SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 Almost Ready For Launch

Update: SpaceX Confirms Flight 4

SpaceX is preparing for their next test flight of their Falcon 1 rocket from Kwajalein in the Pacific. This flight was added to the launch manifest after the failure of flight 3 back in August. Diane Murphy, SpaceX’ Vice President for Marketing and Communications stated „We will actually be launching that [Falcon 1] for the fourth time probably within two weeks“ during AIAA Space 2008 Conference in San Diego from September 9-11.

The fourth rocket was delivered to Kwajalein in early September. The launch now is only possible despite the failure in August because the error can be solved by a changed flight program.

During stage separation in flight 3, the two stages recontacted which caused the failure. The reason was the use of the new regeneratively cooled Merlin 1C engine. The residual propellants in the cooling channels produced a small thrust after the separation bolts were fired that was high enough to overcome the separation impulse. By changing the separation timing SpaceX hopes that they will solve this problem.

In case flight 4 succeeds, the first operational flight with Malaysia’s RazakSat will happen still this year. RazakSat will validate technologies for a Near Equatorial Orbit remote sensing mini-satellite system to acquire medium high-resolution images.

A successful flight 4 also clears the way for the maiden launch of the much larger Falcon 9 . Delivery of this 333 tonnes heavy rocket is scheduled for December 2008. SpaceX received an Operational License for launch complex SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral in early September.

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