There is now a "Press Kit" PDF on the SpaceX site for Falcon 1 Flight 4.

http://www.spacex.com/SpaceX_F1-004_PressKit.pdf

The launch, if it happens this week, will be between 4 and 9 PM PDT on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday (that's 0100 to 0600 GMT on the day following, of course). The payload is just an aluminum block described as a "payload simulator" so it looks like they couldn't sell this one to anyone.

Here's a new bit:

This is also the first time I've seen them explicitly make this claim
Can't wait to see this thing fly!

--Greg (fingers crossed)

That's not really news, all of that was known shortly after flight 3. It looks like a copy-paste job from an earlier press release, actually.

Sigh regarding the "friendliness" of the launch window to Europeans...

I guess the new bit (for me, anyway) was that they fixed it with a one-line change to their code. I copied from the point when I thought the old press release ended.

I do wonder how they pick these launch windows. It's hard to see how an Earth-orbital mission needs a launch window at all, unless it's associated with the launch being during daylight hours at the launch site or business hours at the control center, but neither of those seems to be the case here.

--Greg

Re launch windows: It's not so much a question of orbital mechanics, but more about range availability & other systemic issues. Kwajalein is actually a pretty busy place; lots of stuff happening there besides launches, so coordination is a biggie. (The biggest biggie is making sure that the logistics chain keeps on flowin'; gotta fly in the cookies & milk, or the people stationed there become annoyed...and, of course, the place is so small that planes just ain't comin' in during the launch window.)

Many new information and photos at Spaceflight Now website.
Panoramas of the SpaceX factory
SpaceX to launch its fourth Falcon 1 rocket on Sunday
Falcon 1 Flight 4 timeline

Interesting bit from the above timeline which I didn't notice in the press kit:

Since go-time is approaching (check SpaceX.com @ 2300 GMT today), yeah, can confirm a software tweak based on indirect info to improve the stage separation process.

I am optimistic. Very much so, actually; I think that they're going to space today.

(Argh; not to burden anyone with echoes of my sporadic column, but how heavy is the thought that "they're going to space today"? Damn, they ARE going to space today!!! So are we all...)

I don't doubt they're going to space, they were technically in space the last two launches as well. I am a bit worried about 2nd stage LOX slosh fix that never got the chance be verified in flight, and whether it's actually working or not. In addition to adding baffles in the tank, they say they tweaked the flight software a bit, likely to decouple the positive thrust-vector-control-to-slosh feedback. I'm hoping a change like this doesn't unearth some other problem that wasn't considered when the change was made. Consider the "simple" change of ablative to regeneratively cooled Merlin engine and what it did to flight 3...

I'm totally with you on the 2nd stage slosh worries. That sort of thing is damn near impossible to model down to the level of detail needed.

Their webcast has started, and the clock is right about at T-1 hour and counting.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

And now I have to leave for a party. Guess I'll find out how the launch when when I get back . . .

--Greg

It's Falcon's best flight so far, that's for sure!

We have a nominal SECO and Falcon 1 has reached the orbit!!!

Just fantastic. What a great day for spaceflight.

How wonderful.

GO SPACEX!!!

[Edit -- removed confused statement from looking at the wrong video]

Big congratulations to spacex on a successful flight!

Very nice to come back and find it already in orbit and celebrated in the mainstream media!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26932813/

Next question is whether #5 (the Malaysian satelite) comes before or after Falcon 9 #1.

--Greg

According to the launch manifest, Falcon 1 flies first. Even if they don't make it in the third quarter, I don't think a swap is likely.

Congratulations to Elon Musk and the complete SpaceX team !!!

Video of the whole flight available here: http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2008/09/...ate_2.html#more
This is history!

Wow, look at the Kestral engine bell glow!

I have to say, awesome! I think it's fantastic. Before I then say, I'd love to see the same camera angle from the last flight in which the first stage recontacted the second. Is it available?

SpaceX Falcon 1 Flight Launch 3 Released Video

Congradulations !

Elon's brother Kimbal posted a video he says was produced by someone at SpaceX. It's got more footage than I've seen, considerably more "CapCom" chatter, and some kind of musical background. Worth a look, and worth forwarding to friends too. :-)

Now I'm wondering why we don't see any sign of the exhaust from the Kestral engine. The only sign that it's working is that it glows orange. I expected to see at least some sign of distortion, but we can see the Earth very clearly looking directly through the exhaust, except right when they start and stop it.

--Greg

The greatest majority of the exhaust is gas which is transparent. The Kestrel engine runs fuel rich, though, so there is a bit of unburned, sooty stuff coming out. This is what can be seen at the end of the burn when Earth moved out of the frame center and video exposure was lengthened. Overall, the exhaust sputtering out looks pretty much the same to me as does the exhaust from the Delta II main engine when it approaches MECO in the near vacuum.

I didn't see the circularization burn video before, man that's a short burn! The initial orbit wasn't far from being circular after all when you take into account the Earth's radius into account.

link?

http://kwajrockets.blogspot.com/

SpaceX have now posted the video on their site including a link to a downloadable HD version (250 megabytes).

Big update from Elon with a new, improved video and some new (for me, anyway) info.

First, on careful analysis, they feel just about everything about this launch exceeded expectations. (Bravo!)

Next Falcon 1 is probably March (the Malaysian satellite), #6 for DOD in the summer, and #7 in the fall for an unnamed commercial satellite. Starting in 2010, maybe one every two months.

Here's all the details: http://www.spacex.com/updates.php#Update100708

--Greg

It looks like I was wrong. Falcon 9 is now next in the launch manifest, before flight 5 of Falcon 1. The update doesn't mention Falcon 9. Perhaps SpaceX is maintaining informational embargo before unveiling it.

One piece of unfinished business is the recovery of the first stage. For Flight 1, of course, the first stage was destroyed, and for Flight 2, if I remember correctly, SpaceX reported that the tracking device failed, so they didn't recover the first stage. For Flights 3 and 4, though, I don't see that they've said a word about recovering those stages nor how successfully they were able to reuse them.

I went ahead and sent an e-mail asking about it, so I'll let people know if anything comes of that.

--Greg

IIRC, flight 3 vehicle was not recoverable due to inadequate thermal shielding for reentry. They realized before flight 4 it would also be lost this way, but didn't want to delay the flight just so they could beef up the thermal protection. Successful insertion into orbit was more important than 1st stage recovery.

Pavel, this article suggests F1 flight 5 will be sometime in March 2009, while Falcon 9 maiden flight is targeted for April-June 2009.

Thanks! Nice article.

Have you guys seen this already?!
Meu Deus!...

SpaceX are gearing up toward flight 5 of the Falcon 1, scheduled to loft Malaysia's RazakSat Earth observing satellite. There's an update showing the 1st stage being prepped for shipment. This will actually be the last Falcon 1 launch, it's being phased out in favor of the more capable Falcon 1e next year.

Target launch date is April 21 (Kwajalein time), probably late UTC hours of April 20.

The upper stage and RazakSAT have arrived in Kwajalein.

There are lots of pictures at the new update here. It reconfirms the April 20/21 date as the opening of the launch window.

Looks like it'll be delayed after all. SpaceX just released this:

RAZAKSAT LAUNCH POSTPONED
________________________________________
Hawthorne, CA (April 20, 2009) – Due to a potential compatibility issue between the RazakSAT spacecraft and Falcon 1 launch vehicle, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn Bhd (ATSB) have agreed to postpone the launch of ATSB's RazakSAT satellite.
While both the Falcon 1 vehicle and satellite passed all preliminary checkouts and are cleared for launch, a concern has been identified regarding the potential impact of predicted vehicle environments on the satellite. Based on these concerns, the SpaceX team is evaluating options to minimize this impact and ensure mission success.
"SpaceX is committed to the safety and success of our customer's payloads," said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. "Our engineers are addressing this issue and we look forward to launching RazakSAT once the issue is fully understood and resolved."
"Both teams are confident the issue will be resolved," said Dr. Ahmad Sabirin, CEO of ATSB. "We are all looking forward to a successful launch."

A Malaysian news report (quoted in full below) adds the detail that vibration is the issue of concern in the "vehicle environment", i.e., vibration during launch might damage the satellite. It also adds the prediction that the issue will take about 6 weeks to resolve (Perhaps the modifications will involve increasing the shock-absorbing qualities of the satellite to vehicle attachment system). the "2009 in Spaceflight" page on Wikipedia has bumped the launch date to an unspecified date in June (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_in_spaceflight), which fits with a 6-week postponement.

[/indent]Saturday April 18, 2009: "The April 21 scheduled launch of RazakSAT, Malaysia’s second remote sensing satellite, has been postponed due to technical problems with the launch vehicle Falcon 1. RazakSAT was scheduled to be launched from Omelek island, part of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, at 6am Malaysian time on April 21. However, Space Exploration Technology (Space X), the company set to launch the satellite, detected vibration at unsafe level on the launch vehicle, said Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Hanan Alang Endut in a statement. He said work to fix the problem would take about six weeks to be completed. The new launch date will be announced as soon as Falcon 1 is ready for the launch. — Bernama" (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/18/nation/3723070&sec=nation) [indent]

The launch window is supposed to be the 13th and 14th ... Monday and Tuesday. I hope it's not a bad sign that we haven't heard anything...

The spacex.com website is not updated often. It's unfortunate, but it's not a unique to this mission. Meanwhile, spaceflightnow.com has Mission Status Center:
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon/005/status.html

"SpaceX will provide live coverage of the Falcon 1 Flight 5/RazakSAT mission via webcast at www.SpaceX.com. The webcast will begin 20 minutes prior to launch and will include mission briefings, live feeds and launch coverage from the launch site. Post-launch, video footage and photos will be available for download on the web site"

So, my evening is...


ISS flyover at 22:52.
SpaceX coverage from 23:40
Shuttle launch 23:51.
SpaceX Falcon 1 launch at 00:00.
Shuttle/ET flyover at 00:10
ISS flyover 00:27

I shall now ban myself for talking about MSF.

OK, now you got me paranoid. What time zone is that? My calculations had the launch window opening on 23:00 GMT which translates to 22:00 UTC and 00:00 CET. I thought it was going to be at midnight my local time, which would make it 23:00 for you in England?!

Argh, I hate daylight saving time!

The UK is currently GMT+1 It's now 17:43 local. All those times I put were my local time (a.k.a. BST, aka GMT+1)

I hate DST as well. I wish we would just stick to GMT all the time.

I'm with you on the timezones but the thing to remember is that GMT is never adjusted for Daylight Saving - the Daylight Saving Time Zone in the UK is BST (British Summer Time) which is GMT+1. So the launch is at 23:00 GMT which is 00:00 BST and 01:00 CET (adjusted for Daylight Saving). So Doug is right - at least I hope so because my evening is following the same schedule.


*Edited to fix my own stupid error with CET. I hope I'm right now.

Sigh... So this page is useless: http://www.whattimeisit.com/cgitime.exe?Mode=FullList

I was afraid of this, it indeed comes out at 1 A.M. here and I have to get up early tomorrow. And to think spacecraft separation will probably occur some 50 minutes after launch... Don't even mention the possibility of holds to me

It's got London right - 18:03 currently.

I think the only thing wrong with it is that it equates GMT with BST. It uses UTC instead of GMT, which isn't fatal since these ought to differ by perhaps a second or so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gmt

The SpaceX website is a bit uneasy to navigate and dig up links, so here's the direct link to the webcast page:

http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

It's got nothing currently on, but likely a test feed will be streamed before T-20 min.

No video yet, but site is saying launch at 7:30 PM PDT (which is 10:30 PM PDT and 0230 UTC). Launch window closes at 0400 UTC.

Webcast begins. Current launch target just after 11 pm EST.

Weather hold at T-15. New T-0 set for 11:35 pm EDT