The Falcon 9 is an EELV class launch vehicle planned by SpaceX and scheduled to launch in 2008. Three variants are proposed that should provide payloads of between 9,900 kg and 27,500 kg to low Earth orbit, and between 4,900 kg and 12,000 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. It will have a fairing diameter of 5.2 m or 3.6m. The Falcon 9 is also the intended launch vehicle for the SpaceX Dragon manned spacecraft. Image File history File links SpaceX-Falcon9-variants. ... Human-rated or Man-rated are terms used to describe the certification of a rocket or airplane as worthy of transporting humans. ... Two bodies with a slight difference in mass orbiting around a common barycenter. ... A Saturn V launch vehicle sends Apollo 15 on its way to the moon. ... The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is a space-transportation startup company whose stated goal is to improve the cost and reliability of access to space ultimately by a factor of ten. It is based in El Segundo, California, USA. SpaceX is developing a family of partially reusable two-stage... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... The pound (abbreviations: lb or, sometimes in the United States, #) is a unit of mass (called weight in everyday parlance) in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... In cargo transport, the payload is the valuable contents of the vehicle. ... A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a low Earth orbit (LEO) and a geostationary orbit (GEO). ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... Omelek Island is part of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. ... Launch Complex 40. ... The Bumper V-2 was the first missile launched at Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... SpaceX Merlin engine. ... This article is about the SI unit of force. ... A pound-force (abbreviations: lbf or lbf) is a unit of force. ... Specific impulse (usually abbreviated Isp) is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lox can stand for any of several things: Lox (salmon) - a type of salmon produce LOx (oxidizer) - liquid oxygen used as oxidizer in aerospace The Lox - was a Yonkers, NY-based rap trio This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... RP-1 (refined petroleum) is a highly refined form of kerosene similar to jet fuel, used in the United States as a rocket fuel. ... SpaceX Merlin engine. ... Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newtons Second and Third Laws. ... This article is about the SI unit of force. ... A pound-force (abbreviations: lbf or lbf) is a unit of force. ... Specific impulse (usually abbreviated Isp) is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lox can stand for any of several things: Lox (salmon) - a type of salmon produce LOx (oxidizer) - liquid oxygen used as oxidizer in aerospace The Lox - was a Yonkers, NY-based rap trio This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... RP-1 (refined petroleum) is a highly refined form of kerosene similar to jet fuel, used in the United States as a rocket fuel. ... SpaceX Merlin engine. ... This article is about the SI unit of force. ... A pound-force (abbreviations: lbf or lbf) is a unit of force. ... Specific impulse (usually abbreviated Isp) is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. ... Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lox can stand for any of several things: Lox (salmon) - a type of salmon produce LOx (oxidizer) - liquid oxygen used as oxidizer in aerospace The Lox - was a Yonkers, NY-based rap trio This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... RP-1 (refined petroleum) is a highly refined form of kerosene similar to jet fuel, used in the United States as a rocket fuel. ... The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program was a United States government, primarily a Department of Defense–sponsored effort to develop at least one family of space launch vehicles, that would meet the long term needs of the military. ... A Saturn V launch vehicle sends Apollo 15 on its way to the moon. ... The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is a space-transportation startup company whose stated goal is to improve the cost and reliability of access to space ultimately by a factor of ten. It is based in El Segundo, California, USA. SpaceX is developing a family of partially reusable two-stage... A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ... A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a low Earth orbit (LEO) and a geostationary orbit (GEO). ... The SpaceX Dragon is a conventional blunt-cone ballistic capsule spacecraft, capable of carrying 7 people or a mixture of personnel and cargo, to and from low Earth orbit. ...

Design

The Falcon 9's first stage will have nine Merlin rocket engines while the second stage will have a single Merlin engine modified for vacuum operation^[1]. Both stages are designed for reuse. As with the Falcon 1, Falcon 9's launch sequence includes a hold-down feature that allows full engine ignition and systems check before liftoff. If a problem is detected, the vehicle has an automatic shut-down and fuel unloading feature. SpaceX is developing several launch facilities, with the first two launches of the Falcon 1 planned for Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Marshall Islands. SpaceX Merlin engine. ... The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system, designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space-transportation startup company founded by entrepreneur and PayPal founder Elon Musk to provide commercial launch-to-space services. ... Boeing Delta 4 Medium+ (4,2) lifts off from Space Launch Complex Six (SLC-6) at Vandenberg AFB, California (Official photo by Thom Baur for the Boeing Company) Vandenberg Air Force Base (IATA: VBG, ICAO: KVBG) is a United States military installation with a spaceport, in Santa Barbara County, California...

The two planned variants are:

• Falcon 9 - Consisting of a single sustainer and second stage, it is predicted to cost $35 million, and will be able to boost 9,900 kg to LEO, 4,900 kg to GTO.
• Falcon 9 Heavy - Based on the Falcon 9, it will add an additional two nine-engine boosters and increase payload to 27,500 kg to LEO, 12,000 kg to GTO. It is predicted to cost $78 million.

Production

On April 12, 2007 SpaceX announced it had completed the primary structure for its first Falcon 9 the first-stage tank.^[2] press release The tank walls and domes are made from friction stir welded aluminum 2198.^[3] The tank will be shipped to a SpaceX test facility in Texas, where a first-stage static firing is planned for late 2007. is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Scheduled launches

From SpaceX.com;

• Q2 2008: Launch of US Government payload on Falcon 9 from Kwajalein
• Q2 2008: Launch of MDA Corp. payload on Falcon 9 from Kwajalein
• Q3 2008: Demo flight 1 of Falcon 9 for NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program[1]
• Q2 2009: Demo flight 2 of Falcon 9 for NASA COTS program, 2nd stage becomes a rendezvous target for the Dragon capsule
• Q3 2009: Demo flight 3 of Falcon 9 for NASA COTS program, demonstration of cargo delivery to the International Space Station
• Q3 2010: Launch of Bigelow Aerospace prototype inflatable space station module on Falcon 9 from Kwajalein

Kwajalein Atoll - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Kwajalein Atoll (Marshallese: Kuwajleen) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). ... t/Space CXV approaches ISS (t/Space) Commercial Orbital Transportation Services is a NASA program to coordinate the commercial delivery of crew and cargo to the International Space Station. ... Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. ...

See also

• Falcon 1

The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system, designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space-transportation startup company founded by entrepreneur and PayPal founder Elon Musk to provide commercial launch-to-space services. ...

Notes

External links

• Press release announcing design (September 9, 2005)
• SpaceX hopes to supply ISS with new Falcon 9 heavy launcher (Flight International, September 13, 2005)
• SpaceX launches Falcon 9, With A Customer (Defense Industry Daily, September 15, 2005)