The first flight window for the nine-engine Falcon 9 rocket is this morning.

The rocket is fully loaded with liquid oxygen and RP kerosene and is in topping mode. The weather is favorable, and the strongback clamp is in the launch position. FTS (Flight Termination System) issues have delayed the launch so far.

Currently holding about a concern about the downrange clear zone. I recall on an earlier Falcon1 launch, they had to wait for a boat to leave the area. =)

Will post updates below, and hopefully some good photos…..

UPDATE: launch webcast video if you missed it. And part 2 (orbital insertion).

57 responses to “SpaceX Falcon 9 Inaugural Flight…. SUCCESS!!!”

  1. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Sweet =) Perfect !!!! IT ‘s flickerygeeky time

    Reply
  2. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    1710 GMT (1:10 p.m. EDT)
    The new launch time is expected to be 1:30 p.m. EDT, and the countdown clock will pick up in five minutes. …

    Reply
  3. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    T-15 countdown on the way… How cool !!! =)

    Reply
  4. Minnesota's Ryan Avatar
    Minnesota’s Ryan

    50/50 chance for failure, haven’t had a % like that since early Titan days. Too bad so many clouds, i’m 45 miles North of LC 40

    Reply
  5. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    T-10min clock
    showing overview of flight now

    Reply
  6. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    T-3 =)
    How cool is the internet !!!!

    Reply
  7. aeroculus Avatar
    aeroculus

    T-2"

    Reply
  8. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Hahaha few spacegeeks answered to the call =)
    T-1

    Reply
  9. aeroculus Avatar
    aeroculus

    nice chatting w/you PhOtOn…

    Reply
  10. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Always a pleasure to have flickrfriend around to share such things

    T-0 Shut-down……..

    1730 GMT (1:30 p.m. EDT)
    ABORT! The countdown was stopped a few seconds before launch.

    Reply
  11. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    "It looks as if we may have experienced a shutdown condition just after ignition. In these situations the vehicle puts itself into “safe mode”. There may be the chance to “recycle” the count and try again."

    They have hold-down clamps to make sure all nine motors are operating properly before releasing the rocket.

    Reply
  12. JKaljundi Avatar
    JKaljundi

    The auto-abort feature is pretty cool 🙂

    Reply
  13. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Do you think the auto-abort is from windows ?
    Because my computer do this kind of thing sometime.. O=)

    Edit : just as I was sending this, the second computer running the webcast next to me, shut crashed !!! TRUE STORY !!! XX a ghost in the machine….?

    Reply
  14. denis.suslov Avatar
    denis.suslov

    so when??

    Reply
  15. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    @ Denis… We don’ t know… =)

    @ Steve…What do you think from your previous experience…still a good chance to see the launch today…?

    Reply
  16. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    hard to say. The launch window is open until noon today, and again 8-12 tomorrow morning.

    For first launches, there are often holds as many systems have to operate flawlessly, and any anomaly triggers a reevaluation and in some cases will scrub the launch for the day (e.g., if a valve needs replacement).

    Reply
  17. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Ok
    Let ‘s just hope that a micrometeorite won’ t be on its way O=)

    Reply
  18. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    heh…. that comes later.

    Low pressure in chamber on engine 3 – should be able to recycle with a change in limits… We’ll see….

    Reply
  19. photon~wave Avatar
    photon~wave

    WOW live Flickr!

    Reply
  20. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Haha let’ s hope yes =)

    "SpaceX now said to be looking at 2:30 p.m. EDT second launch attempt for Falcon 9" twitter

    Welcome to the Space FlickrLive my Photon Clone =)

    Reply
  21. photon~wave Avatar
    photon~wave

    Are we entangled? LOL

    Reply
  22. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    across parallel universes no less…

    Meanwhile, while we wait, there are a lot of cool photos down the SpaceX update page

    Reply
  23. Minnesota's Ryan Avatar
    Minnesota’s Ryan

    looks like they wont make the 14:30 eastern launch time

    Reply
  24. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Entangled in a brane between parallel universes…while feeding Schrödinger’s cat at the same time !!!! YES sir !!! =)

    "SpaceX now said to be looking at 2:45PM EDT/1845 GMT launch today – cuts it close. second launch attempt for Falcon 9" twitter

    And everyone is ready for it =) :

    PhotonQ-Sharing Space X Falcon 9 Inaugural Flight

    @ Steve, some of the photos on the SpaceX-page are amazing !!!
    Cool to see Obama and Musk on new one too =)

    Reply
  25. Minnesota's Ryan Avatar
    Minnesota’s Ryan

    can you please post the twitter link

    Reply
  26. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    T-15 again!

    Reply
  27. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    T- 15 minutes and counting. Whowwwooooouuuu Go Go Go

    @ rleephotos2010 . Just look for SpaceX tag =)

    Reply
  28. aeroculus Avatar
    aeroculus

    T-10…other stuff can wait right now ; )

    Reply
  29. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Agree with you =)
    If this work…..this is THE Next Frontier in the making.

    T-3 …… Space 2.0 ongoing !!!! To all of you…What would you like/dream to come out of it ? =)

    Reply
  30. photon~wave Avatar
    photon~wave

    T-2 and downcounting

    Reply
  31. photon~wave Avatar
    photon~wave

    go go baby

    SUCCESS!!

    Reply
  32. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Whowwwwwwwwwwwww lift off

    Reply
  33. aeroculus Avatar
    aeroculus

    @photon: what I am seeing right now…a successful technical demonstration

    Reply
  34. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Separation! !!!!! BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF EARTH from SPACE !!!!

    Reply
  35. photon~wave Avatar
    photon~wave

    Love the red thermal emission from the second stage nozzle

    Reply
  36. Minnesota's Ryan Avatar
    Minnesota’s Ryan

    hope for a better future on the space coast just became more clearer than ever! WTG!

    Reply
  37. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Falcon 9, engine shut-down and in orbit

    AMAZING Launch !!! Congrats to Musk for his dream and the all team and people who worked and believed in it !!!!

    Was great to share it one more time with you all =)

    Reply
  38. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    OMG! First shot success! I had goosebumps the whole time. The Atlas rocket only succeeded on its 13th flight….

    I also caught it all on video and will post later today.

    Reply
  39. aeroculus Avatar
    aeroculus

    yes it was

    Reply
  40. photon~wave Avatar
    photon~wave

    Marginal note: The use of Flickr à laTwitter was out-of-specification ;P

    Cheers

    Reply
  41. Minnesota's Ryan Avatar
    Minnesota’s Ryan

    At one time, this was a dream….
    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rleephotos2010/4669303473/sizes/s/]
    that became a reality.
    This successful launch is proof, space dreams can be achieved by private rocketeers. FAA will take those call-ins for our models flying above 10,000 feet from all of us a little more serious now, LOL J/K
    So Much Fun!

    Reply
  42. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    As a board member of SpaceX, I am so incredibly proud of what they have done…

    Reply
  43. Fatdeeman Avatar
    Fatdeeman

    They did it! They have come so far so quickly! Very very impressive achievement!

    Reply
  44. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Haha Michael =) Wanted to do something similar with the two screens…
    Damn Crashing-Windows… =) Cool photo-memory and idea Thanks ; )

    That was fun to watch =)
    PhotonQ-Space X Falcon 9 Take Off

    Someone on twitter ( RobertPearlman ) just uploaded a cool photo here.

    @ Steve Merci for uploading the photo, for all of us to share it together =) Was great and fun as alaways.

    To all of you, wherever you may be, have a great day on your side of the Earth !! =)

    Reply
  45. born1945 Avatar
    born1945

    Congrats to all for a successful launch!

    Reply
  46. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    It’s official. SpaceX founder Elon Musk says the Falcon 9 rocket achieved a nearly perfect orbit. GPS telemetry showed the rocket’s second stage and Dragon capsule hit essentially a bullseye.

    Spectacular launch photos from Spaceflight Now.

    This one looks like one of our Metalstorm motors,,,, =)

    Reply
  47. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Congratulation!

    There is also this article on Bloomberg:
    http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aD.Q2Gf5...

    Reply
  48. Brian Glanz Avatar
    Brian Glanz

    Congratulations 😀 and always, thanks for sharing the images.

    I posted this photo next to a couple from Matthew Simantov under Alan Boyle’s latest SpaceX post in the Open Science Foundation activity stream. BG

    Reply
  49. JKaljundi Avatar
    JKaljundi

    Compared to Shuttle launches, it was strange how vertical the first few minutes were. Beautiful launch, congrats!

    Reply
  50. msamaclean © Avatar
    msamaclean ©

    I have those goosebumps just watching the video, after the fact!!! FABULOUS!!!!!!!!! Woooo Hoooooo!
    Congrats to Mr. Musk & the whole team!
    Thanks, Steve!

    Reply

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