http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_1#Launch_log

T minus 9 days and counting

That Wikipedia page's date for the third Falcon 1 launch (23rd June 23:00) has to be taken with a pretty big truckload of salt! It seems to have been based on the "2008 in Spaceflight" page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_spaceflight), where the date has since been changed to the vague "June/July" with a reference to a Space Services Inc. page (www.memorialspaceflights.com/explorers.asp) which states "late June/early July 2008". Musk has stated that he is in no hurry (http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/080516-sn-falcon-3rdlaunch.html). One might say he prefers to be safe than sorry, and one can see why, given how long it has taken to get to this point, and how damaging another failure would be to the project.
The SpaceX site hasn't made any new statements about Falcon 1 for some time. But the most recent quote from Elon I can find is the following in a Live Science blog: "The earliest possible time for the first countdown attempt of Falcon 1 (not necessarily launch) is projected to occur sometime between June 26 and July 7.... "However, until we complete the static fire and have a chance to analyze data, please assume that there is not even an official launch date range,” Elon Musk, chief of SpaceX told me today via email. He said that the launch date for the Falcon 1’s third flight is not known at this time." (http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/06/10/spacex-falcon-rocket-third-flight-the-charm/).

Now The Wikipedia "2008 in Spaceflight" page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_spaceflight), gives a date of 30 June and a time of 2:00 GMT. Wow! Wherever do they get such specific information?? Not only a date but a time!
Anyway lets hope it happens soon!

Let's hope it's successful rather than soon. Third time's the charm.

No word from spacex but check out here. The makers of the cube sat are releasing info first.

Similar information here.
It appears to be by a student (named Kevin) involved in the PreSat, one of two piggyback payloads on the RideShare Adapter under the PnPSat. (The other is NanoSatD.)
He seems to have brought a two-or-so meter radio dish to Kwaj, arriving just after the month's delay was announced.

mmm looks like all that info has been taken off the blogs (kmbr blog is gone now) and the twitter site. Guess too much info was being released to us lurkers
lets hope rumours were false...
jb

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0806/23falcon1/

Here's some concrete news:

http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=43

Press Release: SpaceX Conducts Static Test Firing of Next Falcon 1 Rocket

Firing represents the final major event before launch to orbit.

Hawthorne CA – Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) successfully conducted a full launch dress rehearsal and hold down firing of the Falcon 1 Flight 3 vehicle on June 25, 2008 (Marshall Island Time) on Omelek Island, SpaceX’s launch site at the Kwajalein Atoll. This test is the final step before launch of the Falcon 1 rocket.

This marks the first launch pad firing of SpaceX’s new Merlin 1C regeneratively cooled engine, which operated at full power with only the hold-down system restraining the rocket from flight. In the coming weeks, SpaceX will conduct a thorough review of all data prior to the opening of the launch window for flight, which runs from late July through early September.

“We are definitely not tied to the clock for this launch, and we are checking and crosschecking every aspect of the vehicle and ground systems to ensure a successful mission,” said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. “Our primary concerns remain the safety and reliability of our vehicle, and the successful delivery of the Defense Department and NASA satellites to orbit.”

During launch, SpaceX will use the extensive range safety, tracking and telemetry services provided by the Reagan Test Site (RTS) at the United States Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) in the Central Pacific. RTS will be closed for the national Fourth of July holiday, and resumes operations on 24 July. The next launch window opens 29 July and runs through 6 August, followed by one from 29 August to 5 September.

The Falcon 1 will carry the Trailblazer satellite for the Jumpstart Program of the Department of Defense’s Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS). Additional secondary payloads include an adapter system developed by the government of Malaysia that holds two small NASA satellites.

SpaceX will provide complete launch day coverage and a live webcast of the launch and ascent into orbit.
Details will be announced as the launch date approaches via the SpaceX.com website.

--------

--Greg

Gee -- since when does an American facility observe holidays like Europe does? For the July 4 holiday, I get that day off, July 4. I have to be back at work the next business day, which happens to be July 7th (the holiday falling on a Friday this year).



I sometimes think it must be odd for Europeans to realize that most Americans get a meager total of two weeks of vacation (aka holiday to non Americans) time per year plus anywhere from seven to nine paid holidays (fixed single-event days off). I once worked for a consulting firm headquartered in France, and our branch of that firm lost a lot of employees the day the Big Chief president of the company came in from France, commented that the European offices would be closed for the entire month of July for "summer holiday," and that us Americans were being lazy and "dropping the ball" by not being productive enough to carry the entire company through that period... *grrrrrr*...

-the other Doug

When the American facility is in the exact middle of nowhere, that's when. It takes days to get "stateside" from Kwajalein, barring private jet transport, so a three day weekend wouldn't do the staff much good.
And if you are complaining about working 1920 hrs per year (40 hrs/wk*48wk), think about the guys at a place like SpaceX. It is unlikely they have many weeks as short as that. It just depends what you want to accomplish. I will be joining many others spending much of this weekend and weekend nights testing hardware for an upcoming spaceflight. Vacations are not at the top of our worry list. Got to get stuff done.

This European sure as hell doesn't get that.

Doug

I've no idea how prevalent the practice is today. The episode I related happened in the early 1990's.

-the other Doug

It's France that traditionally takes July off... google "bonjour paresse" to see what an art-form at it's very peak can look like. At the other extreme, the UK has opted out of the EU-wide Working Time Directive which puts a hard limit of (I think?) 46 hours a week including overtime. I can't remember the last time I worked that few hours in a week. OTOH I umsf[1] on the employer's time, so... swings and roundabouts.

[1] I know, I know, verbing nouns weirds the language.

Don't believe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_spaceflight when it says "NET" (not earlier than) 31 August 2008 for flight 3.
Elon's brother's Kwajalein blog (http://kwajrockets.blogspot.com/) says there is a window of opportunity August 1 to 5.
Falcon 1 is vertical, as seen in a photo there and in his other blog (http://www.kimbalmusk.com/weblog/2008/07/falcon-1-is-ver.html).

Seriously though, where did the parents get their kids names from? Elon, Kimbal... (are there more?)

PS.


I love this statement, which manages to illustrate its own point, not once, but twice!