It seems building a rocket is a bit trickier than setting up a dot.com:

The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket is headed for a September delivery to Launch Complex 3 West at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Once in position, the launcher will undergo an on-the-pad firing of its main engine, leading to a potential first flight towards the end of November.

Not quite the January 22nd launch date announced this time last year.

Falcon 1 is a two stage, liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene powered launch vehicle. The vehicle’s main engine is called Merlin, with a SpaceX Kestrel engine powering the booster’s second stage. Falcon’s first stage is also rigged for a water landing under parachute, to be picked up by a ship in a process similar to recovery of the space shuttle solid rocket boosters.

SpaceX is developing a five-engine version of the single-engine Falcon 1 booster -- the Falcon 5 -- that is slated to be completed for launch in mid-2005.

It's good to be ambitious, but can they deliver? I seem to remember someone else leapfrogging to a larger vehicle before his small vehicle was ready to fly...

"A lot depends on our first launch," Musk said. "Even though I really want to launch as soon as possible, I don’t want to take any chances. I’d rather be late than sorry."

Well, you certainly got the former...just cross your fingers that you don't get the latter as well.

Posted by T.L. James on August 20, 2004 07:06 PM