Session
Technical Session I: New Ways to Get to Orbit with Near-Term Scheduled Launches
Abstract
Falcon is a mostly reusable, two stage, liquid oxygen and kerosene powered launch vehicle being built by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) from the ground up. The vehicle is designed above all for high reliability, followed by low cost and a benign flight environment. Launched from Vandenberg, a standard Falcon can carry over 470 kg to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit and a heavy Falcon can deliver 1450 kg to the same orbit. To minimize failure modes, the vehicle has the minimum pragmatically possible number of engines (two) and stage separation events (one), as well as dual redundant avionics. Since the first stage is recovered via parachute to a water landing, approximately 80% of the vehicle mass is reusable as compared with 90% for the Space Shuttle. The costs, which nominally assume no advantage for recovery, are $6M for a standard Falcon and $10M for a heavy Falcon. First launch is scheduled for January 22nd, 2004 from Vandenberg, carrying a US government satellite.
The Falcon Launch Vehicle - An Attempt at Making Access to Space More Affordable, Reliable and Pleasant
Falcon is a mostly reusable, two stage, liquid oxygen and kerosene powered launch vehicle being built by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) from the ground up. The vehicle is designed above all for high reliability, followed by low cost and a benign flight environment. Launched from Vandenberg, a standard Falcon can carry over 470 kg to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit and a heavy Falcon can deliver 1450 kg to the same orbit. To minimize failure modes, the vehicle has the minimum pragmatically possible number of engines (two) and stage separation events (one), as well as dual redundant avionics. Since the first stage is recovered via parachute to a water landing, approximately 80% of the vehicle mass is reusable as compared with 90% for the Space Shuttle. The costs, which nominally assume no advantage for recovery, are $6M for a standard Falcon and $10M for a heavy Falcon. First launch is scheduled for January 22nd, 2004 from Vandenberg, carrying a US government satellite.
