SpaceX Completes Testing, Weather Could Be A Factor

SpaceX says it is ready for the first launch attempt of a Falcon 9 heavy-lift rocket, and has announced a launch window opening a 1100 EDT Friday.

The primary schedule driver for the first Falcon 9 test launch has been certification of the flight termination system (FTS). The FTS ensures that Air Force Range safety officials can command the destruction of the vehicle should it stray from its designated flight path. The successful liftoff of the recent GPS satellite launch last Thursday freed up the necessary range resources for SpaceX to process its final documentation, and they say they are now looking good for final approval of the FTS by this Friday, June 4th, just in time for the first launch attempt.

End to end testing of the Falcon 9 was completed Tuesday as required by the Air Force Range and everything was nominal. The final system connections for the FTS were made late Tuesday, with the vehicle rolled out on Wednesday

SpaceX says the Launch Window opens at 1100EDT, 1500 UTC, and lasts for 4 hours. The company has also reserved a second launch day at Cape Canaveral, FL on Saturday 5 June, with the same hours. As always, weather will play a significant role in the overall launch schedule. The weather experts at the Cape are predicting a 40% chance of "no go" conditions for both days of the window, citing the potential for cumulus clouds and anvil clouds from thunderstorms.

If the weather cooperates, SpaceX plans to provide a live webcast of the launch events, presently scheduled to begin 20 minutes prior to the opening of the launch window.

SpaceX says it's important to note that, since this is a test launch, the primary goal is to collect as much data as possible, with success being measured as a percentage of how many flight milestones are completed in this first attempt. They maintain that it will be a great day if orbital velocity is reached, but still a good day if the first stage functions correctly, even if the second stage malfunctions. It will be a bad day if something happens on the launch pad itself and no flight data is collected.

As SpaceX has said all along, one launch does not make or break the company, nor commercial spaceflight as an industry. The Atlas rocket only succeeded on its 13th flight, and today it is the most reliable vehicle in the American fleet, with a record better than Shuttle.

SpaceX says that, regardless of the outcome, this first launch attempt represents a key milestone for both SpaceX and the commercial spaceflight industry.

FMI: www.spacex.com