The spacecraft has black-and-white and color cameras to take high-resolution pictures of agricultural lands, forests, urban centers, and other targets in Malaysia for commercial and government customers. This was the fifth flight for Space Exploration Technologies, a privately funded California firm founded by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk. SpaceX’s first three launches in 2006, 2007 and 2008, fell short of reaching orbit. The Company’s fourth launch last September successfully placed a dummy payload into orbit.
In addition to its Falcon 1 rocket, which can put a half-ton payload into orbit for about $8 million, SpaceX is developing a heavy-lift Falcon 9 rocket that can carry 11 tons to low-Earth orbit, or four tons to an orbit 22,300 miles above the planet, for about $40 million. The firm’s biggest customer is NASA, which has reservations for more than half of SpaceX’s two dozen upcoming missions. The company has contracts to develop and deliver a space station cargo vehicle. It also is petitioning for a $300 million contract addition to upgrade its Dragon capsule to ferry astronauts to and from the space station after NASA retires its space shuttle fleet next year. Falcon 9’s debut flight is scheduled for October from a new launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
