CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- As early as 2004, Cape Canaveral could see a new rocket take to its skies.
Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk is planning to use the state- and Navy-operated Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to launch his new Falcon rocket.
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California will get first dibs, though. Musk's company, SpaceX, intends to send the Falcon on its first flight from Vandenberg's Pad 3W as early as December, carrying a Department of Defense communications satellite.
He has two satellites lined up to take the ride, and two or three more are close to committing, he told a group of space enthusiasts and executives gathered for a National Space Club Florida Committee lunch in Cocoa Beach.
The two-stage, liquid-fueled rocket would carry light cargo to space. It would be equivalent to Orbital Sciences' Pegasus booster, which is dropped from the belly of an L-1011 aircraft and then launched.
Musk initially plans to charge $6 million for access to his rocket, compared with about $20 million for the Pegasus.
"It's sort of, more of a, forward V-8 than a Ferrari," Musk said of the rocket's engines. "If you've ever had a Ferrari, that sucker's in the shop all the time."
Eighty percent of the Falcon could potentially be reused. The first stage to fall away will be recovered from the ocean by a salvage company. Later, he said he hopes to make the whole ship reusable. This compares with about 90 percent of the shuttle that can be used again after every flight.He said a less expensive rocket should create a new market for people who want to launch smaller satellites, but don't have $20 million to spend.
"There are a lot of payloads that currently fly as piggybacks -- or a secondary payload on the big vehicles -- that if they could, they'd much prefer to have their own ride," Musk said. "Right now, they're second-class citizens and very much subordinate."
This month, the Falcon will test fire its second-stage engine.
In September, SpaceX will put the Falcon through a launch simulation.
Musk said the rocket should be ready for flight by November.
Later, SpaceX could make the Falcon bigger to accommodate heavier satellites. That could happen in as few as 31/2 years. If SpaceX tried to go that route, Musk said, it would have the biggest launcher on the planet. He said it could be possible to outfit the rocket for humans.
"I believe it's people like Elon Musk who are really going to make the greatest strides," said Winston Scott, Florida Space Authority's incoming executive director.
Getting a new launcher out to its pad is not simple.
Musk's company had to fill out 60 documents for range-safety certification. Some of those documents were as large as two Los Angeles phone books. He recommended revising the procedure.
Published under license from FLORIDA TODAY. Copyright © 2003 FLORIDA TODAY. No portion of this material may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of FLORIDA TODAY.
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