Re: First Falcon start delayed
- From: "Pete Lynn" <pete@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 04:22:53 GMT
"Andi Kleen" <freitag@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:p73hdflvsop.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> From
http://spacex.com/index.html?section=updates&content=http%3A//spacex.com
/updates.php
>
> [June 24: We were just informed that the Titan IV
> flight will launch no earlier than September and may
> very well be delayed until October or November,
> depending upon what issues arise (due to overflight
> concerns, Falcon I is required to launch after Titan
> IV). As a result, you can expect that our first launch
> will now be from our island launch complex in the
> Kwajalein Atoll. Nominal launch date is late
> September.]
>
> They must be pretty annoyed to be hold up by a
> dinosaur like this.
I expect this will hurt. Kwajalein is hardly going to be cheap, quick
or convenient either.
The direct breakeven point for air launch is probably somewhere around
$2 and $5 million for the Falcon I and V respectively, (payload increase
and launch pad cost avoidance). Given the increasingly demonstrated
indirect costs of conventional launch, air launch is starting to look
very attractive.
The Falcon V would require the likes of a modified 747 for air transport
and launch. If such a carrier vehicle were commercially available, it
might ease a great many woes for a number of developers. It might also
significantly decrease the start up capital required for such space
transport developments.
Unfortunately a single company does not seem able to justify the extra
one off cost of modifying such an aircraft. Nor the willingness to make
it commercially available. An independent specialist air launch company
is probably desired.
Pete.
.
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