SPACEX INKS U.K. PACT FOR LAUNCHES.Byline: MUHAMMED EL-HASAN Staff Writer Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the El Segundo-based developer of low-cost rockets, signed a launch contract with a British telecommunications company See telecom company. worth up to $150 million if all options are exercised, the South Bay firm said Thursday. The agreement calls for the rocket maker, known in the industry as SpaceX, to launch the first of as many as four satellites starting in 2009. The satellites would go up in the Falcon 9 rocket, a larger version of the company's original Falcon 1. The customer is United Kingdom-based Avanti Communications Group. "Avanti thoroughly and objectively reviewed all the launch vehicles This is a list of space launch vehicles sorted by country/operator in alphabetical order, commercial vehicles are listed under their corresponding country.
Brazil
Musk was born and grew up in South Africa, the son of a South African engineer and a Canadian-born mother[] , CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. and founder of SpaceX, in a statement. "Falcon 9 is designed to the higher standards and safety margins required to carry astronauts for NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. , making it well suited for high value satellite missions." Even before the Avanti contract, SpaceX had racked up an impressive list of launches worth about $400 million. The launch list, now at 12, is extraordinary considering the company has yet to launch a rocket with 100 percent success. SpaceX has seven launches planned with the Falcon 9. The Falcon 9, still being tested and fined-tuned, has never been launched. Its maiden launch is planned by December 2008. A launch of the Falcon 1 in March failed to achieve its intended orbit. But Musk dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. it a success because the rocket demonstrated its ability to reach space. muhammed.el-hasan@dailybreeze.com |
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