Commercial launch provider SpaceX has successfully carried out the first launch of the group’s Falcon 9 rocket, sending its Dragon capsule into low Earth orbit before a Pacific Ocean splashdown.
At the time of writing, the unmanned Dragon capsule that…
Commercial launch provider SpaceX has successfully carried out the first launch of the group’s Falcon 9 rocket, sending its Dragon capsule into low Earth orbit before a Pacific Ocean splashdown.
At the time of writing, the unmanned Dragon capsule that could one day carry astronauts as well as cargo was orbiting the Earth at speeds greater than 17,000 miles per hour.
It will be recovered from the ocean after roughly 3.5 hours in space in an act never before attempted by a commercial company, according to SpaceX.
A damaged rocket nozzle had delayed the launch at Cape Canaveral in Florida, where the group was demonstrating its capabilities for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) programme. If tests continue to be successful, the US$1.6bn agreement with NASA could soon see the company supply the International Space Station.
Falcon 9 rockets will also be used as part of a US$492m launch contract with MSS operator Iridium Communications for its 72 satellite second-generation constellation NEXT.
Through these deals through competitive pricing, SpaceX is seemingly seeking to develop enough operational heritage to enable it gain an increased share of the commercial market.
To this end, European manufacturer EADS Astrium earlier this year announced an agreement to market SpaceX’s lighter lift Falcon 1e rockets in Europe. These rockets aim to support customers with small payloads to launch into low-Earth orbit.
