Falcon 9 inaugural flight pushed back

[Rick]

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/...ht+pushed+back

CAPE CANAVERAL — The first flight of the Falcon 9 rocket is slipping back to May 23, but SpaceX is holding open an option to move the launch back up if the vehicle is ready and an opportunity opens.

SpaceX had a "placeholder" launch date of May 11 on the schedule at the Air Force Eastern Range, which provides tracking and range safety services for all launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station or NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
But a subcontractor still is striving to complete Air Force-required tests on parts of the rocket's flight termination system.
SpaceX Founder Elon Musk said in an e-mail Monday that the company would not be able to select a definitive launch date until the components pass certification tests.

Complicating matters is a busy launch schedule.
NASA aims to launch shuttle Atlantis on May 14. A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket is slated to blast off May 20. SpaceX is working around those operations, eyeing a May 16 or 17 date.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co. of Simsbury, Conn., is providing the destruct system for the Falcon 9.

Such systems typically consist of small explosive charges used to deliberately destroy rockets if they careen out of control and threaten populated communities. Air Force-approved systems are required before a rocket can launch on Florida's Space Coast.

The first Falcon 9 is being readied for flight at Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion NASA contract to launch 15 Falcon 9 flights -- three test flights and 12 missions to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Contract options could increase the value of the deal to $3.1 billion.

The California-based company also holds contracts to launch commercial payloads for customers in Argentina, Canada, Europe, Israel and the U.S.
In addition, SpaceX will be a contender for future NASA contracts to launch U.S. astronauts on round trips to the space station.

President Obama in his proposed 2011 budget is directing NASA to cancel its moon program, dubbed Project Constellation, and instead invest in the development of commercial space taxis to fly astronauts to and from the station.
Contact Halvorson at 639-0576 or thalvorson@floridatoday.com.

[Rick]

That LES issue just won't go away.