SpaceX: With this mornings Launch of CRS-15, the Falcon 9, Block 4, passes into history...

[Paul F.]

I missed watching this one "live" on youtube (forgot about it!).

This mornings launch from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, was the last of the "Block 4" version, with this booster (#1045) having previously launched the TESS mission for NASA on April 18 (that means, a two month turn around for the Block 4 booster to get it ready for flight again).

The CRS-15 resupply mission launched a Dragon Cargo capsule which will rendezvous with the ISS in a couple days. Among the cargo is a new "hand" end for the CanadaArm robot arm that helps dock and berth spacecraft.

They'll also be getting the usual assortment of clean skivvies and socks, packages of M&M's (with the brand name covered...) and other goodies.

The Block 4 booster was not recovered on this flight. It's done it's duty, twice.

The next mission (the second flight of a Block 5 Falcon 9 booster) will be the Iridium NEXT (Flight 7) of a cluster of satellites. This is scheduled for Not Earlier Than July 20 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, launch complex V-4E.
This will be followed as soon as the following DAY (July 21) by Telstar 19 Vantage, from CCAFS LC-40.
In reality, range scheduling and weather may separate those launch days.
Both of these launches should recover their Block 5 boosters on Autonomous Drone Ships, barring any little "oopsie" (They're really getting pretty good at not having those "oopsies").

The next Falcon Heavy mission is "Not Earlier Than" November of this year for the Air Force's STP-2 satellite.

In other Falcon Heavy news, the Falcon Heavy has now been officially certified for "All Air Force Payloads", thanks to the reference and demonstration mission flown back in February. That mission proved the Falcon Heavy and it's Upper Stage were capable of flying to all seven of their "reference orbits" the Air Force uses for this qualification.

In total, there are 15 more SpaceX flights scheduled, or tentatively scheduled, to fly by the end of 2018.

The "Big Falcon Rocket" is still on the horizon, with tooling showing up at SpaceX's new Long Beach facility, but no official word on what progress is being made. Avid space geeks have been spotted off shore with binoculars like teenagers outside the girls dorm... We'll see when we see.

[RAMd®d]

For me, the most amazing bit of private rocketeering (not to be confused with 'privateering'), isn't that it's not the Govt. doing this.

It's the reusable rocket parts. Landing stages to be reused is awesome. I wouldn't fully appreciate it, or maybe even thought about it without seeing Falcon Heavy's dual stage landing.

That was amazing. And rocket science.

[ztirffritz]

What is interesting to me, is that if you do the math, a Falcon heavy costs only marginally more than a standard Falcon 9 launch because all the first stages are recoverable and the the second stage is expended, just as with a standard Falcon 9 launch. The only difference is the fuel, which, while expensive indeed, is only about $200k per core. So on a $60million launch of a Falcon 9 you add perhaps an extra $400k to the cost for a Falcon heavy, charge $90million and carry 3-4 times the payload depending on the mission.

[davemchine]

I think it is shameful that the US is not able to launch astronauts into space any longer. We rely on Russia do to that. I think China is the only other country capable of doing this although I could be wrong. I am very very proud of SpaceX and what they have accomplished and I hope they put the US back into the space game soon.

[Paul F.]

davemchine wrote:
I think it is shameful that the US is not able to launch astronauts into space any longer. We rely on Russia do to that. I think China is the only other country capable of doing this although I could be wrong. I am very very proud of SpaceX and what they have accomplished and I hope they put the US back into the space game soon.

Well, Falcon 9 is in the process of being "man rated", but the Dragon 2 capsule isn't quite ready yet. It'll be done faster than Boeings CST-100 capsule, though. Perhaps not by much, but they're making good progress.

Plus, ATK (bought Sierra Nevada), is developing the Dream Chaser as well, and is making progress.

[Carnos Jax]

Pretty soon, we'll have a plethora of cheap, manned launch options.,..so much so that tourists can more than ever afford them.

[Paul F.]

Carnos Jax wrote:
Pretty soon, we'll have a plethora of cheap, manned launch options.,..so much so that tourists can more than ever afford them.

Stop... you're exciting me!

[sekker]

ztirffritz wrote:
What is interesting to me, is that if you do the math, a Falcon heavy costs only marginally more than a standard Falcon 9 launch because all the first stages are recoverable and the the second stage is expended, just as with a standard Falcon 9 launch. The only difference is the fuel, which, while expensive indeed, is only about $200k per core. So on a $60million launch of a Falcon 9 you add perhaps an extra $400k to the cost for a Falcon heavy, charge $90million and carry 3-4 times the payload depending on the mission.

Nice but you need to factor in the development costs too. Does add cost to each launch.

[Paul F.]

According to an off the cuff statement by Elon Musk, Falcon Heavy cost about 500 Million to develop. Depending on payload and whether the cores are recovered, development could be paid for by as few as six launches.

[Racer X]

That would be 11 figures if NASA were involved.