Launch is scrubbed until early next year,as there is a structural issue with the 1st stage fuel tank that will require repair. I will provide further comment as soon as this has been carefully analyzed. |
Our approach has been to take no chances whatsoever. |
Our earned revenue will be $35 million after a little more than two years of operation. By comparison, the X-Prize was a one-off of $10 million, and it took Burt something like five years to do it. |
Some rockets turn faster than others, depending upon the trajectory. In this case it is going to go almost straight up until it is out of sight. |
Target launch date for Falcon I maiden flight is Halloween (October 31) from our island launch complex in the Kwajalein Atoll. For potential customers out there, I should mention that Kwajalein has some of the worlds best scuba diving and snorkeling! It is literally a tropical paradise. |
that are happy to sign up as soon as they see a launch that works. |
The history of rocket development is one which is replete with failure and where there are very few successes. We hope to be one of those successes, but something that I want to make sure everyone's aware of is that no matter what happens on launch day I feel that we have really been quite successful already. |
the history of rocket development is replete with failures and very few successes. |
the Internet; changing the energy cycle from petroleum-based to solar-electric; and moving into space. |
The way it's looking right now, our engine might be one percent below our specifications, but still be the best engine ever done. We prefer not to...but it looks like we may be one percent low. |
There is not a great amount of further development to be done [for the heavy versions]. We won't spend that money until we have a customer. Then we will do aerodynamic analysis, separation systems, a few things like that. |
Those familiar with the launch business will know that countdown scrubs are a way of life. |
To the best of my knowledge, every booster engine qualification program in history has had numerous failures of the kind that recently occurred with Merlin, so this is not unusual. |
Today it costs over a billion dollars for a space shuttle flight. The cost… is fundamentally what's holding us back from becoming a space traveling civilization and ultimately a multi-planet species. |
We are not simply going to address this particular point problem and then merrily jump back into a countdown sequence. |