justin Ray
    * Out of the Cradle
    * NASASpaceflight.com - LIVE: SpaceX/Falcon 1 - 23rd March: launch coverage thread

    Also, it was recently revealed that SpaceX has been secretly developing their SpaceX Dragon orbital capsule, which will be able to carry up to 7 people to and from orbit. A full-size prototype of the capsule has already been constructed, and the capsule is expected to enter service by 2009 (several years before NASA's CEV).

    1. Re:Real-time launch info; SpaceX Dragon by FleaPlus · · Score: 3, Informative

      As the first link mentions, the launch is scheduled for Thursday, 1PM PST (4PM EST).

      Oops, never mind... looks like there's going to be a day's delay:

      No major issues were discovered following the static fire, but, as a cautionary measure, we are going to take one more day to review data and verify system functionality. Launch is now scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. California time.

  2. A tour of SpaceX; Sea Launch pres joining SpaceX by FleaPlus · · Score: 4, Informative

    Recently Sam Dinkin of the Space Review had a chance to tour SpaceX's facility, and wrote a 4-part article series about it. It's a pretty neat read, and gives you a good idea of the culture of SpaceX and where it's headed. Also, they're apparently looking for good people to hire. ;)

    *Part 1
    *Part 2
    *Part 3
    *Part 4

    Also, an interesting bit of recent news: Apparently the President of Sea Launch, which is "arguably the world's most successful commercial launch company," has left Sea Launch to join SpaceX. Anybody care to speculate about why he would leave such a cushy position for a start-up?

  3. They still go boom by A+non-mouse+Cow+Herd · · Score: 4, Informative

    I gotta disagree with that statement. They certainly still go boom.

    The recent (October 2002) photon M2 launch failure is a good example (there's a truly spectacular video of it floating around, but I'm not gonna subject the only host I know of to /.)

    Or the zenit launch failure in the '90s that left a big smoking hole where the launch pad was. Both these involved the rocket failing shortly after liftoff, basically falling out of the sky fully fueled. When the tanks break up, you get many thousands of pounds of fuel and oxidizer nicely mixed. What happens after that is usually "Boom!"

    Most US, European and Japanese launchers have range safety (aka self destruct) systems, which help if the vehicle is actually flying, but they aren't likely to make difference if the failure happens very near the pad.

    I suspect the tanks that the OP asked about are actually quite far away, and just look close due to the
    foreshortening effect of a long lense.

  4. Re:3 seconds of thrust? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Thrust is measured in Newtons, Newton seconds is a measure of impulse.