SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 | Mission Summary In Pictures
On September 28, 2008, SpaceX made history when its Falcon 1, designed and manufactured from the ground up by SpaceX, became the first privately-developed liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth.
All photo credits: SpaceX.
Falcon 1 Flight 4 lifted off at 4:15 p.m. (PDT) / 23:15 (UTC) from the SpaceX launch site on Omelek Island at the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) in the Central Pacific, about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. It achieved an elliptical orbit of 621 x 643 km, 9.3 degrees inclination, and carried into orbit a payload mass simulator of approximately 165 kg (364 lbs), designed and built by SpaceX specifically for this mission.
Expedited delivery - SpaceX purchased a C-17 flight from the USAF to fly the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle from Los Angeles International Airport to the Kwajalein Atoll, on 3 Sep 2008.
Members of the SpaceX launch crew fly with the Falcon 1. The USAF C-17 features more head and leg room than a commercial flight, and you can keep an eye on your luggage.
The SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 being erected on the launch pad at Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll.
SpaceX's Falcon 1 Flight 4 on the launch pad at Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands.
The SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle on the launch pad at Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll.
SpaceX's Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle on the launch pad at Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands (19 Sep 2008).
Static test firing of the SpaceX developed Merlin 1C engine on the first stage of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle, Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll, on 20 Sep 2008 (UTC).
Static test firing of the SpaceX developed Merlin 1C engine on the first stage of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle, Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll, on 20 Sep 2008 (UTC).
Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, in the command van at SpaceX headquarters, Hawthorne (Los Angeles), California.
Jeff Ward, VP of Avionics (left), and Chris Thomson, VP of Structures (center), in the command van at SpaceX headquarters.
The moment of ignition of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 rocket, as viewed in the command van at SpaceX headquarters, Hawthorne California, 28 September 2008. At lower left sits Elon Musk and to his left, Tom Mueller, VP of Propulsion.
Ignition of the SpaceX Merlin 1C engine, powering the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle. View is from the second stage flight camera, looking down the rocket towards the ground.
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle from Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll, at 4:15 p.m. (PDT) / 23:15 (UTC).
Liftoff of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle from Omelek Island, as viewed by a long range tracking camera on Meck Island, about 3 kilometers (2 miles) away, at 4:15 p.m. (PDT) / 23:15 (UTC).
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle from Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll, at 4:15 p.m. (PDT) / 23:15 (UTC).
Liftoff of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 rocket as it climbs from Omelek Island. View is from the second stage flight camera, looking down the rocket towards the ground.
Liftoff of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 rocket as it climbs from Omelek Island. View is from the second stage flight camera, looking down the rocket.
Flight of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 rocket as it climbs from the Kwajalein Atoll. View is from the second stage flight camera, looking down the rocket.
Flight of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 about two and a half minutes into flight, just before shutdown of the first stage Merlin 1C engine at about 90 km (56 miles) in altitude. View is from the second stage flight camera, looking down the rocket.
Separation of the first stage of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle, revealing the Kestrel second stage engine.
First stage of the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle as it falls back towards Earth.
The two halves of the fairing (nose cone) of the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle fall back towards Earth. As the vehicle now travels in the vacuum of space, it no longer requires the streamlining provided by the fairings.
The fairing halves fall gracefully back towards Earth, to burn up as they reenter the atmosphere.
The second stage Kestrel engine on the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 fires for nearly seven minutes. As the vehicle passes 100 km (62 miles) in altitude, it crosses the unofficial boundary of space.
Approximately nine and a half minutes after liftoff, the vehicle travels at 7.33 kilometers per second (16,400 miles per hour) — sufficient speed to remain in Earth orbit.
View from the SpaceX Command Van at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, as the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle enters history as the first privately developed, liquid fueled vehicle to orbit the Earth.
Shut-down of the second stage Kestrel engine which powers the second stage of the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle.
View of the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 second stage engine as the vehicle orbits the Earth.
After travelling half way around the Earth, the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle flies over the Atlantic Ocean on the night side of the Earth, and reignites the Kestrel second stage engine. Restarting the Kestrel engine raises and circularizes the orbit to an ellipse of 621 x 643 km, where it will remain for 10 years or longer.
After one complete orbit, the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle passes over its launch site at the Kwajalein Atoll, and returns a view of the Earth.
After one complete orbit, the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle passes over its launch site at the Kwajalein Atoll, and returns a view of the Earth. A fuzzy white “snowball” of frozen moisture bobs and dances against the window.
After one complete orbit, the SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle passes over its launch site at the Kwajalein Atoll, and returns a view of the Kestrel second stage engine against the darkness of space.
The Falcon 1 launch team on Kwajalein celebrates the launch success. This team of approximately two dozen was responsible for the launch vehicle integration, test and launch activities.
Elon Musk discusses the flight with Diane Murphy, SpaceX VP of Marketing and Communications, who co-hosted the launch webcast from the manufacturing floor at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
Elon Musk addresses team members at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, minutes after the Falcon 1 Flight 4 vehicle achieved Earth orbit.