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Falcon 9
Part of Falcon
Falcon 9
Falcon 9
Credit: NASA
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. In September 2006 SpaceX was named as one of two winners of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition. The SpaceX award was $278 million for three flight demonstrations of the Falcon 9 booster carrying the Dragon space capsule. On 23 December 2008 NASA announced that the Falcon 9 / Dragon had been selected for launch of a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg of payload to the International Space Station in 2010-2014. The firm contract was worth $1.6 billion, with another $1.5 billion of options.

Status: Active. First Launch: 2010-06-04. Last Launch: 2019-01-11. Number: 46 . Payload: 10,450 kg (23,030 lb). Thrust: 5,560.00 kN (1,249,930 lbf). Gross mass: 333,400 kg (735,000 lb). Height: 55.00 m (180.00 ft). Diameter: 3.60 m (11.80 ft). Span: 3.60 m (11.80 ft). Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

Reliability of the Falcon 9 was assured by a hold-before-release system – the Falcon was held down and could not be released for flight until all propulsion and vehicle systems were confirmed to be operating normally. An automatic safe shut-down and unloading of propellant occurred if any off nominal conditions are detected. A Kevlar shield protects each engine from debris in the event of its neighbor failing. All Falcon designs had only two stages and only one stage separation event – the minimum practical. All stage separation bolts were all dual initiated, fully space qualified, and had a zero failure track record in prior launch vehicles. Guidance was by triple redundant flight computers and inertial navigation, with a GPS overlay for additional orbit insertion accuracy. The engines, structural materials and design principles, avionics and launch system were all to have been proven on earlier Falcon 1 flights before the first Falcon 9 was ever launched.

The Falcon 9 first and second stage tank walls and domes were made from aluminum 2219, using all friction stir welding. The interstage was made of a carbon fiber honeycomb structure. The separation system consisted of pyrotechnic release bolts and pneumatic separation pushers. Although in-flight failures are very rarely explosive, a Kevlar shield protects each engine from debris in the event of its neighbor failing.

LEO Payload: 10,450 kg (23,030 lb) to a 200 km orbit at 28.00 degrees. Payload: 4,540 kg (10,000 lb) to a GTO, 28 deg. Development Cost $: 378.000 million. Launch Price $: 36.750 million in 2008 dollars in 2008 dollars. Boost Propulsion: Lox/Kerosene. Cruise Thrust: 66.600 kN (14,972 lbf). Cruise Thrust: 6,800 kgf. Cruise engine: Kestrel. Initial Operational Capability: 2009.


More at: Falcon 9.

Family: LCLVs, low cost, orbital launch vehicle. Country: USA. Spacecraft: CUSat, DANDE, DSCOVR, MAC-200, Orbital star, SN-100, FS-1300, Star bus, Celestis, HS 702, Cubesat, Spacebus 4000, Dragon. Launch Sites: Vandenberg SLC4E, Cape Canaveral LC40. Agency: SES, SpaceX.

2010 June 4 - . 18:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2010 December 8 - . 15:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2012 May 22 - . 07:44 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2012 October 8 - . 00:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2013 March 1 - . 15:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2013 September 29 - . 16:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2013 December 3 - . 22:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2014 January 6 - . 22:06 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2014 April 18 - . 19:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2014 July 14 - . 15:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2014 August 5 - . 08:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 May 1 - . 11:14 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 May 15 - . 23:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 June 3 - . 21:06 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 June 3 - . 21:06 GMT - . Launch Platform: ISS. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 June 23 - . 19:09 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 June 25 - . 20:24 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 July 5 - . 23:37 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 August 14 - . 16:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 August 14 - . 16:30 GMT - . Launch Platform: ISS. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 August 24 - . 18:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 September 7 - . 14:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 October 9 - . 12:36 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 October 11 - . 22:52 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 October 30 - . 19:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 December 15 - . 15:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2017 December 23 - . 01:26 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 January 8 - . 01:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 January 31 - . 21:24 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 February 22 - . 14:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 March 6 - . 05:32 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 March 30 - . 14:12 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 April 2 - . 20:29 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 April 2 - . 20:29 GMT - . Launch Platform: ISS. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 April 18 - . 22:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 May 11 - . 20:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 May 22 - . 19:46 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 June 4 - . 04:44 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 June 29 - . 09:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 July 22 - . 05:49 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 July 25 - . 11:38 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 August 7 - . 05:17 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 September 10 - . 04:44 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 October 8 - . 02:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 November 15 - . 20:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 December 3 - . 18:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 December 5 - . 18:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2018 December 23 - . 13:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral SLC40. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.
2019 January 11 - . 15:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9.

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