SpaceX

Москва. 2 февраля. INTERFAX.RU - Пуски американской ракеты Falcon 9 разработки SpaceX Илона Маска приостановлены из-за технических проблем, рассказали "Интерфаксу" в российской ракетно-космической отрасли во вторник.

"Причина откладывания пусков связана с необходимостью доработки ракеты и проведения дополнительных тестов", - заявил собеседник агентства.

Он добавил, что очередной запуск носителя вместе со спутником связи SES-9 ожидался 6 февраля, но теперь состоится не ранее весны. Также откладываются запланированные на март пуски "грузовика" Dragon и двух спутников Eutelsat.

 

PARIS — SpaceX’s silence on the schedule delays of its Falcon 9 Upgrade rocket, whose inaugural flight on Dec. 21 was a success, is causing ripples of concern among commercial customers, which like NASA are counting on a high launch cadence in 2016 to meet these companies’ schedule milestones, industry officials said.
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In response to SpaceNews inquiries, SES on Jan. 29 said it is awaiting word from SpaceX to determine when the SES-9 launch would occur. The company specifically declined to say whether March was a more likely launch at this point but said that the satellite, built by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of El Segundo, California, was in good health and was not blocking the launch.

Many companies are hoping for a 2016 launch from SpaceX. Some are more anxious than others. With each passing week without a launch, their announced schedules become less and less tenable.

Spacecom of Israel, in what industry officials characterized as a highly optimistic announcement, on Jan. 26 announced that its Amos-6 telecommunications satellite would be launched aboard the Falcon 9 in May.

Eutelsat of Paris and ABS of Bermuda are awaiting the launch of their two Boeing-built satellites, Eutelsat’s 117 West B and the ABS 3A satellites, together on a Falcon 9 Upgrade rocket. Both companies have said they expect a launch by March, although it is unclear whether one or two NASA space station cargo missions might immediately follow SES-9. That would make March less likely.
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SpaceX declined to respond to inquiries about the Falcon schedule.

 

Up now at the FAA conference: SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell.
Shotwell: we have as flat a hierarchy in the company as possible with nearly 5,000 employees. Best idea wins.
Shotwell showing videos of F9 first stage landing attempts. On Jason-3 landing attempt: “We stuck the landing. Then we unstuck it.”
Shotwell shows video of December landing. “I don’t think you get that kind of thrill in banking.”
Shotwell: hope to fly a recovered, refurbished Dragon later this year.
Shotwell: Falcon Heavy recovery plans drives all sorts of requirements at the range; with 3 booster cores returning.
Shotwell: we have completed and activated LC-39A for F9 and Falcon Heavy missions.
Shotwell: about two years of “dirt work” at Brownsville site due to soil stability issues.
Shotwell: ramping up booster production, to >30 cores a year.
Shotwell: going to be a “really interesting year” for us between F9, FHeavy, comm’l crew, ramping up production.
Shotwell: we’ll post updated Falcon Heavy performance numbers later this week/early next week.
Shotwell said after her talk SpaceX planning to launch SES-9 in next couple of weeks, then do launches every few weeks thereafter this year.
She also wasn’t more specific on a Falcon Heavy inaugural launch date other than this year.

 

Mike Gruss ‏@Gruss_SN 19 мин.19 минут назад
Greaves: Air Force will complete its investigation into SpaceX's June 2015 launch failure next month. Expects no change in F9 certification.