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SpaceX to Attempt Launch of Falcon 1 Today
fatron writes "After yesterday's flight readiness review, SpaceX announced they will be attempting the second launch of their Falcon 1 Spacecraft today. The launch is scheduled for 4:00PM Pacific time with a webcast available from T-60 minutes until launch."
It looks very windy, I think they will push the deadline... at least they should.
This is something that the general public is fairly misinformed about. The majority of rocket launches in the US are using rockets designed and build by private companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Orbital Sciences. This includes NASA launches. Space X would be competing with these companies, not with NASA.
Is this in any way a space vehicle, or is this just another "single stage to balloon height" effort ?
Um, it's delivering a payload into orbit.
For anybody looking for more frequently-updated sources of info and don't feel like watching the entire webcase, here's some other useful sources of info:
* SpaceFlight Now's Mission Status Center: According to the status center, they're having some problems with remotely-monitoring the telemetry stream, which may end up postponing the launch.
* Kimbal Musk's "Kwajalein Atoll and Rockets" blog: Kimbal is Elon Musk's brother, and often posts interesting (and highly unofficial) updates from the launch site. He sometimes goes into liveblogging mode, but hasn't done this yet today.
From Space.com
MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2007
2257 GMT (6:57 p.m. EDT)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff is now targeted for 2345 GMT (7:45 p.m. EDT). Fueling of the rocket had been suspended while trying to correct the data transmission problem between Omelek Island and the company's headquarters in El Segundo, California. So the launch team is now working to get back on track for liftoff.
Letter To Iran
Terminal count abort. No launch.