Satellite operator SES is keen on buying a used Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX, eyeing it for a future launch.
This was disclosed at a pre-launch media conference last Tuesday by SES Chief Technology Officer Martin Halliwell, who said their company would welcome flying a re-used rocket’s first stage.
“If it’s flight-worthy, we’re happy,” he said before reporters.
Negotiations between the Luxembourg-based satellite company and SpaceX on the launch price of a used Falcon rocket is still underway, added Halliwell. According to the SpaceX website, new Falcon 9 rockets fetch for around $61 million each.
SES, which has a 53-satellite-strong network, has three more satellites to fly on the Falcon rockets until 2017. It is aspiring to be the first among satellite operators to use the same rocket twice to reach orbit, Halliwell said.
Meanwhile, Space X has been gearing up for flying a 12,613-pound SES satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as early as Feb. 24.
In December, it succeeded in landing a Falcon rocket’s first stage – a critical component of its mission of developing a cheap and reusable booster.
Space X noted that due to the high weight of the satellite, the rocket launch happening this week will have a speed of almost twice that of the one back in December, or from 4,971 to 5,592 mph, once it becomes separated from the second-stage motor. The former launch flew 3,107 mph.
Elon Musk’s space exploration company will also attempt to land its booster on a platform on the Atlantic Ocean, about 400 miles off the east coast of Florida, as it is unable to slash the rocket speed for a launch site touchdown.
Space X has made three – all unsuccessful – previous ocean landing attempts. The Jan. 17 attempt almost went smoothly, yet eventually had the rocket tip down. However, it was still deemed half-successful as the Jason-3 satellite was blasted off as planned into orbit.
The SES 9 satellite for the targeted Feb. 24 launch features a launch mass of about 11,700 pounds. It is designed for TV broadcasting and mobile communications across a portion of Earth from Africa and the Middle East to Southeast Asia.
The satellite is intended to have a 15-year service life, eventually settling into an operating post in geostationary orbit along the equator.
Photo: SpaceX Photos | Flickr
