Spacex Exploration Technologies has successfully launched the first privately-developed all-liquid fuel rocket that was able to reach orbit.
Falcon 1, a 70-foot-long rocket powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene, is the first in a family of low-cost launch vehicles priced at $7.9 million each.
Besides the Falcon 1, SpaceX is developing for NASA a larger launch vehicle, Falcon 9, capable of flying to the international space station when the current space shuttle fleet retires in 2010.
There should be two more launches in 2008. A falcon 1 with a payload and the first flight of the Falcon 9 heavy lift rocket. The launch manifest has five launches planned in 2009 and three in 2010.
ATSB (Malaysia) Q4 2008 Falcon 1
Falcon 9 Maiden Flight 2008 Falcon 9
MDA Corp. (Canada) 2009 Falcon 9
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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