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For flight two, under assembly at SpaceX.
Around the rim of the fuel tank are connection points for stage separation.
View from other side below…
8 responses to “Falcon 9 Upper Stage”
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Haha…it actually does. Imagine the photos you could get with that! Would require one hell of a tripod though.
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Yes, like the booster stage, but with one Merlin engine instead of nine. The second stage tank of Falcon 9 is a shorter version of the first stage tank and uses most of the same tooling, material and manufacturing techniques. (more info)
The payload rides on top. The first flight will be with a Dragon capsule. It can take cargo, and eventually a crew of seven, to the ISS.
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Commercial launch vehicles as SpaceX’s Falcon 9
could be a better strategy for ferrying crew
to the ISS, instead the NASA Ares I project.
The rival alternative is Atlas V rocket with
Genesis II capsule from Bigelow Aerospace. -
Do you know how they handle the separation energetics? HMX charges? Are their separation thrusters inside after the mechanical coupling is separated, to separate the tank from the rest of the vehicle? They often use solid propellant motors (Usually a couple M or N class motors.) Is that the case here?
We have a similar problem with our new two stage design. Explosive bolts is an option, but we need to be handling high explosives to accomplish this which adds costs and complicates safety. I have been toying with a thermite configuration inside a bolt that is configured to fail upon compromising it thermally. Would be interesting to learn exactly how the separation system works.
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@rocketmavericks: It’s the same mechanism as with Falcon 1 – explosive bolts (wider black things in image above?) fire and physically separate the stage connection then pneumatic pushers (3 units? narrower black things above) push them apart.
I believe Delta II uses a similar system, no retrorockets involved etc.
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