Commercial SpaceX Rockets
SpaceX was founded in 2002 by former PayPal entrepreneur Elon Musk. SpaceX has launched Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 space boosters built to be reusable launch vessels. Falcon 9 launched off the Dragon Spacecraft carrying seven passengers into orbit on June 4, 2010. SpaceX currently has two new vessels under development. These are:
1. The Grasshopper, a reusable launch vehicle demonstrator rocket was built last year, 2011, and has planned testing for 2012.
2. Air-launched Rocket, a multiple stage launch vehicle to be called the Falcon 9 Air because it uses some of the same technology that the Falcon 9 does. This rocket was made in contract with Stratolaunch Systems. The rocket will carry satellites into space and after much testing, a human carrying rocket will be explored.
1. The Grasshopper, a reusable launch vehicle demonstrator rocket was built last year, 2011, and has planned testing for 2012.
2. Air-launched Rocket, a multiple stage launch vehicle to be called the Falcon 9 Air because it uses some of the same technology that the Falcon 9 does. This rocket was made in contract with Stratolaunch Systems. The rocket will carry satellites into space and after much testing, a human carrying rocket will be explored.