Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Spacex shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Spacex offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Spacex at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Spacex? Wrong! If the Spacex is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Spacex then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Spacex? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Spacex and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Spacex wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Spacex then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Spacex site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Spacex, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Spacex, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox_Company | company_name = SpaceX | company_logo = | company_type = [Private company | company_slogan = "Revolutionizing access to space" (?) | foundation = 2002 | location = [El Segundo, California | key_people = [Elon Musk: [Chief executive officer and [Chief technical officer | num_employees = 350 | industry = [Aerospace engineering | products = [Orbital spaceflight [rocket launch | revenue = unknown| homepage = http://www.spacex.com/ spacex.com -->The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is a space transportation startup company founded by Elon Musk. Its stated goal is to improve the cost and reliability of access to outer space "ultimately by a factor of ten". It is based in El Segundo, California, California, USA.

SpaceX is developing a family of partially reusable Two stage to orbit RP-1–liquid oxygen rocket launchs.

Background SpaceX was founded in June 2002 by chief executive officer/chief technical officer Elon Musk, who had also co-founded startup company Zip2 and PayPal and is currently chairman of Tesla Motors and SolarCity. as of 2006 he had invested about $100,000,000 of his personal wealth in SpaceX. Although Musk has stated that he could financially handle two early-launch failures, he also has said "If we have three consecutive failures it's not clear to me that we know what we're doing and maybe we should go out of business."

The company has grown from approximately 160 employees in November 2005, to 350 employees in August 2007. The launch crew in the Marshall Islands comprises 25 persons, with 6 in mission control. This small number of employees, when compared to other companies that produce similarly sized rockets, is part of the cost reduction that Musk is trying to achieve. He sees other rocket manufacturers as providing space-launch services at an unreasonably high price to support an unnecessary bureaucracy.

Launcher versions {| class="wikitable"|-! width="25%" | Version! width="25%" | Falcon 1! width="25%" ]! width="25%" | Falcon 9 heavy|-| Stage 0| none| none| 2 boosters with 9 × Merlins 1C each|-| Stage 1| 1 × Merlin (rocket engine)| 9 × Merlin 1C| 9 × Merlin 1C|-| Stage 2| 1 × Kestrel (rocket engine)| 1 × Merlin 1C| 1 × Merlin 1C|-| Height(max; metre)|align="right"| between 21.3 and 26.83|align="right"| 50 or 54|align="right"| 54|-| Diameter(metre)|align="right"| 1.7|align="right"| 3.6|align="right"| 3.6|-| Initial thrust(Newton)|align="right"| between 318 and 454|align="right"| 3,400|align="right"| 12,258|-| Takeoff weight(tonnes)])|align="right"| 1.5 or 1.71|align="right"| 3.6 or 5.2|align="right"| 5.2|-| Payload(Low Earth orbit; kilogram)|align="right"| betweem 570 and 700 (or 430 to SSO)]; kilogram)|align="right"| —|align="right"| 4,900|align="right"| 12,000|-| Price(Mil. United States dollar)|align="right"| between 6.7 and 8.5|align="right"| 35 to Low Earth orbit or Geostationary transfer orbit |align="right"| 90 to Low Earth orbit or between 55 and 90 (according to Satellite Mass) to Geostationary transfer orbit |-| minimal Price/kg(Low Earth orbit; United States dollar)|align="right"| between 11,754 and 15,556 (or 19,767 to SSO)]; United States dollar)|align="right"| —|align="right"| 10,000|align="right"| 7,826|-| Success ratio(successful/total)|align="right"| 0/2|align="right"| —|align="right"| —|}

There was also a launcher version called Falcon 5 in the planning, but its development was stopped and the Falcon 5 launcher version was dropped.

Launches Maiden test flight of Falcon 1 prototype. at Space Launch Complex—Three West (SLC-3W), Vandenberg Air Force Base.On November 26, 2005, the first launch attempt was scrubbed because of weather and ground-related holds. On December 19, 2005, a second scrub occurred when a faulty valve caused the first-stage kerosene tank to deform during an unfueling maneuver. Subsequently, the launch tower was redesigned to reduce liquid-oxygen boil-off and to avoid wind-related holds. On February 10, 2006, further static testing led to a delay for an unspecified cause.

On March 17 and March 22, before the maiden flight, two static firings were performed in order to validate the rocket hardware and launch procedures.

The Falcon 1 maiden flight was originally scheduled for 21:00 UTC on 24 March 2006 (08:00 UTC+12, 25 March) on March 24. An unplanned hold of about 90 minutes occurred because a ship tasked with recovery of the first stage was in a restricted down-range zone. Launch finally occurred at 22:30 UTC (09:30 UTC+12, 25 March), from Omelek Island, in the Kwajalein Atoll.

After 29 seconds of flight (T plus 00:00:29), the main engine failed, leading to loss of the vehicle soon thereafter. High-resolution photography of the launch shows the engine on fire during ascent. An investigation of the cause of the propulsion failure conducted by SpaceX and DARPA determined that corrosion on an aluminum nut led to failure resulting in a fuel leak. Corrective actions being taken include replacing similar nuts with welds where possible and with stainless steel where welding is not possible. It should be noted that early failures for a space launch vehicle have been typical; the first two launches of Ariane 5 did not succeed (although the second Ariane 5 launch did deliver its payload to a stable orbit and was therefore considered a partial success/failure), for instance.

The company provided a live webcast of the flight from various launchpad cameras, with mission-control voiceover. The webcast showed water-dump, ignition, and pad liftoff. The view switched to an onboard camera, with the atoll clearly receding in the background. About 40 seconds into the flight, the webcast ceased.

The 19.5-kilogram (43-pound (mass)) United States DARPA payload FalconSAT-2 was built by United States Air Force Academy cadets to investigate the phenomenon known as "space weather", or Plasma (physics) in the upper atmosphere. The planned orbit was 450 kilometers (280 miles).

Second test flight of Falcon 1 The second Falcon 1 launched a demonstration payload to return data on the booster's performance, however it failed to reach orbit. The second stage was shut down about a minute and a half before schedule (T+ 7:30) due to a control issue. SpaceX later stated that "The second stage was otherwise functioning well and even deployed the satellite mass simulator ring at the end of flight! Actual final velocity was 5.1 km/s or 11,000 mph, whereas 7.5 km/s or 17,000 mph is needed for orbit."

The first launch attempt was targeted for 2300 UTC, 20 March 2007 however it was aborted one minute and two seconds prior to launch (T minus 00:01:02) due to a ground control software handover failure. A second attempt was made at 00:05 UTC, 21 March 2007, but the launch was aborted automatically 0.5 seconds after firing the engines because the main engine chamber pressure was about 0.2 percent lower than allowable. The low pressure was caused by the fuel being colder than desired. The third attempt successfully launched the rocket at 01:10 UTC, 21 March 2007 (13:10 UTC+12, 20 March 2007), the vehicle separated from the first stage booster and fairing at approximately 6:14 PST.

The webcast from the vehicle was lost at T+ 5:05 at an altitude of approximately 300 kilometers, but SpaceX was able to retrieve telemetry for the entire mission. The video showed a coning motion that increased during the second stage burn, then a roll immediately before loss of signal.{{cite news | last = Malik | first = Tariq | coauthors = | title = SpaceX's Second Falcon 1 Rocket Fails to Reach Orbit | work = Spaceflight | pages = | language = English | publisher = Space.com | date = [2007-03-20 | url = http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070320_spacex_falc1_test2.html | accessdate = 2007-03-21--> Musk noted that the control problem was initiated during stage separation, when the shut down kick of the main engine exceeded their predictions. This caused a bump between the first stage and second stage engine nozzle, along with sloshing in the tanks. The vehicle's systems were designed to damp out sloshing, but the unexpected motion exceeded design parameters.

SpaceX stated they were happy with the launch as the rocket reached space and validated the riskiest and most difficult parts of the new design. Musk expressed confidence that they would solve the control issue and noted that all new rockets typically have these problems to work out; "I think they had something like 12 Atlas failures before the 13th one was success. To get this far on our second launch being an all-new rocket -- new main engine, new first stage, new second stage engine, new second stage, new fairing, new launch pad system, with so many new things -- to have gotten this far is great." SpaceFlightNow Mission Status Centre - Falcon 1 Flight 2 A post-mission report declared this launch "the end of the test phase for Falcon 1 and the beginning of the operational phase."

Upcoming launches The third launch (Q1 2008) will carry a Naval Research Laboratory Optical Sciences Division Tacsat payload from Vandenberg Air Force Base's Pad 3W. This launch was originally scheduled for early 2006, and scheduled to carry a secondary payload, arranged through Texas-based Space Services, Inc.: memorial capsules containing the cremated remains of 187 persons, including Project Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper and Star Trek actor James Doohan.

The maiden launch of the Falcon 9 is scheduled for the second quarter of 2008 with a U.S. government payload, followed closely by the launch of a payload for the Canadian MacDonald Dettwiler.http://spacex.com/launch_manifest.php

On May 2, 2005, SpaceX announced that it had been awarded an IDIQ (IDIQ) contract for Responsive Small Spacelift (RSS) launch services by the United States Air Force, which could allow the Air Force to purchase up to $100,000,000 worth of launches from the company. {{cite news ] 2005 ] that SpaceX has sold 11 contracts for flights on the various Falcon vehicles.

Future development Heavy lift launchers On September 8, 2005, SpaceX announced the development of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will have nine Merlin (rocket engine) engines in its first stage. SpaceX press release on Falcon 9 Selenian Boondocks on Falcon IX The design is an EELV-class vehicle, intended to compete with the Delta IV rocket and the Atlas V rocket rockets. Both stages will be designed to be reusable. A similarly designed Falcon 5 rocket was also envisioned to fit between the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9, but development was dropped to concentrate on the the Falcon 9.

The company purchased the McGregor, Texas testing facilities of now-defunct Beal Aerospace, and is refitting the largest test stand at the facilities for Falcon 9 testing. The test stand is more than capable of testing the 9 Merlin 1C engines of the Falcon 9, which will deliver 350-kilogram-force (3.4-newton) of thrust, considering that Beal Aerospace built the test stand to accommodate a maximum 1,500 tonne-force (15 meganewtons) of thrust.

In addition to the Falcon 9, SpaceX has announced plans for the development of the Merlin 2 engine, a scale version of a larger F-1-class engine to be developed in the future. The company is rumored to be working on a very large rocket to accompany the F-1-class engine, known by the codename "BFR" (Big Falcon Rocket). BFTS acronym in NASASPACEFLIGHT.COM 9/24/07 interview of Elon MuskIn the past, Musk has said "Long-term plans call for development of a heavy lift product and even a super-heavy, if there is customer demand. We expect that each size increase would result in a meaningful decrease in cost per pound to orbit. For example, dollar cost per pound to orbit dropped from $4,000 to $1,300 ($8,800/kg to $2,900/kg) between Falcon 1 and Falcon 5. Ultimately, I believe $500 per pound ($1,100/kg) or less is very achievable." On other occasions, Musk has stated that he expects to be able to offer a price of $1,000 per kilogram by 2010.

Manned orbital spaceflight: SpaceX Dragon SpaceX has announced that it plans to pursue a manned commercial space program through the end of the decade.

On Friday 18 August 2006, NASA announced that the company was one of two selected to provide crew and cargo resupply demonstration contracts to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. SpaceX will demonstrate crew and cargo resupply using the SpaceX Dragon, a conventional blunt-cone ballistic capsule, which is capable of carrying 7 persons or a mixture of personnel and cargo to and from low Earth orbit. It will be launched atop a Falcon 9 vehicle. The nosecone of the vehicle has a hinged cap, which opens to reveal a standard ISS Common Berthing Mechanism, which allows the Dragon to dock to the U.S. segment of the ISS. NASA's plan calls for SpaceX demonstration flights between 2008 and 2010. SpaceX may receive up to $278 million if it meets all NASA milestones.

Space Industry Partnerships In January 2005, SpaceX bought a 10% stake in Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

External links

Articles

Notes {{Infobox_Company | company_name = SpaceX | company_logo = | company_type = [Private company | company_slogan = "Revolutionizing access to space" (?) | foundation = 2002 | location = [El Segundo, California | key_people = [Elon Musk: [Chief executive officer and [Chief technical officer | num_employees = 350 | industry = [Aerospace engineering | products = [Orbital spaceflight [rocket launch | revenue = unknown| homepage = http://www.spacex.com/ spacex.com -->The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is a space transportation startup company founded by Elon Musk. Its stated goal is to improve the cost and reliability of access to outer space "ultimately by a factor of ten". It is based in El Segundo, California, California, USA.

SpaceX is developing a family of partially reusable Two stage to orbit RP-1–liquid oxygen rocket launchs.

Background SpaceX was founded in June 2002 by chief executive officer/chief technical officer Elon Musk, who had also co-founded startup company Zip2 and PayPal and is currently chairman of Tesla Motors and SolarCity. as of 2006 he had invested about $100,000,000 of his personal wealth in SpaceX. Although Musk has stated that he could financially handle two early-launch failures, he also has said "If we have three consecutive failures it's not clear to me that we know what we're doing and maybe we should go out of business."

The company has grown from approximately 160 employees in November 2005, to 350 employees in August 2007. The launch crew in the Marshall Islands comprises 25 persons, with 6 in mission control. This small number of employees, when compared to other companies that produce similarly sized rockets, is part of the cost reduction that Musk is trying to achieve. He sees other rocket manufacturers as providing space-launch services at an unreasonably high price to support an unnecessary bureaucracy.

Launcher versions {| class="wikitable"|-! width="25%" | Version! width="25%" | Falcon 1! width="25%" ]! width="25%" | Falcon 9 heavy|-| Stage 0| none| none| 2 boosters with 9 × Merlins 1C each|-| Stage 1| 1 × Merlin (rocket engine)| 9 × Merlin 1C| 9 × Merlin 1C|-| Stage 2| 1 × Kestrel (rocket engine)| 1 × Merlin 1C| 1 × Merlin 1C|-| Height(max; metre)|align="right"| between 21.3 and 26.83|align="right"| 50 or 54|align="right"| 54|-| Diameter(metre)|align="right"| 1.7|align="right"| 3.6|align="right"| 3.6|-| Initial thrust(Newton)|align="right"| between 318 and 454|align="right"| 3,400|align="right"| 12,258|-| Takeoff weight(tonnes)])|align="right"| 1.5 or 1.71|align="right"| 3.6 or 5.2|align="right"| 5.2|-| Payload(Low Earth orbit; kilogram)|align="right"| betweem 570 and 700 (or 430 to SSO)]; kilogram)|align="right"| —|align="right"| 4,900|align="right"| 12,000|-| Price(Mil. United States dollar)|align="right"| between 6.7 and 8.5|align="right"| 35 to Low Earth orbit or Geostationary transfer orbit |align="right"| 90 to Low Earth orbit or between 55 and 90 (according to Satellite Mass) to Geostationary transfer orbit |-| minimal Price/kg(Low Earth orbit; United States dollar)|align="right"| between 11,754 and 15,556 (or 19,767 to SSO)]; United States dollar)|align="right"| —|align="right"| 10,000|align="right"| 7,826|-| Success ratio(successful/total)|align="right"| 0/2|align="right"| —|align="right"| —|}

There was also a launcher version called Falcon 5 in the planning, but its development was stopped and the Falcon 5 launcher version was dropped.

Launches Maiden test flight of Falcon 1 prototype. at Space Launch Complex—Three West (SLC-3W), Vandenberg Air Force Base.On November 26, 2005, the first launch attempt was scrubbed because of weather and ground-related holds. On December 19, 2005, a second scrub occurred when a faulty valve caused the first-stage kerosene tank to deform during an unfueling maneuver. Subsequently, the launch tower was redesigned to reduce liquid-oxygen boil-off and to avoid wind-related holds. On February 10, 2006, further static testing led to a delay for an unspecified cause.

On March 17 and March 22, before the maiden flight, two static firings were performed in order to validate the rocket hardware and launch procedures.

The Falcon 1 maiden flight was originally scheduled for 21:00 UTC on 24 March 2006 (08:00 UTC+12, 25 March) on March 24. An unplanned hold of about 90 minutes occurred because a ship tasked with recovery of the first stage was in a restricted down-range zone. Launch finally occurred at 22:30 UTC (09:30 UTC+12, 25 March), from Omelek Island, in the Kwajalein Atoll.

After 29 seconds of flight (T plus 00:00:29), the main engine failed, leading to loss of the vehicle soon thereafter. High-resolution photography of the launch shows the engine on fire during ascent. An investigation of the cause of the propulsion failure conducted by SpaceX and DARPA determined that corrosion on an aluminum nut led to failure resulting in a fuel leak. Corrective actions being taken include replacing similar nuts with welds where possible and with stainless steel where welding is not possible. It should be noted that early failures for a space launch vehicle have been typical; the first two launches of Ariane 5 did not succeed (although the second Ariane 5 launch did deliver its payload to a stable orbit and was therefore considered a partial success/failure), for instance.

The company provided a live webcast of the flight from various launchpad cameras, with mission-control voiceover. The webcast showed water-dump, ignition, and pad liftoff. The view switched to an onboard camera, with the atoll clearly receding in the background. About 40 seconds into the flight, the webcast ceased.

The 19.5-kilogram (43-pound (mass)) United States DARPA payload FalconSAT-2 was built by United States Air Force Academy cadets to investigate the phenomenon known as "space weather", or Plasma (physics) in the upper atmosphere. The planned orbit was 450 kilometers (280 miles).

Second test flight of Falcon 1 The second Falcon 1 launched a demonstration payload to return data on the booster's performance, however it failed to reach orbit. The second stage was shut down about a minute and a half before schedule (T+ 7:30) due to a control issue. SpaceX later stated that "The second stage was otherwise functioning well and even deployed the satellite mass simulator ring at the end of flight! Actual final velocity was 5.1 km/s or 11,000 mph, whereas 7.5 km/s or 17,000 mph is needed for orbit."

The first launch attempt was targeted for 2300 UTC, 20 March 2007 however it was aborted one minute and two seconds prior to launch (T minus 00:01:02) due to a ground control software handover failure. A second attempt was made at 00:05 UTC, 21 March 2007, but the launch was aborted automatically 0.5 seconds after firing the engines because the main engine chamber pressure was about 0.2 percent lower than allowable. The low pressure was caused by the fuel being colder than desired. The third attempt successfully launched the rocket at 01:10 UTC, 21 March 2007 (13:10 UTC+12, 20 March 2007), the vehicle separated from the first stage booster and fairing at approximately 6:14 PST.

The webcast from the vehicle was lost at T+ 5:05 at an altitude of approximately 300 kilometers, but SpaceX was able to retrieve telemetry for the entire mission. The video showed a coning motion that increased during the second stage burn, then a roll immediately before loss of signal.{{cite news | last = Malik | first = Tariq | coauthors = | title = SpaceX's Second Falcon 1 Rocket Fails to Reach Orbit | work = Spaceflight | pages = | language = English | publisher = Space.com | date = [2007-03-20 | url = http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070320_spacex_falc1_test2.html | accessdate = 2007-03-21--> Musk noted that the control problem was initiated during stage separation, when the shut down kick of the main engine exceeded their predictions. This caused a bump between the first stage and second stage engine nozzle, along with sloshing in the tanks. The vehicle's systems were designed to damp out sloshing, but the unexpected motion exceeded design parameters.

SpaceX stated they were happy with the launch as the rocket reached space and validated the riskiest and most difficult parts of the new design. Musk expressed confidence that they would solve the control issue and noted that all new rockets typically have these problems to work out; "I think they had something like 12 Atlas failures before the 13th one was success. To get this far on our second launch being an all-new rocket -- new main engine, new first stage, new second stage engine, new second stage, new fairing, new launch pad system, with so many new things -- to have gotten this far is great." SpaceFlightNow Mission Status Centre - Falcon 1 Flight 2 A post-mission report declared this launch "the end of the test phase for Falcon 1 and the beginning of the operational phase."

Upcoming launches The third launch (Q1 2008) will carry a Naval Research Laboratory Optical Sciences Division Tacsat payload from Vandenberg Air Force Base's Pad 3W. This launch was originally scheduled for early 2006, and scheduled to carry a secondary payload, arranged through Texas-based Space Services, Inc.: memorial capsules containing the cremated remains of 187 persons, including Project Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper and Star Trek actor James Doohan.

The maiden launch of the Falcon 9 is scheduled for the second quarter of 2008 with a U.S. government payload, followed closely by the launch of a payload for the Canadian MacDonald Dettwiler.http://spacex.com/launch_manifest.php

On May 2, 2005, SpaceX announced that it had been awarded an IDIQ (IDIQ) contract for Responsive Small Spacelift (RSS) launch services by the United States Air Force, which could allow the Air Force to purchase up to $100,000,000 worth of launches from the company. {{cite news ] 2005 ] that SpaceX has sold 11 contracts for flights on the various Falcon vehicles.

Future development Heavy lift launchers On September 8, 2005, SpaceX announced the development of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will have nine Merlin (rocket engine) engines in its first stage. SpaceX press release on Falcon 9 Selenian Boondocks on Falcon IX The design is an EELV-class vehicle, intended to compete with the Delta IV rocket and the Atlas V rocket rockets. Both stages will be designed to be reusable. A similarly designed Falcon 5 rocket was also envisioned to fit between the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9, but development was dropped to concentrate on the the Falcon 9.

The company purchased the McGregor, Texas testing facilities of now-defunct Beal Aerospace, and is refitting the largest test stand at the facilities for Falcon 9 testing. The test stand is more than capable of testing the 9 Merlin 1C engines of the Falcon 9, which will deliver 350-kilogram-force (3.4-newton) of thrust, considering that Beal Aerospace built the test stand to accommodate a maximum 1,500 tonne-force (15 meganewtons) of thrust.

In addition to the Falcon 9, SpaceX has announced plans for the development of the Merlin 2 engine, a scale version of a larger F-1-class engine to be developed in the future. The company is rumored to be working on a very large rocket to accompany the F-1-class engine, known by the codename "BFR" (Big Falcon Rocket). BFTS acronym in NASASPACEFLIGHT.COM 9/24/07 interview of Elon MuskIn the past, Musk has said "Long-term plans call for development of a heavy lift product and even a super-heavy, if there is customer demand. We expect that each size increase would result in a meaningful decrease in cost per pound to orbit. For example, dollar cost per pound to orbit dropped from $4,000 to $1,300 ($8,800/kg to $2,900/kg) between Falcon 1 and Falcon 5. Ultimately, I believe $500 per pound ($1,100/kg) or less is very achievable." On other occasions, Musk has stated that he expects to be able to offer a price of $1,000 per kilogram by 2010.

Manned orbital spaceflight: SpaceX Dragon SpaceX has announced that it plans to pursue a manned commercial space program through the end of the decade.

On Friday 18 August 2006, NASA announced that the company was one of two selected to provide crew and cargo resupply demonstration contracts to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. SpaceX will demonstrate crew and cargo resupply using the SpaceX Dragon, a conventional blunt-cone ballistic capsule, which is capable of carrying 7 persons or a mixture of personnel and cargo to and from low Earth orbit. It will be launched atop a Falcon 9 vehicle. The nosecone of the vehicle has a hinged cap, which opens to reveal a standard ISS Common Berthing Mechanism, which allows the Dragon to dock to the U.S. segment of the ISS. NASA's plan calls for SpaceX demonstration flights between 2008 and 2010. SpaceX may receive up to $278 million if it meets all NASA milestones.

Space Industry Partnerships In January 2005, SpaceX bought a 10% stake in Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

External links

Articles

Notes

Spacex | HOME

Spacex | SUMMER SCREEN
Summer Screen International artists film programme Following the success of last years Summer Screen, this summer Spacex will present an international artists film programme and ...

Spacex | HOME

Spacex | EVENTS
To book an event, please contact us. GALLERY; South West Film Evening 11 September 2008, 7.30pm Spacex invites you to an informal evening of films by artists from the south west ...

SpaceX - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is a space-transportation startup company founded by Elon Musk. Its goal is to improve the cost and reliability of access to ...

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | SpaceX launch fails a third time
Engineers investigate why the Falcon 1 rocket, built by private space firm SpaceX, fails to reach orbit for a third time.

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - SpaceX
Information about the Falcon Rocket family developed by SpaceX.

Exeter City Council - Spacex Gallery
Contemporary art gallery open to the public, showing cutting-edge exhibitions by internationally renowned and emerging artists.

Exeter City Council - Summer Screen at the Spacex Gallery
Following the success of last year's Summer Screen programme, Spacex presents an international artists film programme and a series of related workshops.

11 January 2005
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited sells stake to SpaceX. Deal unites firms with shared vision of affordable access to space. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the British ...

 

Spacex



 
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