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Further Reading

SpaceX Falcon

Falcon 9

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) conducted the first 9 engine firing of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle at its Texas Test Facility outside McGregor on 31 July 2008. A second firing on 1 August 2008 completed a major NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) milestone almost 2 months early. At full power, the 9 engines consumed 3,200 lbs of fuel and liquid oxygen per second, and generated almost 850,000 pounds of thrust. The Falcon 9 will launch SpaceX's spaceship Dragon with up to 7 humans from 2009 on.

In December 2008, NASA announced the selection of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon Spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010. The $1.6 billion contract represents a minimum of 12 flights, with an option to order additional missions for a cumulative total contract value of up to $3.1 billion. SpaceX hoped that their second launch would be an operational mission to the International Space Station using the Dragon spacecraft, also designed by SpaceX.

In July 2009, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced the successful completion of qualification testing for the Falcon 9 launch vehicle first stage tank and interstage. Testing took place at SpaceX's Texas Test Site, a 300 acre structural and propulsion testing facility, located just outside of Waco, Texas. The first stage tank and interstage hardware were subjected to a proof test of 1.1 times the maximum expected operating pressure (MEOP), and a burst pressure proof test of 1.4 MEOP; qualifying both articles with a 1.4 factor of safety. The 1.4 factor of safety designation meant that the first stage tank and the interstage can withstand 140 percent the maximum internal pressure expected during flight, and qualifies both pieces of hardware to meet human rating safety requirements, as defined by NASA. The first stage also passed this human rating milestone when subjected to structural bending tests. The testing regimen included over 150 pressurization cycles, exceeding the number of required life cycles by more than 100. In addition, the first stage and interstage were subjected to stiffness tests, maximum dynamic pressure loading and main engine cutoff conditions; all at expected values, as well as ultimate loads. Falcon 9's first stage and interstage also passed ground wind qualification tests, critical for when the vehicle is vertical on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Both components were designed, built and tested by SpaceX.

In October 2009, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced the successful completion of acceptance testing of both the Falcon 9 first and second stages in preparation for the first flight of Falcon 9. Acceptance testing took place at SpaceX's Texas Test Site, a 300-acre structural and propulsion testing facility, located just outside of Waco, Texas. The tests subjected both stages to a variety of structural load and proof pressure tests to verify acceptability for flight. Acceptance testing began in late summer 2009 with the first stage and concluded in October 2009 at SpaceX's Texas facility with completion of acceptance testing for the second stage.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) successfully conducted a full mission-length firing of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle's first stage at its McGregor Test Facility in Texas, on 22 November 2009. For the static test firing, the first stage remained firmly secured to the massive vertical test stand, where it fired for 178 seconds or nearly 3 minutes, simulating the climb of the giant rocket from the surface of the Earth towards orbit.

At full power, the rocket generated 855,000 pounds of force at sea level. In vacuum, the thrust increases to approximately one million pounds or 4 times the maximum thrust of a 747 aircraft. The test consumed over half a million pounds of propellant. All 9 engines fired for 160 seconds, then 2 engines were shut down to limit the acceleration and the remaining seven engines continued firing for 18 more seconds, as would occur in a typical climb to orbit.

The test firing validated the design of SpaceX's use of 9 engines on the first stage, as well as the ability to shut down engines without affecting the functioning of the remaining engines. This demonstrated the ability of Falcon 9 to lose engines in flight and still complete its mission successfully, much as a commercial airliner is designed to be safe in the event of an engine loss. Like an airliner, the Falcon 9 engines were enclosed in a protective sheath that ensures a fire or destructive loss of an engine doesn't affect the rest of the vehicle.

The Falcon 9 was expected to be the first vehicle since the Saturn V and Saturn 1 to have the ability to lose any engine/motor and still be able to complete its mission without loss of crew or spacecraft. Engine out reliability proved crucial to mission success on 2 of the Saturn V flights.

On 4 June 2010, the first Falcon 9 was launched from Cape Canveral, Florida and successfully achieved earth orbit. NASA congratulated SpaceX on the launch and said the accomplishment was an important milestone in the commercial transportation effort and puts the company a step closer to providing cargo services to the International Space Station. It added that preparations were proceeding for the first NASA-sponsored test launch under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services project later in 2010. COTS was a vital development and demonstration partnership to create a commercial space transportation system capable of providing cargo to the station.

Falcon 9 Heavy

The Falcon 9 Heavy was SpaceX's entry into the Heavy Lift Vehicle category as of 2010. Designed to lift over 32,000 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and over 19,500 kilograms to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), the Falcon 9 Heavy was expected to compete with the largest commercial launchers then available. The Falcon 9 Heavy differed from the standard Falcon 9 vehicle only in the addition of 2 additional Falcon 9 first stages to the sides of the rocket. These common components, acting as boosters would allow the usage of existing Falcon 9 vehicles for missions requiring larger payloads.