SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket roared into orbit on Friday, climbing into space on what appeared to be a successful full duration inaugural test flight of nearly 10 minutes.
The slender white, 180-foot tall, two-stage rocket with the “SPACEX” logo stenciled on the side lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., at 2:45 p.m., EDT, rising atop the thrust generated by the spacecraft’s nine Merlin liquid oxygen and kerosene fueled engines. Successful second stage and faring separations followed as the full 9 minute, 38 second flight unfolded.
An detailed analysis of the flight data was under way as the spacecraft reached a 155 mile high orbit.
An attempt to lift off at 1:30 p.m., EDT, was abruptly aborted moments from flight when the spacecraft’s computers noticed a rocket engine problem, according to the company’s official webcast of the countdown. SpaceX managed to quickly re-cycle the countdown to the 15 minute mark.
The Falcon 9 carried a test article version of the Dragon cargo capsule that was bolted to the second stage but not equipped with heat shielding or recovery systems.
Friday’s launching was a much anticipated event that put the company’s own launch team through the paces of counting down, fueling the spacecraft, assessing a dynamic weather outlook that included clouds and rain as well as satisfying the range safety requirements of the U. S. Air Force.
Prior to the 1:30 p.m, abort, the lift off from Launch Complex 40 was held at the 15 minute point for more than two hours, while the Air Force assessed the Falcon 9’s range safety apparatus and the telemetry from a mandatory on-board destruct mechanism, according to the SpaceX webcast. The initial countdown was held to clear a sail boat out of an Air Force launch hazard area as well..
SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who grew wealthy as an Internet entrepreneur, has become a symbol of the commercial space movement that President Obama’s space policy is attempting to foster. The eight-year-old company is receiving development assistance from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program to produce a spacecraft capable of carrying cargo and perhaps astronauts to the International Space Station once the shuttle retires.
Additional test flights are planned, which will include the Dragon capsule that is designed to separate from the Falcon 9. One of those test flights is planned within about two months, according to SpaceX.
Currently, a pair of actual SpaceX space station re-supply missions is planned for 2011.
In December 2008, NASA selected SpaceX for a $1.6 billion contract to carry out a dozen re-supply missions to the space station. The agreement includes an option for additional supply missions that bring the total potential value of NASA’s SpaceX contract to $3.1 billion.