Falcon 9 Full Thrust
Falcon 9 Full Thrust (also known as Falcon 9 v1.2, with variants Block 1 to Block 5) is a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle, designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Designed in 2014–2015, Falcon 9 Full Thrust began launch operations in December 2015. As of 26 January 2023, Falcon 9 Full Thrust had performed 179 launches without any failures. Based on the Lewis point estimate of reliability,[definition needed] this rocket is the most reliable orbital launch vehicle currently in operation.[8]
Launch of the first Falcon 9 Full Thrust flight, Falcon 9 Flight 20, carrying 11 Orbcomm satellites to orbit. The first stage was recovered at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station LZ-1 following the first successful Falcon 9 landing. | |
| Function | Partially reusable orbital medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Cost per launch | $62M (2016),[1] $50M (Reusable, 2018)[2] |
| Size | |
| Height | 71 m (233 ft) with payload fairing[3] |
| Diameter | 3.66 m (12.0 ft)[4] |
| Mass | 549,000 kg (1,210,000 lb)[4] |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO (28.5°) | |
| Mass |
|
| Payload to GTO (27°) | |
| Mass | |
| Payload to Mars | |
| Mass | 4,020 kg (8,860 lb)[1] |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Falcon 9 |
| Derivative work | Falcon Heavy |
| Comparable | |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | |
| Total launches | 179[5] |
| Success(es) | 179 |
| Notable outcome(s) | 1 (destroyed before launch) |
| Landings | 156 / 162 attempts |
| First flight | 22 December 2015 |
| Last flight | 2022 |
| Type of passengers/cargo | |
| First stage | |
| Powered by | 9 Merlin 1D |
| Maximum thrust | Sea level: 7,607 kN (1,710,000 lbf)[4] Vacuum: 8,227 kN (1,850,000 lbf)[4] |
| Specific impulse | Sea level: 282 seconds[6][needs update] Vacuum: 311 seconds[6][needs update] |
| Burn time | 162 seconds[4] |
| Propellant | Subcooled LOX / Chilled RP-1[7] |
| Second stage | |
| Powered by | 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum |
| Maximum thrust | 934 kN (210,000 lbf)[4] |
| Specific impulse | 348 seconds[4] |
| Burn time | 397 seconds[4] |
| Propellant | LOX / RP-1 |
On April 8, 2016, the Full Thrust version of the Falcon 9 family was the first launch vehicle on an orbital trajectory to successfully vertically land a first stage. The landing followed a technology development program conducted from 2013 to 2015. Some of the required technology advances, such as landing legs, were pioneered on the Falcon 9 v1.1 version, but that version never landed intact. Starting in 2017, previously flown first-stage boosters were reused to launch new payloads into orbit.[9][10] This quickly became routine, in 2018 and in 2019 more than half of all Falcon 9 flights reused a booster. In 2020 the fraction of reused boosters increased to 81%.
Falcon 9 Full Thrust is a substantial upgrade over the previous Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket, which flew its last mission in January 2016. With uprated first- and second-stage engines, a larger second-stage propellant tank, and propellant densification, the vehicle can carry substantial payloads to geostationary orbit and perform a propulsive landing for recovery.[11]
Design
This section's factual accuracy is disputed. (March 2019) |
A principal objective of the new design was to facilitate booster re-usability for a larger range of missions, including delivery of large commsats to geosynchronous orbit.[12]
Like earlier versions of the Falcon 9, and like the Saturn series from the Apollo program, the presence of multiple first-stage engines can allow for mission completion even if one of the first-stage engines fails mid-flight.[13]
Modifications from Falcon 9 v1.1
The third version of the Falcon 9 was developed in 2014–2015 and made its maiden flight in December 2015. The Falcon 9 Full Thrust is a modified reusable variant of the Falcon 9 family with capabilities that exceed the Falcon 9 v1.1, including the ability to "land the first stage for geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) missions on the drone ship"[14][15] The rocket was designed using systems and software technology that had been developed as part of the SpaceX reusable launch system development program, a private initiative by SpaceX to facilitate rapid reusability of both the first–and in the long term, second—stages of SpaceX launch vehicles.[16] Various technologies were tested on the Grasshopper technology demonstrator, as well as several flights of the Falcon 9 v1.1 on which post-mission booster controlled-descent tests were being conducted.[17]
In 2015, SpaceX made a number of modifications to the existing Falcon 9 v1.1. The new rocket was known internally as Falcon 9 Full Thrust,[18] and is also known as Falcon 9 v1.2, Enhanced Falcon 9, Full-Performance Falcon 9,[14] and Falcon 9 Upgrade.[19]
A principal objective of the new design was to facilitate booster reusability for a larger range of missions, including delivery of large commsats to geosynchronous orbit.[12]
Modifications in the upgraded version include:
- liquid oxygen subcooled to 66.5 K (−206.7 °C; 119.7 °R; −340.0 °F) and RP-1 cooled to 266.5 K (−6.6 °C; 479.7 °R; 20.0 °F)[20] for density (allowing more fuel and oxidizer to be stored in a given tank volume, as well as increasing the propellant mass flow through the turbopumps increasing thrust)
- upgraded structure in the first stage[19][21]
- longer second stage propellant tanks[19]
- longer and stronger interstage, housing the second stage engine nozzle, grid fins, and attitude thrusters[19][21]
- center pusher added for stage separation[19]
- design evolution of the grid fins[19][21]
- modified Octaweb[19]
- upgraded landing legs[19][21]
- Merlin 1D engine thrust increased[19] to the full-thrust variant of the Merlin 1D, taking advantage of the denser propellants achieved by subcooling.
- Merlin 1D vacuum thrust increased by subcooling the propellants.[19]
- several small mass-reduction efforts.[22]
The modified design gained an additional 1.2 meters of height, stretching to exactly 70 meters including payload fairing,[13] while gaining an overall performance increase of 33 percent.[19] The new first-stage engine has a much increased thrust-to-weight ratio.
The full-thrust first stage booster could reach low Earth orbit as a single-stage-to-orbit if it is not carrying the upper stage and a heavy satellite.[23]
Versions launched in 2017 have included an experimental recovery system for the payload fairing halves. On 30 March 2017, SpaceX for the first time recovered a fairing from the SES-10 mission, thanks to thrusters and a steerable parachute helping it glide towards a gentle touchdown on water.[24]
On the 25 June 2017 flight (Iridium NEXT 11–20), aluminum grid fins were replaced by titanium versions, to improve control authority and better cope with heat during re-entry.[25] Following post-flight inspections, Elon Musk announced the new grid fins likely will require no service between flights.[26]
Autonomous flight termination system
SpaceX has been developing for some time an alternative autonomous system to replace the traditional ground-based systems that had been in use for all US launches for over six decades. The autonomous system has been in use on some of SpaceX' VTVL suborbital test flights in Texas, and has flown in parallel on a number of orbital launches as part of a system test process to gain approval for use on operational flights.
In February 2017, SpaceX's CRS-10 launch was the first operational launch utilizing the new Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) on "either of Air Force Space Command's Eastern or Western Ranges." The following SpaceX flight, EchoStar 23 in March, was the last SpaceX launch utilizing the historic system of ground radars, tracking computers, and personnel in launch bunkers that had been used for over sixty years for all launches from the Eastern Range. For all future SpaceX launches, AFSS has replaced "the ground-based mission flight control personnel and equipment with on-board Positioning, Navigation and Timing sources and decision logic. The benefits of AFSS include increased public safety, reduced reliance on range infrastructure, reduced range spacelift cost, increased schedule predictability and availability, operational flexibility, and launch slot flexibility."[27][28]
Block 4
In 2017, SpaceX started flying incremental changes to the Falcon 9 Full Thrust version, calling them "Block 4".[29] At first, only the second stage was modified to Block 4 standards, flying on top of a "Block 3" first stage for three missions: NROL-76 and Inmarsat-5 F4 in May 2017, and Intelsat 35e in July.[30] Block 4 was described as a transition between the Full Thrust v1.2 "Block 3" and the following Falcon 9 Block 5. It includes incremental engine thrust upgrades leading to the final thrust for Block 5.[31] The maiden flight of the full Block 4 design (first and second stages) was the NASA CRS-12 mission on 14 August 2017.[32]
Block 5
SpaceX announced in 2017 that another series of incremental improvements were in development, a Falcon 9 Block 5 version, which has succeeded the transitional Block 4. The largest changes between Block 3 and Block 5 are higher thrust on all of the engines and improvements on landing legs. Additionally, numerous small changes will help streamline recovery and re-usability of first-stage boosters. Alterations are focused on increasing the speed of production and efficiency of re-usability. SpaceX aims to fly each Block 5 booster ten times with only inspections in between, and up to 100 times with refurbishment.[33][34]
Rocket specifications
Falcon 9 Full Thrust specifications and characteristics are as follows:[13][30][35]
| Characteristic | First stage | Second stage | Payload fairing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height[35] | 42.6 m (140 ft) | 12.6 m (41 ft) | 13.228 m (43.40 ft) |
| Diameter[35] | 3.66 m (12.0 ft) | 3.66 m (12.0 ft) | 5.263 m (17.27 ft) |
| Mass (without propellant)[35] | 22,200 kg (48,900 lb) | 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) | 1,700 kg (3,700 lb) |
| Mass (with propellant) | 433,100 kg (954,800 lb) | 111,500 kg (245,800 lb) | N/A |
| Structure type | LOX tank: monocoque Fuel tank: skin and stringer | LOX tank: monocoque Fuel tank: skin and stringer | Monocoque halves |
| Structure material | Aluminum lithium skin; aluminum domes | Aluminum lithium skin; aluminum domes | Carbon fiber |
| Engines | 9 × Merlin 1D | 1 x Merlin 1D Vacuum | N/A |
| Engine type | Liquid, gas generator | Liquid, gas generator | |
| Propellant | Subcooled liquid oxygen, kerosene (RP-1) | Liquid oxygen, kerosene (RP-1) | |
| Liquid oxygen tank capacity[35] | 287,400 kg (633,600 lb) | 75,200 kg (165,800 lb) | |
| Kerosene tank capacity[35] | 123,500 kg (272,300 lb) | 32,300 kg (71,200 lb) | |
| Engine nozzle | Gimbaled, 16:1 expansion | Gimbaled, 165:1 expansion | |
| Engine designer/manufacturer | SpaceX | SpaceX | |
| Thrust (stage total)[4] | 7,607 kN (1,710,000 lbf) (sea level) | 934 kN (210,000 lbf) (vacuum) | |
| Propellant feed system | Turbopump | Turbopump | |
| Throttle capability[13] | Yes: 816 kN-419 kN (190,000 lbf to 108,300 lbf) (sea level）[36] | Yes: 930–360 kN (210,000–81,000 lbf) (vacuum) | |
| Restart capability | Yes (only 3 engines for boostback/reentry/landing burns) | Yes, dual redundant TEA-TEB pyrophoric igniters | |
| Tank pressurization | Heated helium | Heated helium | |
| Ascent attitude control pitch, yaw | Gimbaled engines | Gimbaled engine and nitrogen gas thrusters | |
| Ascent attitude control roll | Gimbaled engines | Nitrogen gas thrusters | |
| Coast/descent attitude control | Nitrogen gas thrusters and grid fins | Nitrogen gas thrusters | Nitrogen gas thrusters |
| Shutdown process | Commanded | Commanded | N/A |
| Stage separation system | Pneumatic | N/A | Pneumatic |
The Falcon 9 Full Thrust uses a 4.5 meter long[35] interstage which is longer and stronger than the Falcon 9 v1.1 interstage. It is a "composite structure consisting of an aluminum honeycomb core surrounded by a carbon fiber face sheet plies".[13] The overall length of the vehicle at launch is 70 meters, and the total fueled mass is 549,000 kg.[35] The aluminium-lithium alloy used is 2195-T8.[37]
The Falcon 9 Full Thrust upgraded vehicle "includes first-stage recovery systems, to allow SpaceX to return the first stage to the launch site after completion of primary mission requirements. These systems include four deployable landing legs, which are locked against the first-stage tank during ascent. Excess propellant reserved for Falcon 9 first-stage recovery operations will be diverted for use on the primary mission objective, if required, ensuring sufficient performance margins for successful missions".[13] The nominal payload capacity to a geostationary transfer orbit is 5500 kg with the first-stage recovery (the price per launch is US$62 million), versus 8300 kg with an expendable first-stage.[35]
Development history
Development
As early as March 2014, SpaceX pricing and payload specifications published for the expendable Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket actually included about 30 percent more performance than the published price list indicated. At that time, the additional performance was reserved for SpaceX to conduct reusability testing with the Falcon 9 v1.1 while still achieving the specified payloads for customers. Many engineering changes to support reusability and recovery of the first stage had been made on this earlier v1.1 version. SpaceX indicated they had room to increase the payload performance for the Falcon 9 Full Thrust, or decrease launch price, or both.[38]
In 2015, SpaceX announced a number of modifications to the previous version Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle. The new rocket was known internally for a while as Falcon 9 v1.1 Full Thrust,[18] but was also known under a variety of names including Falcon 9 v1.2,[39] Enhanced Falcon 9, Full-Performance Falcon 9,[14] Upgraded Falcon 9,[40] and Falcon 9 Upgrade.[19][41] Since the first flight of the "full thrust upgrade", SpaceX has been referring to this version as just Falcon 9.[42]
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell explained in March 2015 that the new design would result in streamlined production as well as improved performance:[15]
So, we got the higher thrust engines, finished development on that, we're in [qualification testing]. What we're also doing is modifying the structure a little bit. I want to be building only two versions, or two cores in my factory, any more than that would not be great from a customer perspective. It's about a 30% increase in performance, maybe a little more. What it does is it allows us to land the first stage for GTO missions on the drone ship.[14]
According to a SpaceX statement in May 2015, Falcon 9 Full Thrust would likely not require a recertification to launch for United States government contracts. Shotwell stated that "It is an iterative process [with the agencies]" and that "It will become quicker and quicker to certify new versions of the vehicle."[43] The US Air Force certified the upgraded version of the launch vehicle to be used on US military launches in January 2016, based on the one successful launch to date and the demonstrated "capability to design, produce, qualify, and deliver a new launch system and provide the mission assurance support required to deliver NSS (national security space) satellites to orbit".[44]
Testing
The upgraded first stage began acceptance testing at SpaceX's McGregor facility in September 2015. The first of two static fire tests was completed on 21 September 2015 and included the subcooled propellant and the improved Merlin 1D engines.[45] The rocket reached full throttle during the static fire and was scheduled for launch no earlier than 17 November 2015.[46]
Maiden flight
SES S.A., a satellite owner and operator, announced plans in February 2015 to launch its SES-9 satellite on the first flight of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust.[47] In the event, SpaceX elected to launch SES-9 on the second flight of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust and to launch Orbcomm OG2's second constellation on the first flight. As Chris Bergin of NASASpaceFlight explained, SES-9 required a more complicated second-stage burn profile involving one restart of the second-stage engine, while the Orbcomm mission would "allow for the Second Stage to conduct additional testing ahead of the more taxing SES-9 mission."[48]
Falcon 9 Full Thrust completed its maiden flight on 22 December 2015, carrying an Orbcomm 11-satellite payload to orbit and landing the rocket's first stage intact at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral.[40] The second mission, SES-9, occurred on 4 March 2016.[49]
Launch history
As of 26 January 2023, the Falcon 9 Full Thrust version has flown 179 missions with a success rate of 100%. The first stage was recovered in 156 of them. One rocket was destroyed during pre-launch tests and is not counted as one of the flown missions.
On 1 September 2016, the rocket carrying Spacecom's AMOS-6 exploded on its launchpad (Launch Complex 40) while fueling in preparation for a static fire test. The test was being conducted in preparation for the launch of the 29th Falcon 9 flight on 3 September 2016. The vehicle and $200m payload were destroyed in the explosion.[50] The subsequent investigation showed the root cause to be ignition of solid or liquid oxygen compressed between layers of the immersed helium tanks' carbon-fiber wrappings.[51] To resolve the issue for further flights, SpaceX made design changes to the tanks and changes to their fueling procedure.
Launch and landing sites
Launch sites
SpaceX first used Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base for Falcon 9 Full Thrust rockets, like its predecessor Falcon 9 v1.1. Following the 2016 accident at LC-40, launches from the East Coast were switched to the refurbished pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, leased from NASA.[52]
Architectural and engineering design work on changes to LC-39A had begun in 2013, the contract to lease the pad from NASA was signed in April 2014, with construction commencing later in 2014,[53] including the building of a large Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) in order to house both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles with associated hardware and payloads during processing.[54] The first launch occurred on 19 February 2017 with the CRS-10 mission. Crew Access Arm and White Room work still need to be completed before crewed launches with the SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule scheduled for 2019.
An additional private launch site, intended solely for commercial launches, was planned at Boca Chica Village near Brownsville, Texas[55] following a multi-state evaluation process in 2012–mid-2014 looking at Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico.[56][57] However, the focus of the site has been changed from Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches to VTOL test flights of a subscale Starship Hopper test vehicle. It is very unlikely that it will ever be used for Falcon 9 or Heavy flights, as the current launch pads provide more than enough launch capability.
Landing sites
SpaceX has completed construction of a landing zone at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, known as LZ-1. The zone, consisting of a pad 282 feet (86 m) in diameter, was first used on 16 December 2015 with a successful landing of Falcon 9 Full Thrust.[58] The landing on LZ-1 was the first overall successful Falcon 9 and the third landing attempt on a hard surface. As of 4 June 2020[update], only one landing attempt has failed. The booster landed just offshore. In the following few days, it was towed back to Port Canaveral, raised out of the water using two cranes, and brought back to a SpaceX hangar.
Directly next to LZ-1 SpaceX constructed LZ-2 to allow simultaneous booster landings after Falcon Heavy flights. As of November 2022[update], four boosters have landed at LZ-2.
SpaceX also created a landing site at the former launch complex SLC-4W at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In 2014, the launch site was demolished for reconstruction as a landing site.[59] On 8 October 2018, a Falcon 9 rocket booster successfully landed at the new ground pad, known as LZ-4, for the first time.[60]
Drone ships
Starting in 2014, SpaceX commissioned the construction of autonomous spaceport drone ships (ASDS) from deck barges, outfitted with station-keeping engines and a large landing platform. The ships, which are stationed hundreds of kilometers downrange, allow for first stage recovery on high-velocity missions which cannot return to the launch site.[61][62]
SpaceX has three operational drone ships, Just Read the Instructions , Of Course I Still Love You and "A Shortfall of Gravitas".[63] Both "A Shortfall of Gravitas" and "Just Read the instructions" are used in the Atlantic for launches from Cape Canaveral, while "Of Course I Still Love You" is being operated in the Pacific from the port of Vandenberg.
References
- ^ a b c d e . SpaceX. 28 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ Baylor, Michael (17 May 2018). "With Block 5, SpaceX to increase launch cadence and lower prices". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ (PDF). 21 October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i . SpaceX. 16 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Falcon-9". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ a b . SpaceX. 16 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ^ @elonmusk (17 December 2015). "-340 F in this case. Deep cryo increases density and amplifies rocket performance. First time anyone has gone this low for O2. [RP-1 chilled] from 70F to 20 F" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 December 2015 – via Twitter.
- ^ . SPACE LAUNCH REPORT. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ "SpaceX launches, retrieves its first recycled rocket". Washington Post. Associated Press. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Chang, Kenneth (30 March 2017). "SpaceX Launches a Satellite With a Partly Used Rocket". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ B. de Selding, Peter (16 October 2015). "SpaceX Changes its Falcon 9 Return-to-flight Plans". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ a b de Selding, Peter B. (20 March 2015). "SpaceX Aims To Debut New Version of Falcon 9 this Summer". Space News. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f (PDF). SpaceX. 21 October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d Svitak, Amy (17 March 2015). "SpaceX's New Spin on Falcon 9". Aviation Week. Aviation Week Network. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ a b Svitak, Amy (21 March 2015). "SpaceX's Gwynne Shotwell Talks Raptor, Falcon 9, CRS-2, Satellite Internet and More". Aviation Week and Space Technology. Penton. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ Abbott, Joseph (8 May 2013). "SpaceX's Grasshopper leaping to NM spaceport". Waco Tribune. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Bergin, Chris (3 April 2015). "SpaceX preparing for a busy season of missions and test milestones". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ a b Bergin, Chris (9 September 2015). "Full Thrust Falcon 9 stage undergoing testing at McGregor". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l de Selding, Peter B. (15 September 2015). "Falcon 9 Upgrades: F9 v1.1 (current vehicle) to F9 Upgrade". SpaceNews journalist twitter feed. SpaceX slide, republished on Twitter. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ Elon Musk on Twitter [@elonmusk] (17 December 2015). "-340 F in this case. Deep cryo increases density and amplifies rocket performance. First time anyone has gone this low for O2. [RP-1 chilled] from 70F to 20 F" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 December 2015 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d Foust, Jeff (15 September 2015). "SES Betting on SpaceX, Falcon 9 Upgrade as Debut Approaches". Space News. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ^ Svitak, Amy (5 March 2013). . Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Elon Musk on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Lopatto, Elizabeth (30 March 2017). "SpaceX even landed the nose cone from its historic used Falcon 9 rocket launch". The Verge. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ @elonmusk (25 June 2017). "Flying with larger & significantly upgraded hypersonic grid fins. Single piece cast & cut titanium. Can take reentry heat with no shielding" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 April 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ @elonmusk (25 June 2017). "New titanium grid fins worked even better than expected. Should be capable of an indefinite number of flights with no service" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 April 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "45th SW supports successful Falcon 9 Echostar XXIII launch". 45th Space Wing Public Affairs. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ Gebhardt, Chris (20 March 2017). "Air Force reveals plan for up to 48 launches per year from Cape Canaveral". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Henry, Caleb (29 June 2017). "SpaceX's Final Falcon 9 Design Coming This Year, 2 Falcon Heavy Launches in 2018". Space.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ a b "SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.2 Data Sheet". Space Launch Report. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Gebhardt, Chris (16 August 2017). "Home Forums L2 Sign Up ISS Commercial Shuttle SLS/Orion Russian European Chinese Unmanned Other Falcon 9 Block 4 debut a success, Dragon arrives for Station berthing". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ SpaceX Falcon 9 launches CRS-12 Dragon mission to the ISS NASA Spaceflight.com 14 August 2017
- ^ Clark, Stephen (4 April 2017). "Musk previews busy year ahead for SpaceX". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ NASA (17 February 2017). "NASA Holds Pre-launch Briefing at Historic Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center". Youtube.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Fiche Technique: Falcon-9" [Technical data sheet: Falcon 9]. Espace & Exploration (in French). No. 39. May 2017. pp. 36–37. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
- ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ How Light Metals Help SpaceX Land Falcon 9 Rockets... April 2019
- ^ Gwynne Shotwell (21 March 2014). (audio file). The Space Show. Event occurs at 08:15–11:20. 2212. Archived from the original (mp3) on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ (PDF). FAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ a b Graham, William (21 December 2015). "SpaceX returns to flight with OG2, nails historic core return". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Gruss, Mike (25 January 2016). "Falcon 9 Upgrade gets Air Force OK to launch military satellites". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ Shotwell, Gwynne (3 February 2016). Gwynne Shotwell comments at Commercial Space Transportation Conference. Commercial Spaceflight. Event occurs at 2:43:15–3:10:05. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ de Selding, Peter B. (16 March 2015). "SpaceX Says Falcon 9 Upgrade Won't Require New Certification". Space News. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (25 January 2016). "Falcon 9 upgrade receives blessing from U.S. Air Force". SpaceflightNow. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ^ "Upgraded Falcon 9 First-Stage Static Fire | 9/21/15". Youtube. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (25 September 2015). "First static fire completed on upgraded Falcon 9". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (20 February 2015). "SES signs up for launch with more powerful Falcon 9 engines". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ Bergin, Chris (16 October 2015). "SpaceX selects ORBCOMM-2 mission for Falcon 9's Return To Flight". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ "Spaceflight Now — Launch schedule". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ^ Malik, Tariq (1 September 2016). "Launchpad Explosion Destroys SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket, Satellite in Florida". Space.com. from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ SpaceX (1 September 2016). . Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
- ^ "SpaceX seeks to accelerate Falcon 9 production and launch rates this year - SpaceNews.com". spacenews.com. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "NASA signs over historic Launch Pad 39A to SpaceX". collectSpace. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Bergin, Chris (1 July 2015). "Pad 39A – SpaceX laying the groundwork for Falcon Heavy debut". NASA Spaceflight. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ . Brownsville Herald. 22 September 2014. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Texas, Florida Battle for SpaceX Spaceport". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
- ^ Dean, James (7 May 2013). "3 states vie for SpaceX's commercial rocket launches". USA Today. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Davenport, Christian (21 December 2015). "Elon Musk's SpaceX returns to flight and pulls off dramatic, historic landing". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ SpaceX Demolishes SLC-4W Titan Pad. YouTube. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "SAOCOM 1A Mission". SpaceX. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ @elonmusk (12 January 2016). "Aiming to launch this weekend and (hopefully) land on our droneship. Ship landings needed for high velocity missions" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @elonmusk (17 January 2016). "If speed at stage separation > ~6000 km/hr. With a ship, no need to zero out lateral velocity, so can stage at up to ~9000 km/h" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "SpaceX: Elon Musk shares photo of drone ship that enables more missions".