Meanwhile, the new space industry has been building the infrastructure it needs for the future it envisions, and inch by inch, it is moving forward. SpaceX, which plans to offer payload delivery into orbit for all kinds of customers, plans to launch its small Falcon I rocket on its maiden flight on Halloween — next Monday — from the Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific. The customer for this mission is DARPA and the Air Force. The payload will be a satellite built to measure space plasma phenomena, which can adversely affect GPS and other civil and military space-based communications. Falcon 1 is about 60 feet long and has a reusable first stage and expendable upper stage. A second launch is planned for later this year from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
…As SpaceX Prepares To Launch…
Key Takeaways:
- SpaceX is launching its Falcon I rocket on its maiden flight this Halloween from the Kwajalein Atoll for DARPA and the Air Force.
- The mission's payload is a satellite designed to measure space plasma phenomena, which can negatively affect GPS and other space-based communications.
- The 60-foot Falcon I rocket features a reusable first stage and is part of the new space industry's efforts to build orbital delivery infrastructure.
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