With rockets on the move, SpaceX still aiming for 2016 return to flight

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The launch of SpaceX’s Eutelsat/ABS mission, on June 15, 2016. (credit: SpaceX)

Nearly three months have passed since SpaceX experienced a catastrophic failure on Sept. 1, when an accident occurred as helium was loaded onto its Falcon 9 rocket. As the company has now identified the cause of the accident, it is pressing ahead to try and return to flight before the end of 2016.

It is apparently making progress. On Sunday reddit user codercotton posted images and a short video of a Falcon 9 first-stage booster on Interstate 10 in Arizona, bound for Vandenberg Air Force Base in southern California from the company’s test facilities in McGregor, Texas. This is the booster for the launch of 10 satellites owned by Iridium, a Virginia-based satellite communications company. Later, Iridium’s chief executive, Matt Desch, tweeted, “Stage 1 arriving in California for our launch. Soon, very soon.”

However it is not certain that Iridium will fly first on SpaceX. Several companies are maneuvering for that high-profile launch, including EchoStar and its own communications satellite. Unlike the Iridium flight, the EchoStar payload will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where preparations are ongoing to Launch Complex 39A to ready it for flight.

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Source: Ars Technica – With rockets on the move, SpaceX still aiming for 2016 return to flight