Falcon I First Flight: 25th November 1pm PDT

[mikejz]

Friday, 25th November - 1pm West Coast time<br /><br />Webcast will be limited to press.

 

[chriscdc]

Does this mean that the press can put it on the web live, in order to save spaceX bandwidth?

 

[mikejz]

SpaceX has only a single Satellite based T-1 Line out of the island, my personal guess is that the video link might be alittle to iffy for a mass broadcast.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Going to look into that. <br /><br />We've got a video section on the site's forum that runs a good broadband/ADSL speed. At the very least we should be able to tape it and get it on as a replay five minutes or so later.

 

[grooble]

Excellent. This will be the best day for private space industry since SpaceShipOne won the X Prize.

 

[barrykirk]

I can't wait!!! That will be 4PM EST, I've clearing out my schedule.

 

[yurkin]

Wow a date and a time. This is looking pretty good.

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">Friday, 25th November - 1pm West Coast time</font>/i><br /><br />Could make for a very exciting holiday! I wonder how my family would feel if I added a line of support for SpaceX during the Thanksgiving Day prayer? <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /></i>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Ok, our guy at the conference has provided this story:<br /><br />http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=4062<br /><br />Three parts. One on the launch date, one on new amdended terms on their action against LockMart and Boeing (and we have the actual pdf document for viewing - link in the story) - and on the 100mt launcher.<br /><br />SpaceX PR are being very helpful, so we're aiming to do a webcast on the launch (I'll confirm when I speak to the webmasters about bandwidth).

 

[spacefire]

Best of luck for SpaceX. This might be the beginning of the most exciting phase in space exploration. Well, this and the SS1 flights last year. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[tap_sa]

<font color="yellow">"a text feed in as near realtime as possible?"</font><br /><br />Surely www.spaceflightnow.com covers this in their usual manner?

 

[mattblack]

GO ELON!!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[kdavis007]

Well I wish the bst of luck to SpaceX

 

[lampblack]

Go, Elon! Go, buddy... Kick ass! Take names!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[kdavis007]

Will it be on NASA Tv??

 

[barrykirk]

I believe the proper way of saying this is.<br /><br />Godspeed SpaceX

 

[ragnorak]

<br />Interesting stuff about ISS supply. I found this article about the rocket that Musk wants to supply ISS with;<br /><br />http://62.189.48.33/Articles/2005/09/13/201518/SpaceX+hopes+to+supply+ISS+with+new+Falcon+9+heavy+launcher.html<br />

 

[enricofermi]

This mission is critical for all private space missions. In addition, it is important for the future of micro and nano satellites.

 

[grooble]

bump. <br /><br />Not long now.

 

[tap_sa]

Anyone know whether the upper stage burns all the way up or is there a coast period followed by restart?

 

[grooble]

Can a Falcon 1 payload reach the moon?

 

[shoogerbrugge]

Nope, its safe to say that the Falcon 1 upperstage won't be strong enough to create enough Dv to escape earth gravity for its payload, unless you make a bird as small as SMART1 with a ion engine which can raise its apogee in such way that it will be caught by moon gravity. But then you would still have launch the payload in a different orbit, SSO or GTO. The Falcon I is only capable of LEO, and from there its hard to increase your orbit to something else.<br /><br />At least from the point where its launching now. Its only got a 600kg payload, or so they hope, to 200km LEO. That is by far not enough to reach the moon or even the ISS. <br /><br /><br />ow according to a spaceflightnow article the upper stage can be re-ignited: <i>"That will allow the rocket's upper stage, after releasing the payload, to re-ignite its engine for further in-orbit maneuvering tests."</i>

 

[tap_sa]

<font color="yellow">"the Falcon 1 upperstage won't be strong enough to create enough Dv to escape earth gravity for its payload"</font><br /><br />Certainly not the 570kg but it might be able to do TLI for much smaller payload. That would mean higher acceleration than during nominal LEO mission but the upper stage is pressure fed thus structurally very rigid. AFAIK SpaceX hasn't published details how much each stage weighs wet and dry, these would help to estimate possible payload to escape velocities.<br /><br />A cluster of cubesats to the Moon would be a cool mission!

 

[spacefire]

1 day left<br /><br /><br />"I'm so excited<br />I just can't hide it<br />Cheap rockets are gonna fly<br />And I think I like it" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[kdavis007]

1 day left.. I bet there are some people with some nervous stomachs...