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This is really amazing considering that Atlas took 13 launches before it reached orbit successfully. Edit: It's also good for Obama's space plan - putting a ne
by blackswan 16y ago
This is really amazing considering that Atlas took 13 launches before it reached orbit successfully.
Edit: It's also good for Obama's space plan - putting a new rocket into orbit on it's first launch is a pretty powerful way to demonstrate competence.
- pjscott 16y agoIt helps that the design is similar to that of the Falcon 1, which has already been successfully launched a few times. It uses the same engines, and I think it has a lot of the same electronics. (Fun fact: they use Ethernet for their avionics, replacing what would have been horrible tangles of wires in older rocket designs.)
- supahfly_remix 16y agoSpaceX has had at least one crash before: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5315156 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5315156
- machrider 16y agoIt's normal that the first test flight of a rocket fails. What happened today is unusual.
- tvon 16y agoAtlas was also 50 years ago.
- stcredzero 16y agoThe balloon tanks are still impressive.
- davidcuddeback 16y agoI don't see how this has anything to do with politics, since SpaceX is a private company. Also, it's not SpaceX's first launch. It may be the first launch of the Falcon 9 rocket, but there have been others that SpaceX has undoubtedly learned a lot from.
- natrius 16y agoAccording to the other comments (and SpaceX[1]), SpaceX has a contract with the government to deliver cargo to the ISS when the shuttle retires. It has plenty to do with politics. [1] http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php
- bbatsell 16y agoObama unveiled a plan in February to end the Orion spacecraft program and use private companies to launch US assets into orbit, for which he received copious amounts of criticism, from all sides. (He announced a scaled-back version in April that still relies primarily on private companies to provide transit to space.) That's what the parent is referring to — it's not just blind politicization of an irrelevant topic.
- rbanffy 16y agoIn the scaled back plan, IIRC, the Orion was kept, while Ares and Alair were axed.
- davidcuddeback 16y agoOh, thank you. That does make sense then.
- rue 16y ago> This is really amazing considering that Atlas took 13 launches before it reached orbit successfully. Not at all. They have data from those 13 launches and the rest of the space program, 50 years' worth, to work from. The people footed the basic research, now it is time for the private sector to cash in.