SPACEX'S FALCON 9 ON LAUNCH PAD AT CAPE CANAVERAL

[zerofay32]

Wow. This thread sure took a wierd turn.

I don't think SpaceX is behind schedule, are they? I thought this was a fit check and handling test before outfitting the vehicle for an actual flight some months away, wasn't it?

That's what I thought. The payload clean room was only a foundation in January.

Zerofay32

 

[simonpro]

So, why is Falcon4 taking so long to be launched? It looked like they were racing to get it errected in January, then there was a lot of nothing. So, they were racing to get pictures of it or what? I was under the impression this was a launch vehicle, not a photo op. When in doubt blame the economy...lol.

SpaceX say it was a fit test of the falcon 9 at the pad, but in reality it was mainly a photo op. Bits of the rocket were dummies (I remember talking about this before, maybe it's in this thread earlier on) and the thing is nowhere near flight-ready. SpaceX are currently quite a long way behind schedule on pretty much everything, but my way of thinking is that I'd prefer them to be launching rockets late and successfully rather than on time and unsuccessfully.

 

[RisingFury]

I can't help it but to me Falcon 9 looks like an overlarge dildo. I don't like the design.

Big thanks for killing the thread.

 

[Moonwalker]

Big thanks for killing the thread.

I would lie if I would say I like the Falcon 9 design, now because this thread enabled me to fully see the, rocket, standing. The rest of comments came from others, not me.

But again, never mind as long as SpaceX does what it is supposed to do and what they announce they're going to do. But my personal fear is that many who hope for something manned relying on SpaceX might be disappointed in the future.

 

[Urwumpe]

Of course, the first rocket to have such a overwide payload fairing was the Thor-Ablestar...from 1960.

And how* complains that a rocket looks like a Dildo, should attempt flying into space with a hole...


* Select 'w' from {'h','o', 'w'}, remove it and insert it again at the beginning of the word.

 

[SiberianTiger]

And how complains that a rocket looks like a Dildo, should attempt flying into space with a hole...

There was a rumor that a metal plate that was atop the Ivy Mike, actually made it into space... And it created a fairly large hole in the ground. :rofl:

 

[Urwumpe]

There was a rumor that a metal plate that was atop the Ivy Mike, actually made it into space... And it created a fairly large hole in the ground. :rofl:

Yeah, but it was really an urban legand. :rofl:

And it was Operation Plumbob, more specific, the Pascal-B test, which sparked the legend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plumbbob

 

[SiberianTiger]

Falcon 9 moves to fall launch

http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/2009/05/falcon-9-moves-to-fall-launch.shtml

"There is a huge amount of documentation that gets passed to the range and lots of meetings, and that process just takes a long time," Shotwell said.

Shotwell said that as a commercial launch company, SpaceX hopes to launch quickly after bringing the Falcon 9 to the Cape Canaveral in September or early October. The first flight will be a demonstration without a payload, but SpaceX has a list of customers waiting for the successful testing of the low-cost rocket.

 

[RisingFury]

I have a feeling that the launch manifest is going to get updated soon to. I don't think they'll manage 3 F9 launches at the end of the year.

 

[RisingFury]

Turns out my hunch was correct. Only one SpaceX launch remains on the manifest. One of the launches got scraped... IIRC, it was Dragon's first flight. Looks like the NASA COTS Demo 1 will serve as Dragon's first launch.

I still don't think we'll see any more action from SpaceX this year. F9 maiden flight is scheduled for the last months of this year... and if anything comes along, they'll push it back to 2010.

Oh well, as long as they don't produce another expensive fireworks show...

 

[Spicer]

I'm still curious, because that Falcon rocket may be able to get that dragon capsule w/ men to the ISS eventually. I'd love to see the dragon fly before the shuttle program ends, so that it can take men in the interim of Shuttle/Constellation.

 

[tblaxland]

An update, of sorts:

SpaceX making steady progress on new rocket
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0908/24falcon9/

"We're not down to an exact date, but we are targeting the end of the year. And so far, so good," said Tim Buzza, SpaceX's vice president of launch operations.

"The first stage hotfire in Texas and the second stage hotfire in Texas are clearly the two big systems tests that get us to launch. As we pass through those successfully, that will dictate our launch date," Buzza said.

Kerosene and liquid oxygen tanks at the pad are already being filled with propellant and gaseous helium and nitrogen plumbing is currently being added to the launch mount.

 

[RisingFury]

http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

Got some updates with some nice pictures

They're still aiming for the first test flight in 2009, so hopefully it happens. Been waiting for this for a long time!

 

[MajorTom]

http://www.spacenews.com/launch/requested-falcon-range-date-has-conflict.html

February 2 launch, perhaps?