SpaceX aims for Air Force with Falcon Heavy rocket

April 5, 2011 12:03 PM
Anthony Ha
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SpaceX, the rocket-making company led by famed entrepreneur Elon Musk announced today that it’s building a powerful new rocket, called the Falcon Heavy.

The Heavy will be able to carry satellites or spacecraft weighing more than 117,000 pounds into orbit, — making it twice as powerful as competing vehicles and more powerful than any vehicle in history except the Saturn V moon rocket, SpaceX says. The company also promises that the Falcon Heavy will arrive at the Vandenberg Air Force base in California facility before the end of the year, with a demo launch coming soon afterward.

SpaceX is apparently hoping the new rocket’s power and relatively low cost ($80 million to $125 million) will attract the Air Force for its communication and spy satellite launches. The Air Force’s 2012 budget includes four launches at an average cost of $435 million, SpaceX says.

“The Air Force has expressed interest,” Musk said today. “I’m very confident that we will have a deal by the time of the Falcon Heavy demo flight.”

This is all very impressive, though it’s probably worth bearing in mind that a number of people, including former VentureBeat editor Owen Thomas, have criticized Musk for getting a bit ahead of reality when talking up his companies and achievements.

Musk, who previously led PayPal and Zip2, and who is also the CEO of electric car company Tesla Motors, isn’t the only Internet executive interested in space travel. Barney Pell, the chief architect of Microsoft’s Bing search engine, just joined a moon lander company called Moon Express.

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  • getitdoneinspace

    You mention, Mr. Ha, that your departed boss Mr. Thomas has criticized Mr. Musk for getting a bit ahead of reality. Perhaps Mr. Ha this is, in part, due to the amount of inaccurate reporting that is written on Mr. Musk's statements. For example, in your reporting above you state “The company also promises that the Falcon Heavy will arrive at the Vandenberg Air Force base in California facility before the end of the year, with a demo launch coming soon afterward.” That is NOT what Elon said. Elon stated CLEARLY that the Falcon Heavy will arrive at the Vandenberg Air Force base by the end of 2012 (NOT the end of this year) and will not launch until sometime in 2013 (NOT soon after it is delivered). My experience has been that inaccurate reporting of “reality” may be the reason Mr. Musk is getting a bit ahead of “reality”. I think Mr. Thomas and perhaps yourself should look in the mirror before being critical of such a productive member of society like Elon Musk. Specific and constructive criticism is productive but this general criticism with no supporting facts is just out of line. I hope you take these comments constructively and get your facts straight. Obviously no one can be held to dates or costs that are pulled out of thin air by the press.

  • jackiecox

    Its too bad about things like hubble, chandra, and common satallites, like americas loss in the business since betty soretoe and elona musk took over the aerospace industry stalling F-35's, ending F-22's, ending shuttle 2, and constellation, dropping from 87 % of satallite launches to 25 % and descending, while launching some cheesy payloads, to nowhere, with russian rocketry, and 60's era s;ashdowns—But—Hey ? what can you expect from a disbarred chicago lawyer from kenya, and an internet philanthroplist, self proclaimed physist, fro Toronto, dodging his own countries draft—imagine a man with spouse and family, to bring his new girlfriend home to live, causing his spouse to move out, only to discover he isn't really rich at all, and without betty, he would be in a homeless shelter—wow a 117,000 payload, I wonder what it will be ? Personally I would prefer to stay upwind

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