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SpaceX's Falcon 9 Rocket Certified to Launch NASA's Most Precious Science Missions
SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket can now launch NASA's most expensive and highest-priority science missions. NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP) has certified the two-stage Falcon 9 as a "Category 3" rocket, SpaceX representatives announced Thursday (Nov. 8).
[...] The LSP certification ladder only goes up to Category 3, which is reserved for the most dependable launchers. These rockets are expected to have a demonstrated reliability of 90 to 95 percent, according to LSP officials. For comparison, Category 2 vehicles — the level attained by the Falcon 9 in 2015 — are expected to ace their missions 80 to 90 percent of the time.
Only Category 3 rockets can launch the priciest, most important, most complex NASA missions — projects like the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars rover Curiosity and the James Webb Space Telescope. (Hubble launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery in April of 1990, Curiosity flew atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket in November of 2011 and Webb will ride an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket in March 2021.)
Also at NASASpaceflight.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @07:38PM (2 children)
but a true feat of quality management and engineering, if so, congrats!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @09:42PM
So far SpaceX has been ahead of the curve in quality control. Most of the delays they experience are politically motivated.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Saturday November 10 2018, @10:28PM
Both the Obama and Trump administrations have treated SpaceX about the same, although SpaceX did sue the Air Force at one point.
The true test comes when BFR is on the scene. Will it get an early NASA launch contract? Can it replace SLS?
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