In March, SpaceX plans the first launch into space used media
According to reports, the rocket is ready for final preflight checks.
WASHINGTON, March 19. /Offset. TASS Dmitry Kirsanov/. Private us company SpaceX plans to undertake the first ever attempt to launch into space has already been used booster to the end of the month.
As reported on Saturday, the specialized American online edition of Spaceflight Now, the launch vehicle, the Falcon 9, which creates SpaceX, was scheduled for 27 March from the spaceport at Cape Canaveral (Florida).
However, as expected, he will be shifted for a couple of days due to the recent postponements of the launch firm SpaceX communications satellite EchoStar XXIII
This unit was launched into orbit 16, not 14 March as initially estimated, from the same launch pad at Cape Canaveral, which is planned to launch already had been in space the first stage of the Falcon 9.
The rocket is ready
According to reports, this missile is ready for final preflight checks. She is at the launch site at Cape Canaveral, where she arrived with a testing facility of SpaceX in McGregor (Texas). There she was cleaned, refitted, her engines were hot-fire testing.
This medium was launched into space on 8 April last year, and then landed on a dedicated floating platform in the Atlantic ocean
Meanwhile, the head of the press service of SpaceX’s John Taylor in an interview with TASS refused to name exact date of start. “Publicly, we say only that target a launch in late March,” said Taylor. According to him, Spaceflight Now “periodically issued by the rumors over the facts.” “Sometimes their guesses are correct, sometimes not, but we do not do confirmation of rumors and speculation,” said Taylor.
The first stage of heavy rockets, the Falcon 9 manufacturer wants to make reusable, which would allow significant savings in space launch. The company has repeatedly managed to land the first stage of the carrier after launch on the platform.
However, the re-launches of these vehicles still have not been done. This year SpaceX, as stated earlier, its President, Gwynne, Shotwell, expects to conduct six launches first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket to visit space.
Payload
The result of the March launch of a space should be placed a communications satellite SES 10. This unit was delivered to Cape Canaveral, where this weekend it should be enclosed in fairing of the rocket.
Commercial launch conditions were not disclosed. However, last year, Shotwell recognized that those customers who are willing to accept the use of previously used media, SpaceX makes a discount of 10%.
The full cost of the launch of Falcon 9 is $62 million
Preparation used first steps to a fresh start SpaceX currently spends, according to Shotwell, about four months, but plans to reduce this period to two months and later to one day.
A recent accident
On 11 September last year during the launch from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9 rocket with an Israeli communications satellite Amos-6 exploded. As a result of incident nobody has suffered. Destroyed owning a satellite company Space Communication has confirmed its intention to require SpaceX compensation in the amount of $50 million or a free run in connection with the loss of Amos-6.
Following the investigation, the experts concluded that the cause of the incident was a malfunction in one of the three high-pressure cylinders, which were located inside the tank with liquid oxygen in the second stage of the rocket.
The SpaceX representatives said that the company has taken the necessary measures to prevent a repetition of the incident.