Falcon 1
Falcon 1 rocket.
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|
| Function | Orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Project cost | US$90 million |
| Size | |
| Height | 21.3 m (70 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.7 m (5.5 ft) |
| Mass | 38,555 kg (85,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 180 kg (400 lb) demonstrated; 670 kg (1480 lb) proposed |
| Payload to SSO |
430 kg (990 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Omelek Island |
| Total launches | 5 |
| Successes | 2 |
| Failures | 3 |
| Partial failures | 0 |
| First flight | March 24, 2006 22:30 GMT |
| Last flight | July 14, 2009 03:35 GMT |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 1 Merlin 1A (first 2 flights), 1 Merlin 1C (final 3 flights) |
| Thrust | 454 kN (102,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 255 s (sea level) (2.6 kN·s/kg) |
| Burn time | 169 seconds |
| Fuel | RP-1/LOX |
| Second stage | |
| Engines | 1 Kestrel |
| Thrust | 31 kN (7,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 327 s (vacuum) (3.2 kN·s/kg) |
| Burn time | 378 seconds |
| Fuel | RP-1/LOX |
The Falcon 1 was an expendable launch system privately developed and manufactured by SpaceX during 2006–2009. On 28 September 2008, Falcon 1 became the first privately-developed liquid-fuel launch vehicle to go into orbit around the Earth.
The two-stage-to-orbit rocket used LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine. It was designed by SpaceX from the ground up.
The vehicle was launched a total of five times. Falcon 1 achieved orbit on its fourth attempt, in September 2008 with a mass simulator as a payload. On 14 July 2009, Falcon 1 made its final flight and successfully delivered the Malaysian RazakSAT satellite to orbit on SpaceX's first commercial launch (fifth launch overall). Following its fifth launch, the Falcon 1 was retired and succeeded by Falcon 9.
SpaceX had announced an enhanced variant, the Falcon 1e, but development was stopped in favor of Falcon 9.
The Falcon 1 rocket was developed with private funding. The only other orbital launch vehicles to be privately funded and developed were the Conestoga in 1982 and Pegasus, first launched in 1990; which uses a large aircraft as its first stage.
The total development cost of Falcon 1 was approximately US$90 million.
While the development of Falcon 1 was privately funded, the first two Falcon 1 launches were purchased by the United States Department of Defense under a program that evaluates new US launch vehicles suitable for use by DARPA.
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