WASHINGTON
- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced Jan. 16 that it plans to attempt
its
second launch of the Falcon 1 rocket within the week.
The Falcon
1's first flight, conducted last March, ended
in failure [image].
The rocket achieved only 30 seconds of powered flight before an engine fire
traced back to a corroded
nut brought the mission to an abrupt and premature conclusion [image].
In an
update posted on the El Segundo, Calif.-based company's Web site, SpaceX CEO
Elon Musk said the Falcon 1 is on the pad at the company's private launch
complex in the Kwajalein
Atoll in the Pacific Ocean and is being readied for a static fire test
currently planned for Jan. 18 [image].
If all goes smoothly, according to Musk, SpaceX will attempt to launch during a
two-day window that opens Jan. 21. He also said that SpaceX is working with
range officials "to secure a couple of additional days as contingency."
"Should we
go beyond that, which is still a good possibility as we work with the upgraded
vehicle, pad, and procedures, the next available launch window is
mid-February," Musk wrote.
The
upcoming launch is a demonstration flight paid for by the U.S. Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which also paid for the Falcon 1's debut
launch.
Musk said a
recently completed Flight Readiness Review concluded that the rocket, ground
equipment and launch team are ready to go.
"The
upgrades to the vehicle, Kwajalein launch facilities and our launch procedures
have proven quite effective, and we have had a relatively smooth launch
campaign up to this point," Musk wrote. "A number of non-critical issues
arose during the wet-dress [rehearsal] and are being resolved, but we have seen
nothing to date that should delay our launch schedule."
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