SpaceX Falcon 9: designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by CEO and CTO Elon Musk to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. SpaceX’s first launch vehicle, Falcon 1, was designed from the ground up by SpaceX engineers. Falcon 1 was the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket to reach orbit, in March 2006.
The Basics
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is a rocket design to take humans and payloads to Earth orbit and beyond. The Falcon 9 rocket is made up of two stages, the first of which is design to boost the second stage and its payload to space. The first stage, or “boost stage,” is power by nine Merlin engines. These engines are fed by liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellants, which are store in the rocket’s tank.
The second stage, or “upper stage,” is power by a single Merlin engine. This engine is also fed by liquid oxygen and RP-1, which are store in a smaller tank. The Falcon 9’s first stage is design to be reusable, meaning that it can be flown multiple times. The second stage is not currently design to be reusable. SpaceX has successfully flown the Falcon 9 rocket many times, including multiple flights of the reusable first stage. The most recent flight was on March 30, 2019, when the Falcon 9 launcher the Crew Dragon capsule on its first test flight to the International Space Station.
The History
In March 2006, SpaceX announce that it would be launching Falcon 9, a new rocket design to be reusable. The first Falcon 9 launch took place in June 2010, and since then, Falcon 9 has become one of the most reliable and frequently-use rockets in the world. SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to make it possible for people to extend life beyond Earth, and Falcon 9 is a key part of that mission. Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket design and manufacture by SpaceX, with a diameter of 3.66 meters (12 feet) and a height of 70 meters (230 feet).The first stage is power by nine Merlin engines, while the second stage is power by a single Merlin engine. The Merlin engine is a liquid-fueler, sea-level rocket engine designee and manufacture by SpaceX.
It burns a mixture of rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen, and is capable of restarting multiple times in flight. SpaceX has made a number of upgrades to the Falcon 9 over the years, most notably the addition of grid fins, which help the rocket to navigate through the atmosphere, and the inclusion of landing legs, which allow the first stage to land vertically after separation.
In December 2015, SpaceX achieve the first successful landing of a Falcon 9 first stage, and since then, the company has gone on to land over 50 first stages. SpaceX is constantly striving to improve the performance of Falcon 9, and the next major upgrade is the addition of the Block 5, which is schedule to make its maiden flight in May 2018. The Block 5 is the final version of Falcon 9, and includes a number of changes and improvements such as more powerful engines, up grad landing legs, and an improve fairing. SpaceX plans to use Falcon 9 to launch a variety of payloads into orbit, including satellites. Cargo missions to the International Space Station, and eventually, Crewe missions to Mars.
The Future
In 2012, SpaceX made history when its Falcon 9 rocket deliverer Dragon into orbit, becoming the first commercial spacecraft to rendezvous with and dock to the International Space Station (ISS). Since then, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has complete over 50 launches and landings. Making it the most reliable rocket in operation today. But SpaceX is just getting start. The next generation of Falcon 9, Falcon 9 Full Thrust, is now the world’s most powerful operational rocket.
Falcon 9 Full Thrust can lift more than twice the payload of its predecessor while consuming less fuel. Making it the most efficient rocket of its class. SpaceX is continuously working to make its rockets even more powerful and efficient. The company is developing the next generation of Falcon, Falcon Heavy. Which will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world when it launches in 2018. Falcon Heavy will be able to lift over 54 metric tons (119,000 lb) – a mass greater than a 737 jetliner loader with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel. In addition to making its rockets more powerful, SpaceX is working on making them fully and rapidly reusable. The company’s ultimate goal is to make it possible to launches rockets as frequently as airplanes. Making space travel more accessible and affordable for everyone.
SpaceX’s first step towards this goal is Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R), a rocket design to take off and land vertically. F9R made its maiden flight in April 2014, and SpaceX is continuing to test and refine the design. The company is also working on a larger, more powerful version of F9R, known as Falcon Heavy Reusable (FHR). SpaceX is on the cutting edge of rocket technology. And the company’s ultimate goal is to make space travel more accessible and affordable for everyone. With the development of fully reusable rockets, SpaceX is well on its way to making this goal a reality.