Wednesday, March 17, 2010

SpaceX makes a giant leap

Space Systems/Loral signed a contract with upstart launch provider SpaceX for the delivery of a large communications satellite to geosynchronous orbit (GEO). It's quite a coup for SpaceX, especially considering its Falcon 9 booster has yet to fly. The first Falcon 9 is on a pad in Cape Canaveral. It had a successful hot-fire test of the nine first-stage engines, but the first launch has slipped as company engineers seek to eliminate a problem with the shedding of cork insulation.
COMMENT: Anything you do in space takes longer and costs more than you thought, but reports are SpaceX will deliver this launch for about half of the $100M or so charged by other commercial providers. Good luck, guys.

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