How Small Businesses are Affected
Svitak, Amy (10 March 2014). “SpaceX Says Falcon 9 To Compete For EELV This Year”. Retrieved 6 February 2015. But the Falcon 9 is not just changing the way launch-vehicle providers do business; its reach has gone further, prompting satellite makers and commercial fleet operators to retool business plans in response to the low-cost rocket. In March 2012, Boeing announced the start of a new line of all-electric telecommunications spacecraft, the Boeing 702SP, which are designed to launch in pairs on a Falcon 9 v1.1. Aviation Week & Space Technology.
NASA. Retrieved 17 August 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. 26 January 2016). “Spacecom of Israel: SpaceX confirms our AMOS-6 satellite, included our Ku- and Facebook/Eutelsat Ka-band for 4.0° west, to launch in May on Falcon 9” (Tweet) – via Twitter. Godwin, Curt (1 September 2016). “SpaceX set to launch heaviest payload to date as Tropical Storm Hermine looms”. Clark, Stephen (18 July 2016). “SpaceX sends supplies to space station lands another falcon rocket”.
Following a successful Falcon 9 launch, the first-stage booster landed at LZ-1. Zuma was in orbit and operating covertly. SpaceX’s COO Gwynne Shotwell stated that their Falcon 9 “did everything correctly” and that “Information published that is contrary to this statement is categorically false”. Due to the classified nature of the mission, no further official information is expected. A preliminary report indicated that the payload adapter, modified by Northrop Grumman after purchasing it from a subcontractor, failed to separate the satellite from the second stage under the zero gravity conditions.
SpaceX chose not to attempt recovery of the booster, but did perform a soft ocean touchdown. The mission had been postponed by nearly two months. Falcon Heavy made its first flight. The actual launch rate increased by 17% from 18 in 2017, to 21 in 2018, giving SpaceX the second most launches for the year for a rocket family, behind China’s Long March. In November 2017, Gwynne Shotwell expected to increase launch cadence in 2018, by about 50% compared to 2017, leveling out at a rate of about 30 to 40 per year, not including launches for the planned SpaceX satellite constellation Starlink.
