Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

On Fourth Launch Attempt, SpaceX Falcon 1 Reaches Orbit

Posted by timothy on from the pure-congratulations dept.

xp65 writes with the just-announced success of Elon Musk's SpaceX's long efforts to reach orbit with a privately-developed launching craft: "T+0:08:21 Falcon 1 reached orbital velocity, 5200 m/s Nominal Second stage cut off (SECO) — Falcon 1 has made history as the first privately developed liquid fueled launch vehicle to achieve earth orbit!" dbullard adds "This was a completely new vehicle — it's not using any previously developed hardware. All developed from scratch. No government supplied hardware, Russian engines, or old ICBM motors. My hat's off to the employees of Space X — all 550 of them. (Note — no 'cast of thousands,' just 550). They've got video of the entire launch."

5 of 518 comments (clear)

  1. Not only men, I hope by YA_Python_dev · · Score: 4, Funny

    May SpaceX be there to participate as man finally reaches for the stars.

    Let's bring some women too.

    --
    There's a hidden treasure in Python 3.x: __prepare__()
  2. Re:Cost by oldspewey · · Score: 4, Funny

    $7.9 million? MASA will launch any payload and successfully land it on the moon for two hundred dollars.

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
  3. Re:All Aboard! 80% Launch Failure Rate! by maglor_83 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I imagine he'd do pretty badly, since he can't even calculate the failure rate correctly.

  4. Re:Cost by johnsmith_12345 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think he is trying to make amends for Paypal.

    Cant really blame him....

  5. Re:Escape Velocity by meringuoid · · Score: 4, Funny
    R is the radius of the earth in metres (6370777.31167031686390488)

    I would be fascinated to hear how you measured the radius of the Earth to the nearest proton diameter.

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.