Falcon 1 operational

[Dr Mordrid]

SpaceX's Falcon 1 private/low cost booster has been declared operational. They'll be launching 2 satellites later this year; one for the military and one for Malaysia.

In Q2 2008 they test the 9-engine Falcon 9, which is to boost their Dragon spaceship and other heavy loads. Dragon is to have 3 unmanned test flights between Q3 '08 and Q3 '09, the last of which is to deliver cargo the ISS.

[Dilitante1]

cool, maybe if things run smooth NASA wont have to rely on Russia to get our stuff up there

[gt40]

Falcon awesome.

[Jessterw]

It's exciting to see that renewed interest in space operations/travel is starting to show some serious results.

[Dr Mordrid]

Yes indeed, and Bigelow's Genesis II module is set to fly in a few weeks with numerous improvements over Genesis I (as if it needed many ).

Also: SpaceX says that in 2007 they “will manufacture more rocket booster engines than the entire rest of the US industry combined” and almost twice that many in 2008.

What I find interesting is that Dragon will be flying 5 years beore Orion, carry up to 7 instead of just 4 passengers, carry more cargo and have more maneuvering capacity at a small fraction of the cost.

Dragons seats can also be stripped for pressurized cargo and more unpressurized cargo stuffed into its service module to turn it into a remotely piloted cargo vehicle like Russia's Progress. It's also sized to fly not only on Falcon 9 but most any other comparable booster (Atlas etc.).

Its also said to be capable of re-entry from a lunar trajectory.

Years ago a study group was set up to design an 'ideal' capsule & Dragon is the personification of their final report.