Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Science / Health/  SpaceX aims for 16 December return to flight, customer Iridium says
BackBack

SpaceX aims for 16 December return to flight, customer Iridium says

SpaceX suspended flights after one of its rockets burst into flames on 1 September as it was being fueled for a routine pre-launch test

SpaceX hopes to return its Falcon 9 rocket to flight on 16 December, said Iridium Communications Inc, which plans to have 10 of its satellites on board for launching. Photo: ReutersPremium
SpaceX hopes to return its Falcon 9 rocket to flight on 16 December, said Iridium Communications Inc, which plans to have 10 of its satellites on board for launching. Photo: Reuters

Cape Canaveral, Florida: Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX hopes to return its Falcon 9 rocket to flight on 16 December, said Iridium Communications Inc, which plans to have 10 of its satellites on board for launching.

The launch is contingent on approval by the Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees US commercial space transportation, Iridium said on Thursday.

“We are looking forward to return to flight," SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement from Iridium.

SpaceX suspended flights after one of its rockets burst into flames on 1 September as it was being fueled for a routine pre-launch test at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The company traced the explosion to a fueling system problem that caused a pressurized container of helium inside the rocket’s upper stage to burst.

The accident destroyed a $200 million satellite owned by Israel’s Space Communication Ltd.

“We are confident that SpaceX understands its fueling process now and will do it successfully for our launch," Iridium spokeswoman Diane Hockenberry wrote in an email to Reuters.

Iridium’s satellites, however, will not be aboard the rocket during the pre-launch engine firing, she added.

SpaceX declined to comment about the status of its accident investigation or what measures it will take to ensure the problem will not reoccur.

The company uses extremely cold liquid propellants loaded just prior to blast-off to increase the rocket’s power so it can fly back to Earth and be reused.

A US National Aeronautics and Space Administration advisory panel last month publicly questioned the safety of SpaceX’s fueling process, especially since the company has been hired to begin flying astronauts to the International Space Station in 2018.

The 1 September accident was the second for SpaceX in 29 flights of the Falcon 9. The company, owned and operated by Tesla Motors Inc chief executive officer Musk, has a backlog of more than 70 missions for Nasa and commercial customers, worth more than $10 billion.

SpaceX has not disclosed the extent of the damage at its primary launch site in Florida. The Iridium satellites will be launched from SpaceX’s California launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Iridium intends to replace its current mobile communications network with 81 new satellites made by Italy’s Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture of Thales SA and Leonardo Finmeccanica SpA under a contract worth $2.8 billion.

SpaceX is under contract to launch at least 70 of the satellites. Reuters

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 01 Dec 2016, 08:12 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App