[oasis-members] SpaceX Falcon 1 Launched and Lost, but "Successful"

[Brian Deagon]

I have great admiration for Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX. He is pushing
space technology into a new frontier, where it needs to go.


Here is what Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX wrote in an e-mail about
yesterday's launch of Falcon 1:

The second test launch of Falcon 1 took place today at 6:10 pm
California time.  The launch was not perfect, but certainly pretty good.
Given that the primary objectives were demonstrating responsive launch
and gathering test data in advance of our first operational satellite
launch later this year, the outcome was great.  Operationally responsive
(ie fast) launch has become an increasingly important national security
objective, so demonstrating rapid loading of propellants and launch in
less than an hour, as well as a rapid recycle following the first engine
ignition are major accomplishments.

We retired almost all of the significant development risk items, in
particular:

- 1st stage ascent past max dynamic pressure

- avionics operation in vacuum and under radiation

- stage separation

- 2nd stage ignition

- fairing separation

- 2nd stage nozzle/chamber at steady state temp in vacuum

Falcon flew far beyond the "edge" of space, typically thought of as
around 60 miles.  Our altitude was approximately 200 miles, which is
just 50 miles below the International Space Station.  The second stage
didn't achieve full orbital velocity, due to a roll excitation late in
the burn, but that should be a comparatively easy fix once we examine
the flight data.  Since it is impossible to ground test the second stage
under the same conditions it would see in spaceflight, this anomaly was
also something that would have been very hard to determine without a
test launch.  


All in all, this test has flight proven 95+ percent of the Falcon 1
systems, which bodes really well for our upcoming flights of Falcon 1
and Falcon 9, which uses similar hardware.  We do not expect any
significant delay in the upcoming flights at this point.  The Dept of
Defense satellite launch is currently scheduled for late summer and the
Malaysian satellite for the Fall. 

I'd like to thank DARPA and the Air Force for buying the two test
flights and helping us work through a number of challenges over the past
year.  I'd also like to express my appreciation for the efforts of the
Kwajalein Army Range (Reagan Test Site) and we look forward to many more
launches in the future. 

Finally, thank you to everyone at SpaceX for working so hard to make
this a great test.  This is a big leap forward for commercial
spaceflight







-----Original Message-----
From: oasis-members-bounces at oasis-nss.org
[mailto:oasis-members-bounces at oasis-nss.org] On Behalf Of James R. Wertz
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 10:08 PM
To: OASIS Discussion Forum
Subject: Re: [oasis-members] SpaceX Falcon 1 Launched and Lost, but
"Successful"


Does seem like the basic goal of an orbital launch is to get to 
orbit, unless you declare otherwise in advance.  Hmmm.

>In a message dated 3/20/2007 6:29:12 PM Pacific Standard Time,
rogers at isi.edu
>writes:
>>  Subj: [oasis-members] SpaceX Falcon 1 Launched and Lost, but
"Successful"
>>  Date:3/20/2007 6:29:12 PM Pacific Standard Time
>>  From:rogers at isi.edu
>>  Reply-to:oasis-members at oasis-nss.org
>>  To:oasis-members at oasis-nss.org
>>  Received from Internet:
>>
>>
>>
>>      According to Spaceflight Now, the second SpaceX Falcon 1 was
>>  launched today, started to wobble, ceased to provide telemetry about
>>  halfway through second stage firing, failed to reach orbit, and was
>>  declared a success.
>>
>>      Based on the record of two rockets launched and two payloads
>>  lost, Elon Musk, SpaceX founder, feels confident enough in the
project
>>  to begin operational launches without further test flights.
>>
>>  http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon/f2/status.html
>>
>>                      Craig Milo Rogers
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
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>>  OASIS-members at oasis-nss.org
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>>
>
>Reminds me of some of the early days of missile flight testing.
>
>The Air Force would declare anything that flew far enough to
>get out of sight of reporters on the beach a success.
>
>OK, I understand that the flight went through a lot of its
>flight path and exercised most of its systems, but Musk
>risks making himself a laughing stock by claiming it
>as a success.
>
>Mike Walsh
>   
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>OASIS-members mailing list
>OASIS-members at oasis-nss.org
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-- 

--------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE NEW ADDRESS AND PHONE

Dr. James R. Wertz              Phone:   (310) 219-2700
Microcosm, Inc.                 FAX:     (310) 219-2710
4940 West 147th Street	        E-mail:  jwertz at smad.com
Hawthorne, CA  90250-6708              

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