UNITED STATES 3 Mar 2010 SpaceX plans maiden launch of commercial rocket

SpaceX plans to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Mar 3. A resoundingly successful launch of Falcon 9 threatens the future of NASA's Ares 1 rocket project, but might not silence critics of the private program. An independent advisory panel claims potential commercial crew transportation providers do not meet NASA safety standards for piloted vehicles.

In an annual report released in January, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said it would be "unwise" to abandon NASA's Ares 1 rocket and turn to private companies to transport astronauts to low Earth orbit.

According to Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), the panel's findings are "bizarre." He said in a Space Daily report that the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft "meet all of NASA's published human-rating requirements, apart from the escape systems."

The Ares 1 rocket is part of NASA's Constellation program, which is aimed at returning humans to the Moon. The program is under threat because of its cost and the national economic recession.

SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. are developing the Dragon and Cygnus spacecraft, plus new launch vehicles, under a NASA contract to deliver equipment to the International Space Station beginning next year.

In 2009 a presidential review team presented the White House with eight options for the space program's future. Most involved scrapping the Ares 1 and turning to commercial providers for astronauts in the near-term. The ASAP report said the Augustine committee made premature and oversimplified assumptions about safety.

SpaceX concedes that the Mar 3 launch date could slip. Prolonged delays could boost Ares I's chances of surviving cost-cutting. Jan/10

RELATED READING:

Musk refutes report slamming safety standards (Spaceflight Now 19 Jan 2010)
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1001/19safety/

SpaceX plans to debut Falcon 9 before May (Space News 8 Jan 2010)
http://www.spacenews.com/venture_space/100108-spacex-debut-falcon-before-may.html