SFS News: SpaceX - Falcon 9 Progress Update

The integration of Falcon 9 continued steadily through the long Christmas holiday, and the images below show just how close Falcon 9 is to being completely integrated. Whether measured by weight or by cost, the majority of the Falcon 9 being assembled is actual flight hardware. If there are no unexpected delays, its possible Falcon 9 will be integrated before December 31st — certainly a great way to start off the New Year.


View of Falcon 9 nearing completion, with the Banana River in the distance.



Side view of the entire assembly (from left) engines, skirt, first stage tank, interstage, second stage and 5.2 meter payload fairing.


Erector arm pieces coming together, with the large steel launch mount below, as yet unpainted.

Please feel free to discuss this topic further...

I didn't want to bother opening a new topic, so I picked this folder as the most appropriate.

I see Space X has updated their flight manifest on their webstie. They are still shoting for the Falcon 9 maiden flight this year. And have a very aggressive 6 flights of the Falcon 9 targeted for 2010.- That might make a good target for a new poll.

But no more Falcon 1s this year and only one Falcon 1 in 2010. Although it is the new and improved Falcon 1e.

New update on the SpaceX site. Lots of interesting hardward shots and more info'

http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

nice...
thanks for the link

http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

January 17th, 2011


December 8th 2010 marked an incredible accomplishment for SpaceX. As most of you know, we became the first commercial company to successfully recover a spacecraft from Earth orbit. This is a feat previously only accomplished by six other nations/government agencies, and made possible only through our ongoing partnership with NASA.

While the flight was a significant technical achievement for SpaceX as a company, it was probably most significant for the American taxpayer. The United States has an urgent, critical need for commercial human spaceflight. After the Space Shuttle retires next year, NASA will be totally dependent on the Russian Soyuz to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station for a price of over $50 million per seat.

The December 8 COTS Demo 1 flight demonstrated SpaceX is prepared to meet this need—and at a less than half the cost.....

Don't forget the video - the animated dragon using landing rockets is awesome!

http://spacex.com/multimedia/videos.php?id=58

Oh hell, YES!

So our speculations have been right after all: The proposed integrated LAS will double as a descent motor. That's some clever thinking imho.

I predict another angry banner on geatanomarano's site claiming it was his idea.

That was the funniest thing I've heard all day
(Probably until "never mind the buzzcocks" comes on later today)

SpaceX has employed another ex-astronaut.

http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20110304


and is expanding their site at McGregor in Texas.

http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20110309

If there's anythink I dislika about SapceX is the lack of updates...

patience...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6HQ9Rt ... r_embedded

5 new engines
2 new rockets
1 new spacecraft
At a fraction of the cost

Let the speculations begin!

Speculations?

I think that "hint" at Falcon (9) Heavy at the end was pretty obvious

Although the question is: what are we going to see on the 5th of April? (or the 4th of May? Are they using the American date format - that is usually written with slashes, not dots - or not?)

An updated spec sheet for Falcon Heavy?
Bits of actual hardware (well there won't be many new things in that case..)?
A completed FH?

a falcon heavy is quite obvious... but what will the configuration be, will it be an f9 with two f5's serving as strap on booster (5 enigines, 2 rockets, 1 spacecraft)?

I think you are on the wrong track here.
Since its founding, SpaceX has developed 5 new engines (Merlin 1/1B/C, Kestrel, Draco), 2 rockets (Falcon 1 and 9) and a spacecraft (Dragon).

And regarding F9 you must have been hiding on the far side of the moon for quite some time , because the F5 has been canceled years ago.
The Falcon Heavy will have two F9 first stages as strap ons:

http://www.spacex.com/falcon_heavy.php