Below is a monthly update on progress at the SpaceX Rocket Factory from our CEO, Elon Musk. There is a great deal that happens in any given month, but to keep it an interesting read, brevity is favored over detail. Also, we intend to report negative news, which can be quite exciting in a rocket development.
September 2002
First Visit to Washington DC — Met with Sean O’Keefe, the new head of NASA
This first SpaceX visit to DC was extremely productive. The goal was simply to begin the process of informing NASA, the Dept of Defense and Congress of our launch vehicle plans and to solicit feedback as to how SpaceX might best serve their needs. We met with as many people as mutual schedules would allow. In particular, we had a very positive meeting with Sean O’Keefe, the new head of NASA appointed by President Bush. Administrator O’Keefe was very encouraging of our efforts, particularly given the fact that SpaceX is applying private sector capital and entrepreneurial spirit to the long-standing problem of the cost of access to space.
Engine Component Testing Begins with the Turbo-pump Gas Generator
The gas generator is now fully assembled and we have begun short initial runs at the Mojave Airport (located in the Mojave Desert in central California). As a reminder to those unfamiliar, the gas generator is actually a complete small rocket engine (600 pounds of thrust in this case) used to power the turbo-pump, so development is not a trivial matter. The gas generator exhibits similar complexities to the Falcon main engine, such as dealing with cryogenic propellant, achieving a stable burn, having good combustion efficiency and controlling temperature & pressure.
Some problems were encountered with the ignition system, caused by having the igniter recessed too far away from the chamber. The liquid oxygen system of the test stand also showed leaks. Those and a few other problems were corrected, which allowed testing to begin in earnest.
Order Placed with Alcoa for 20,000 lbs of Aluminum
Well, it is bombs away with respect to the material order for the Falcon first stage primary structure, which includes the LOX & kerosene tanks, the inter-tank section and the inter-stage section. Whatever happens now, we will be the proud owners of a lot of metal.
Spincraft Selected to Weld and Form Falcon Primary Structures
After careful consideration of three different build to print vendors, we chose Spincraft Corp of Wisconsin to weld and spinform the primary structures. This includes the 1st stage aluminum LOX/Ker tanks, the inter-tank, the inter-stage and the 2nd stage super tensile strength steel LOX/Ker tanks.
AAE Chosen to produce Falcon 1st stage Ablative Chamber & Nozzle
The decision between a regeneratively cooled engine and ablative was particularly difficult here, given the fact that we intend to reuse the Falcon 1st stage. The difference between the two is that regenerative cooling means you pump the fuel through a jacket surrounding the chamber & nozzle before it gets burned. On the other hand, ablative works like a brake liner, where an inner layer of the thrust chamber is slowly burned and eroded away. Ultimately, the key factors in favor of ablative were the shorter development time and cost, higher fault tolerance and a compelling price. AAE is one of world’s leading vendors of advanced composite ablatives.