FalconSat 2

USA

Spacecraft n°:

USA satellite n°:

Launch data:

Designation	06F01
Launch date	24 Mar 2006 - 22:30 UT
Launch site	Omelek
Launch vehicle	Falcon-1
Mission	Experimental
Decay	24 Mar 2006

Launch failure

Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor	US. Air Force Academy
Operator	US. Air Force Academy
Platform
Mass at launch	19.5 kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape
Dimension (m)
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power

Description:

The mission of the FalconSat-2 will be to measure space plasma phenomena that are known to adversely affect space-based communication, such as the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), and other civil and military communications. Originally planned to be deployed from a Shuttle mission, it has been moved to a dedicated launch on the maiden flight of the Falcon-1 rocket.

Mission details:

The first launch of SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket ended in a failure within the first minute of flight (available video ends at about 41s after launch with the vehicle heading back down to the ocean). According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, a fuel leak at T+25s caused a fire in the first stage engine area. The Falcon 1 was launched from Omelek Island, Kwajalein Atoll on Mar 24, 2006 carrying the 20 kg Falconsat-2 test/science payload for the USAF Academy and DARPA. It's been reported from Kwaj (kwajrockets.blogspot.com) that the payload fell back to Earth through the roof of SpaceX's machine shop.

Ref.: #7(JR563), #14 - update: 19.08.06