A terminal countdown demonstration test ( TCDT ) is a simulation of the final hours of a launch countdown and serves as a practice exercise in which both the launch team and flight crew rehearse launch day timelines and procedures. In the specific case of a TCDT for the Space Shuttle , the test culminated in a simulated ignition and RSLS Abort (automated shutdown of the orbiter's main engines). Following the simulated abort, the flight crew was briefed on emergency egress procedures and use of the fixed service structure slidewire system . On some earlier shuttle missions, and Apollo missions, the test would conclude with the flight crew evacuating the launch pad by use of these emergency systems, but this is no longer part of the test.
55-438: Unmanned carrier rocket launches also undergo TCDTs, when countdown procedures are followed. These vary for specific rockets, for example solid-fuelled rockets would not simulate an engine shutdown, as it is impossible to shut down a solid rocket after it has been lit. TCDTs typically are carried out a few days before launch. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of
110-484: A pyrophoric mixture of triethylaluminum - triethylborane (TEA-TEB) as an engine igniter. The booster stage has 9 engines, arranged in a configuration that SpaceX calls Octaweb . The second stage of the Falcon 9 has 1 short or regular nozzle, Merlin 1D Vacuum engine version. Falcon 9 is capable of losing up to 2 engines and still complete the mission by burning the remaining engines longer. Each Merlin rocket engine
165-427: A reusable Falcon 9 , initially focusing on the first stage. V1.1 is 60% heavier with 60% more thrust than v1.0. Its nine (more powerful) Merlin 1D engines were rearranged into an "octagonal" pattern that SpaceX called Octaweb . This is designed to simplify and streamline manufacturing. The fuel tanks were 60% longer, making the rocket more susceptible to bending during flight. The v1.1 first stage offered
220-472: A secondary payload was stranded in a lower-than-planned orbit). Additionally, one rocket and its payload ( AMOS-6 ) were destroyed before launch in preparation for an on-pad static fire test. The active version of the rocket, the Falcon 9 Block 5 , has flown 346 times successfully. In 2022, the Falcon 9 set a new record with 60 successful launches by the same launch vehicle type in a calendar year. This surpassed
275-543: A 3.7 m (12 ft) payload fairing and US$ 35 million with a 5.2 m (17 ft) fairing. SpaceX also announced a heavy version of Falcon 9 with a payload capacity of approximately 25,000 kilograms (55,000 lb). Falcon 9 was intended to support LEO and GTO missions, as well as crew and cargo missions to the ISS. The original NASA COTS contract called for the first demonstration flight in September 2008, and
330-464: A fictional starship from the Star Wars film series. In 2005, SpaceX announced that it was instead proceeding with Falcon 9, a "fully reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle", and had already secured a government customer. Falcon 9 was described as capable of launching approximately 9,500 kilograms (20,900 lb) to low Earth orbit and was projected to be priced at US$ 27 million per flight with
385-578: A full-size test article in a vacuum chamber . Since 2019, fairings are designed to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and are reused for future missions. SpaceX uses multiple redundant flight computers in a fault-tolerant design . The software runs on Linux and is written in C++ . For flexibility, commercial off-the-shelf parts and system-wide radiation-tolerant design are used instead of rad-hardened parts. Each stage has stage-level flight computers, in addition to
440-501: A production capacity of 40 rocket cores annually. The factory was producing one Falcon 9 per month as of November 2013 . By February 2016 the production rate for Falcon 9 cores had increased to 18 per year, and the number of first stage cores that could be assembled at one time reached six. Since 2018, SpaceX has routinely reused first stages, reducing the demand for new cores. In 2023, SpaceX performed 91 launches of Falcon 9 with only 4 using new boosters and successfully recovered
495-529: A rocket stage may be recovered while others are not. The Space Shuttle , for example, recovered and reused its solid rocket boosters , the Space Shuttle orbiter that also acted as a second stage, and the engines used by the core stage (the RS-25 , which was located at the back of the orbiter), however the fuel tank that the engines sourced fuel from, which was separate from the engines, was not reused. For example,
550-418: A single Merlin 1C engine modified for vacuum operation , with an expansion ratio of 117:1 and a nominal burn time of 345 seconds. Gaseous N 2 thrusters were used on the second-stage as a reaction control system (RCS). Early attempts to add a lightweight thermal protection system to the booster stage and parachute recovery were not successful. In 2011, SpaceX began a formal development program for
605-714: A small 500 kg (1,100 lb) primary payload, the CASSIOPE satellite. Larger payloads followed, starting with the launch of the SES-8 GEO communications satellite . Both v1.0 and v1.1 used expendable launch vehicles (ELVs). The Falcon 9 Full Thrust made its first flight in December 2015. The first stage of the Full Thrust version was reusable . The current version, known as Falcon 9 Block 5 , made its first flight in May 2018. F9 v1.0
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#1732845459610660-626: A static fire test, where the first stage was fired without launch. The test was aborted at T−2 due to a failure in the high-pressure helium pump. All systems up to the abort performed as expected, and no additional issues needed addressing. A subsequent test on 13 March fired the first-stage engines for 3.5 seconds. In December 2010, the SpaceX production line manufactured a Falcon 9 (and Dragon spacecraft) every three months. By September 2013, SpaceX's total manufacturing space had increased to nearly 93,000 m (1,000,000 sq ft), in order to support
715-437: A total sea-level thrust at liftoff of 5,885 kN (1,323,000 lb f ), with the engines burning for a nominal 180 seconds. The stage's thrust rose to 6,672 kN (1,500,000 lb f ) as the booster climbed out of the atmosphere. The stage separation system was redesigned to reduce the number of attachment points from twelve to three, and the vehicle had upgraded avionics and software. These improvements increased
770-500: Is 13 m (43 ft) long, 5.2 m (17 ft) in diameter, weighs approximately 1900 kg, and is constructed of carbon fiber skin overlaid on an aluminum honeycomb core. SpaceX designed and fabricates fairings in Hawthorne. Testing was completed at NASA's Plum Brook Station facility in spring 2013 where the acoustic shock and mechanical vibration of launch, plus electromagnetic static discharge conditions, were simulated on
825-421: Is controlled by three voting computers, each having 2 CPUs which constantly check the other 2 in the trio. The Merlin 1D engines can vector thrust to adjust trajectory. The propellant tank walls and domes are made from an aluminum–lithium alloy . SpaceX uses an all friction-stir welded tank, for its strength and reliability. The second stage tank is a shorter version of the first stage tank. It uses most of
880-643: Is developing the first stage of the orbital New Glenn LV to be reusable, with first flight planned for no earlier than 2024. SpaceX has a new super-heavy launch vehicle under development for missions to interplanetary space . The SpaceX Starship is designed to support RTLS, vertical-landing and full reuse of both the booster stage and the integrated second-stage/large-spacecraft that are designed for use with Starship. Its first launch attempt took place in April 2023; however, both stages were lost during ascent. The fifth launch attempt ended with Booster 12 being caught by
935-595: Is reinforced, while the side boosters feature aerodynamic nosecone instead of the usual interstage . Falcon 9 first-stage boosters landed successfully in 376 of 388 attempts ( 96.9%), with 351 out of 356 ( 98.6%) for the Falcon 9 Block 5 version. A total of 352 re-flights of first stage boosters have all successfully launched their second stages and, all but one, their payloads. F9 is a two-stage , LOX / RP-1 -powered launch vehicle. Both stages are equipped with Merlin 1D rocket engines. Every Merlin engine produces 854 kN (192,000 lb f ) of thrust. They use
990-463: Is the ballistic missile -shaped multistage rocket , but the term is more general and also encompasses vehicles like the Space Shuttle . Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad , supported by a launch control center and systems such as vehicle assembly and fueling. Launch vehicles are engineered with advanced aerodynamics and technologies, which contribute to high operating costs. An orbital launch vehicle must lift its payload at least to
1045-597: The Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program in 2006. The NASA contract was structured as a Space Act Agreement (SAA) "to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation service", including the purchase of three demonstration flights. The overall contract award was US$ 278 million to provide three demonstration launches of Falcon 9 with the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. Additional milestones were added later, raising
1100-667: The European Space Agency is responsible for the Ariane V , and the United Launch Alliance manufactures and launches the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets. Launchpads can be located on land ( spaceport ), on a fixed ocean platform ( San Marco ), on a mobile ocean platform ( Sea Launch ), and on a submarine . Launch vehicles can also be launched from the air . A launch vehicle will start off with its payload at some location on
1155-603: The NASA Launch Services Program lists it as a "Category 3" (Low Risk) launch vehicle allowing it to launch the agency's most expensive, important, and complex missions. Several versions of Falcon 9 have been built and flown: v1.0 flew from 2010 to 2013, v1.1 flew from 2013 to 2016, while v1.2 Full Thrust first launched in 2015, encompassing the Block 5 variant, which has been in operation since May 2018. In October 2005, SpaceX announced plans to launch Falcon 9 in
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#17328454596101210-549: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration . This space - or spaceflight -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This time -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Carrier rocket A launch vehicle is typically a rocket -powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites ) from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space . The most common form
1265-444: The upper stage of the launch vehicle or launched to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). A direct insertion places greater demands on the launch vehicle, while GTO is more demanding of the spacecraft. Once in orbit, launch vehicle upper stages and satellites can have overlapping capabilities, although upper stages tend to have orbital lifetimes measured in hours or days while spacecraft can last decades. Distributed launch involves
1320-467: The 2000s and launch vehicles with integrated distributed launch capability built in began development in 2017 with the Starship design. The standard Starship launch architecture is to refuel the spacecraft in low Earth orbit to enable the craft to send high-mass payloads on much more energetic missions. After 1980, but before the 2010s, two orbital launch vehicles developed the capability to return to
1375-470: The ISS. In 2011, SpaceX estimated that Falcon 9 v1.0 development costs were approximately US$ 300 million. NASA estimated development costs of US$ 3.6 billion had a traditional cost-plus contract approach been used. 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
1430-495: The Merlin-specific engine controllers, of the same fault-tolerant triad design to handle stage control functions. Each engine microcontroller CPU runs on a PowerPC architecture. Boosters that will be deliberately expended do not have legs or fins. Recoverable boosters include four extensible landing legs attached around the base. To control the core's descent through the atmosphere, SpaceX uses grid fins that deploy from
1485-537: The accomplishment of a goal with multiple spacecraft launches. A large spacecraft such as the International Space Station can be constructed by assembling modules in orbit, or in-space propellant transfer conducted to greatly increase the delta-V capabilities of a cislunar or deep space vehicle. Distributed launch enables space missions that are not possible with single launch architectures. Mission architectures for distributed launch were explored in
1540-434: The agency to pay only US$ 1.7 billion". In 2014, SpaceX released combined development costs for Falcon 9 and Dragon. NASA provided US$ 396 million, while SpaceX provided over US$ 450 million. Congressional 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 [while] leaving the details to industry" had allowed SpaceX to complete
1595-427: The booster on all flights. The Hawthorne factory continues to produce one (expendable) second stage for each launch. Rockets from the Falcon 9 family have been launched 415 times over 14 years, resulting in 412 full successes ( 99.28%), two in-flight failures ( SpaceX CRS-7 and Starlink Group 9–3), and one partial success ( SpaceX CRS-1 , which delivered its cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), but
1650-431: The booster stage of a launch vehicle. After 2010, SpaceX undertook a development program to acquire the ability to bring back and vertically land a part of the Falcon 9 orbital launch vehicle: the first stage . The first successful landing was done in December 2015, since 2017 rocket stages routinely land either at a landing pad adjacent to the launch site or on a landing platform at sea, some distance away from
1705-838: The boundary of space, approximately 150 km (93 mi) and accelerate it to a horizontal velocity of at least 7,814 m/s (17,480 mph). Suborbital vehicles launch their payloads to lower velocity or are launched at elevation angles greater than horizontal. Practical orbital launch vehicles use chemical propellants such as solid fuel , liquid hydrogen , kerosene , liquid oxygen , or hypergolic propellants . Launch vehicles are classified by their orbital payload capacity, ranging from small- , medium- , heavy- to super-heavy lift . Launch vehicles are classed by NASA according to low Earth orbit payload capability: Sounding rockets are similar to small-lift launch vehicles, however they are usually even smaller and do not place payloads into orbit. A modified SS-520 sounding rocket
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1760-581: The completion of all three demonstration missions by September 2009. In February 2008, the date slipped into the first quarter of 2009. According to Musk, complexity and Cape Canaveral regulatory requirements contributed to the delay. The first multi-engine test (two engines firing simultaneously, connected to the first stage) was completed in January 2008. Successive tests led to a 178-second (mission length), nine engine test-fire in November 2008. In October 2009,
1815-416: The first commercial rocket to launch humans to orbit. The Falcon 9 has an exceptional safety record, with 401 successful launches, two in-flight failures, one partial failure and one pre-flight destruction. It is the most-launched American orbital rocket in history. The rocket has two stages . The first (booster) stage carries the second stage and payload to a predetermined speed and altitude, after which
1870-617: The first flight-ready all-engine test fire was at its test facility in McGregor, Texas . In November, SpaceX conducted the initial second stage test firing, lasting forty seconds. In January 2010, a 329-second (mission length) orbit-insertion firing of the second stage was conducted at McGregor. The elements of the stack arrived at the launch site for integration at the beginning of February, 2010. The flight stack went vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 , Cape Canaveral , and in March, SpaceX performed
1925-442: The first half of 2007. The initial launch would not occur until 2010. SpaceX spent its own capital to develop and fly its previous launcher, Falcon 1 , with no pre-arranged sales of launch services. SpaceX developed Falcon 9 with private capital as well, but did have pre-arranged commitments by NASA to purchase several operational flights once specific capabilities were demonstrated. Milestone-specific payments were provided under
1980-442: The ground. In contrast, reusable launch vehicles are designed to be recovered intact and launched again. The Falcon 9 is an example of a reusable launch vehicle. As of 2023, all reusable launch vehicles that were ever operational have been partially reusable, meaning some components are recovered and others are not. This usually means the recovery of specific stages, usually just the first stage, but sometimes specific components of
2035-514: The launch site (RTLS). Both the US Space Shuttle —with one of its abort modes —and the Soviet Buran had a designed-in capability to return a part of the launch vehicle to the launch site via the mechanism of horizontal-landing of the spaceplane portion of the launch vehicle. In both cases, the main vehicle thrust structure and the large propellant tank were expendable , as had been
2090-556: The launch site. The Falcon Heavy is similarly designed to reuse the three cores comprising its first stage. On its first flight in February 2018, the two outer cores successfully returned to the launch site landing pads while the center core targeted the landing platform at sea but did not successfully land on it. Blue Origin developed similar technologies for bringing back and landing their suborbital New Shepard , and successfully demonstrated return in 2015, and successfully reused
2145-568: The launch tower, and Ship 30, the upper stage, successfully landing in the Indian Ocean. Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a partially reusable , human-rated , two-stage-to-orbit , medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX . The first Falcon 9 launch was on 4 June 2010, and the first commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched on 8 October 2012. In 2020, it became
2200-866: The payload capability from 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) to 13,150 kg (28,990 lb). SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell stated the v1.1 had about 30% more payload capacity than published on its price list, with the extra margin reserved for returning stages via powered re-entry . Development testing of the first stage was completed in July 2013, and it first flew in September 2013. The second stage igniter propellant lines were later insulated to better support in-space restart following long coast phases for orbital trajectory maneuvers. Four extensible carbon fiber/aluminum honeycomb landing legs were included on later flights where landings were attempted. SpaceX pricing and payload specifications published for v1.1 as of March 2014 included about 30% more performance than
2255-596: The previous record held by Soyuz-U , which had 47 launches (45 successful) in 1979. In 2023, the Falcon family of rockets (including the Falcon Heavy) had 96 successful launches, surpassing the 63 launches (61 successful) of the R-7 rocket family in 1980. The Falcon 9 has evolved through several versions: v1.0 was launched five times from 2010 to 2013, v1.1 launched 15 times from 2013 to 2016, Full Thrust launched 36 times from 2015 to 2015. The most recent version, Block 5,
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2310-431: The published price list indicated; SpaceX reserved the additional performance to perform reusability testing . Many engineering changes to support reusability and recovery of the first stage were made for v1.1. The Full Thrust upgrade (also known as FT, v1.2 or Block 3), made major changes. It added cryogenic propellant cooling to increase density allowing 17% higher thrust, improved the stage separation system, stretched
2365-496: The same booster on a second suborbital flight in January 2016. By October 2016, Blue had reflown, and landed successfully, that same launch vehicle a total of five times. The launch trajectories of both vehicles are very different, with New Shepard going straight up and down, whereas Falcon 9 has to cancel substantial horizontal velocity and return from a significant distance downrange. Both Blue Origin and SpaceX also have additional reusable launch vehicles under development. Blue
2420-452: The same tooling, material, and manufacturing techniques. The F9 interstage, which connects the upper and lower stages, is a carbon-fibre aluminium-core composite structure that holds reusable separation collets and a pneumatic pusher system. The original stage separation system had twelve attachment points, reduced to three for v1.1. Falcon 9 uses a payload fairing (nose cone) to protect (non-Dragon) satellites during launch. The fairing
2475-670: The second stage accelerates the payload to its target orbit. The booster is capable of landing vertically to facilitate reuse. This feat was first achieved on flight 20 in December 2015. As of 27 November 2024, SpaceX has successfully landed Falcon 9 boosters 361 times. Individual boosters have flown as many as 23 flights. Both stages are powered by SpaceX Merlin engines, using cryogenic liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene ( RP-1 ) as propellants. 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). The former
2530-400: The second stage to hold additional propellant, and strengthened struts for holding helium bottles believed to have been involved with the failure of flight 19. It offered a reusable first stage . Plans to reuse the second-stage were abandoned as the weight of a heat shield and other equipment would reduce payload too much. The reusable booster was developed using systems and software tested on
2585-428: The standard procedure for all orbital launch vehicles flown prior to that time. Both were subsequently demonstrated on actual orbital nominal flights, although both also had an abort mode during launch that could conceivably allow the crew to land the spaceplane following an off-nominal launch. In the 2000s, both SpaceX and Blue Origin have privately developed a set of technologies to support vertical landing of
2640-450: The surface of the Earth. To reach orbit, the vehicle must travel vertically to leave the atmosphere and horizontally to prevent re-contacting the ground. The required velocity varies depending on the orbit but will always be extreme when compared to velocities encountered in normal life. Launch vehicles provide varying degrees of performance. For example, a satellite bound for Geostationary orbit (GEO) can either be directly inserted by
2695-482: The task at a substantially lower cost. "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." SpaceX originally intended to follow its Falcon 1 launch vehicle with an intermediate capacity vehicle, Falcon 5 . The Falcon line of vehicles are named after the Millennium Falcon ,
2750-485: The total contract value to US$ 396 million. 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. Funds would be disbursed only after the demonstration missions were successfully and thoroughly completed. The contract totaled US$ 1.6 billion for a minimum of 12 missions to ferry supplies to and from
2805-847: The vehicle moments after stage separation. Initially, the V1.2 Full Thrust version of the Falcon 9 were equipped with grid fins made from aluminum, which were eventually replaced by larger, more aerodynamically efficient, and durable titanium fins. The upgraded titanium grid fins, cast and cut from a single piece of titanium, offer significantly better maneuverability and survivability from the extreme heat of re-entry than aluminum grid fins and can be reused indefinitely with minimal refurbishment. The Falcon 9 has seen five major revisions: v1.0 , v1.1 , Full Thrust (also called Block 3 or v1.2), Block 4, and Block 5 . V1.0 flew five successful orbital launches from 2010 to 2013. The much larger V1.1 made its first flight in September 2013. The demonstration mission carried
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#17328454596102860-406: Was an expendable launch vehicle developed from 2005 to 2010. It flew for the first time in 2010. V1.0 made five flights, after which it was retired. The first stage was powered by nine Merlin 1C engines arranged in a 3 × 3 grid. Each had a sea-level thrust of 556 kN (125,000 lb f ) for a total liftoff thrust of about 5,000 kN (1,100,000 lb f ). The second stage was powered by
2915-409: Was introduced in May 2018. With each iteration, the Falcon 9 has become more powerful and capable of vertical landing. As vertical landings became more commonplace, SpaceX focused on streamlining the refurbishment process for boosters, making it faster and more cost-effective. The Falcon Heavy derivative is a heavy-lift launch vehicle composed of three Falcon 9 first-stage boosters. The central core
2970-508: 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. On 24 January 2021, Falcon 9 set a record for the most satellites launched by a single rocket, carrying 143 into orbit. Falcon 9 is human-rated for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS, certified for the National Security Space Launch program and
3025-596: Was used to place a 4-kilogram payload ( TRICOM-1R ) into orbit in 2018. Orbital spaceflight requires a satellite or spacecraft payload to be accelerated to very high velocity. In the vacuum of space, reaction forces must be provided by the ejection of mass, resulting in the rocket equation . The physics of spaceflight are such that rocket stages are typically required to achieve the desired orbit. Expendable launch vehicles are designed for one-time use, with boosters that usually separate from their payload and disintegrate during atmospheric reentry or on contact with
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