Spaceflight
Space Exploration Technologies (Spacex) chief executive Elon Musk has announced a Falcon 9 launcher contract and denied the recent Falcon 1 rocket malfunction was a complete failure.
Canadian robotics and satellite company MDA has placed a contract for a 2008 launch on the yet-to-be-developed, larger-diameter Falcon 9.
The first launch of a Falcon 1 on 24 March failed 29s into the flight because of a fuel leak fire-triggered shutdown (Flight International, 4-10 April). βIt would be ludicrous to refer to it as a complete failure,β says Musk.
ROB COPPINGER / COLORADO SPRINGS
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