Five minutes after liftoff, the live webcast of a Falcon 1 rocket launch, carried out by SpaceX on Kwajalein Atoll, abruptly ended. The final message, that there has been an anomaly, suggests that this was the third failure for the private space transportation company.
If that is the case, at least there is a silver lining to this cloud: The NASA payload was relatively inexpensive in comparison to a normal satellite.
Here is a partial transcript:
Update:
"It was obviously a big disappointment not to reach orbit on this flight," said Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX in a message to his staff. "On the plus side, the flight of our first stage, with the new Merlin 1C engine that will be used in Falcon 9, was picture perfect. Unfortunately, a problem occurred with stage separation, causing the stages to be held together."
Despite the setback, his company is steaming right along. The equipment for their fourth and fifth test flights are almost ready.
Musk also mentioned that SpaceX has recently accepted a large financial investment, which will ensure their future. "For my part, I will never give up and I mean never," he said.
See Also:
- SpaceX's Next Launch Will Carry NASA Solar Sail Experiment
- SpaceX: Why Else Would We Put Windows On A Cargo Vehicle?
- SpaceX Completes Merlin Qualification, Slips Falcon 9 Launch
- SpaceX Passes NASA Review of Their Plans to Dock with Space Station
- SpaceX Will Sell Launch Vehicles at Cost to Lunar X-Prize Competitors
