SpaceX will host a teleconference call at 11:15am EDT on Thursday, June 3, to discuss and take questions on the first test launch of the Falcon 9. The inaugural flight of Falcon 9 will be a test flight and will launch a Dragon spacecraft qualification unit into orbit to provide SpaceX with valuable aerodynamic and performance information.
The Falcon 9 launch vehicle is expected to launch from the Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 4, 2010. A live webcast of the launch will be available on the SpaceX website at www.spacex.com/webcast.php.
Representatives from the media may participate in the conference call as follows:
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2010
Time: 11:15am – 12:15pm EDT
Call-In: 888-567-1603 or 201-604-5052 for international callers
SpaceX executives on the call will include:
– Elon Musk, CEO and CTO
– Ken Bowersox, VP of Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance
Questions will be accepted after initial comments and each question will be taken in turn.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is a medium-to-heavy lift, two-stage launch vehicle capable of lifting approximately 11 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO) and in excess of 4.5 tons to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Designed to the highest levels of reliability and performance, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft were selected by NASA to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires.
About SpaceX
SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 vehicles, SpaceX offers highly reliable/cost-efficient launch capabilities for spacecraft insertion into any orbital altitude and inclination. Starting in 2010, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will provide Earth-to-LEO transport of pressurized and unpressurized cargo, including resupply to the ISS.
Founded in 2002, SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. The SpaceX team now numbers over 1000, with corporate headquarters in Hawthorne, California. For more information, please visit the company’s web site at www.spacex.com.
Contacts
SpaceX
Emily Shanklin, 1-310-363-6733
Director, Marketing and Communications
media@spacex.com