US commercial launcher SpaceX is searching for its first non-government-owned launch site to support a expanding manifest of upcoming launches.
“Our growing launch manifest has led us to look for additional sites,” explained SpaceX CEO Elon…
US commercial launcher SpaceX is searching for its first non-government-owned launch site to support a expanding manifest of upcoming launches.
“Our growing launch manifest has led us to look for additional sites,” explained SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
“We’re considering several states and territories. I envision this site functioning like a commercial Cape Canaveral.”
The group already has a launch pad in Florida’s Cape Canaveral, and is developing a site at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, which will both still be used for planned government launches. In addition, it also uses a rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas.
However, SpaceX claims that more than half of the over 40 missions it has sold for its medium-lift Falcon 9 rockets – 14 of which were ordered within the last year – were for commercial customers.
The group is reportedly considering sites in Puerto Rico, Texas, Hawaii and Florida to set up a new commercial launch facility to cater for this expected demand.
Earlier this year SpaceX announced an agreement with satellite operator SES to launch one of its satellites on a Falcon 9 in Q1 2013. The launch of the SES-8 to 95E for the Asian DTH market will mark the first time a Falcon 9 rocket will place a commercial geostationary satellite, and the agreement also includes an option for a secondary SES spacecraft.
But SpaceX’s manifest for the Falcon 9 stretches to 2017 and – as well as federal launches for NASA – it includes a US$492m launch contract with US MSS operator Iridium Communications, supporting its 72 satellite second-generation medium-earth-orbit constellation NEXT. The manifest also includes launches for satellite operators Spacecom of Israel and Thaicom of Taiwan. According to the company, it currently has US$3bn of revenue on its books.
In addition to the Falcon 9, the launch provider is also developing the smaller Falcon 1 rocket and the larger Falcon Heavy.
However, as well as ensuring SpaceX has the capacity to deal with an increasingly crowded manifest, the fact that that the group plans to launch from a non-government-owned site holds an extra significance. The company markets itself as being a pioneering private launch provider, but has so far utilised government support to help it test and launch its vehicles. Operating from its own private launch site will give it further independence.
