Private Company Sends Rocket Into Space
This past weekend the world witnessed the successful launch of a rocket and for the first time in history, it wasn’t the result of an entire country’s efforts to send a shuttle into orbit.
Space Exploration Technologies, also known as SpaceX, launched its privately developed liquid fuel rocket, Falcon 1, on Sunday, becoming the first private corporation to develop and successfully put a rocket into orbit. The company’s aim is to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of manned and unmanned space transportation by a factor of ten.
Sunday’s launch of Falcon 1 is the company’s fourth attempt to send a rocket into orbit. CEO and CTO of SpaceX and former PayPal co-founder, Elon Musk, praised the company and put the success down to the hard work of a team of over 500 people. The first launch failed because fuel line leak, while the second was lost five minutes after launching. The third was possibly the biggest disappointment. Carrying three satellites for NASA and the Department of Defense, as well as small amounts of the cremated remains of some 200 people, mission control lost contact with the shuttle shortly after the separation of the first stage.
Falcon 1 carried a payload mass simulator of approximately 364 lbs into orbit, consisting of a hexagonal aluminum alloy chamber, standing at roughly five feet tall and designed and built specifically for the mission, the payload remains attached to the second stage as it orbits the Earth.
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Wow...guess I'd better start saving money for my ticket! Woot!
It's a rocket, not a shuttle.
A shuttle is a two-way vechicle, that will also return back to earth. This one was just sent to space, where it will remain for several years, then it will burn in the upper atmosphere.
Shuttle? Really? I don't see one.
Nice title.
Niceee now rich people can play space invaders in real life!
I am all for privately owned ICBM and nukes why did NASA agreed to sent three satellites on a rocket that failed twice before?
They only sent up a dummy sattilite in this rocket.
I am all for privately owned ICBM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter [...] ic_missile and nukes why did NASA agreed to sent three satellites on a rocket that failed twice before?
Because it's easy to obtain a nuke, and also make it able to actually go anyway near it's target....
anywhere*
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My Regards.