![]() ![]() "According to NASA's own independently verified numbers, SpaceX's development costs of both the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets were estimated at approximately $390 million in total." Development Ĭongressional testimony by SpaceX in 2017 suggested that the unusual NASA process of "setting only a high-level requirement for cargo transport to the space station leaving the details to industry" had allowed SpaceX to complete the task at a substantially lower cost. NASA provided US$396 million, while SpaceX provided over US$450 million. ![]() In 2014, SpaceX released combined development costs for Falcon 9 and Dragon. A 2011 NASA report "estimated that it would have cost the agency about US$4 billion to develop a rocket like the Falcon 9 booster based upon NASA's traditional contracting processes" while "a more commercial development" approach might have allowed the agency to pay only US$1.7 billion". NASA estimated development costs of US$3.6 billion had a traditional cost-plus contract approach been used. In 2011, SpaceX estimated that Falcon 9 v1.0 development costs were on the order of US$300 million. The contract totaled US$1.6 billion for a minimum of 12 missions to ferry supplies to and from ISS. Funds would be disbursed only after the demonstration missions were successfully and thoroughly completed. In 2008, SpaceX won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to deliver cargo to ISS using Falcon 9/Dragon. Additional milestones were added later, raising the total contract value to US$396 million. The overall contract award was US$278 million to provide three demonstration launches of Falcon 9 with the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. The contract was structured as a Space Act Agreement (SAA) "to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation service", including the purchase of three demonstration flights. Funding started with seed money from the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program in 2006. While SpaceX spent its own capital to develop its previous launcher, the Falcon 1, development of the Falcon 9 was accelerated by partial NASA funding and commitments to purchase flights once specific capabilities were demonstrated. The initial launch would not occur until 2010. In October 2005, SpaceX announced plans to launch Falcon 9 in the first half of 2007. įalcon 9 rocket family from left to right: Falcon 9 v1.0, v1.1, Full Thrust, Block 5, and Falcon Heavy. On 24 January 2021, Falcon 9 set a record for the most satellites launched by a single rocket, carrying 143 into orbit. It is the only commercial rocket to ever launch humans to orbit. rocket certified for transporting humans to the International Space Station. Īs of January 2021, Falcon 9 had the most launches among U.S. The first mission launched on 8 October 2012. Falcon 9 is certified for the National Security Space Launch program and NASA Launch Services Program as "Category 3", which can launch the most expensive, important, and complex NASA missions. įalcon 9 is human-rated for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS. The former was launched into an advantageous super-synchronous transfer orbit, while the latter went into a lower-energy GTO, with an apogee well below the geostationary altitude. The heaviest payloads flown to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) were Intelsat 35e carrying 6,761 kg (14,905 lb), and Telstar 19V with 7,075 kg (15,598 lb). ![]() Both stages are powered by SpaceX Merlin engines, using cryogenic liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene ( RP-1) as propellants. Individual boosters have flown as many as 15 flights. Since then, SpaceX has successfully landed boosters over 100 times. This feat was first achieved on flight 20 in December 2015. The booster is capable of landing vertically to facilitate reuse. V1.0 flew from 2010–2013, V1.1 flew from 2013–2016, while V1.2 Full Thrust first launched in 2015, encompassing the Block 5 variant, flying since May 2018. The rocket evolved through several versions. The first (booster) stage carries the second stage and payload to a certain altitude, after which the second stage lifts the payload to its ultimate destination. Falcon 9 is a partially reusable medium lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit, produced by American aerospace company SpaceX. ![]()
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