SFS News: Falcon 1 Flight 5 Update

(SpaceX) - Preparations for Flight 5 of Falcon 1 are well underway at SpaceX. Flight 5 will loft an Earth observation satellite called RazakSAT into orbit for the Government of Malaysia, plus two secondary payloads that will deploy separately.

SpaceX's Falcon 1 launch site lies approximately 5,000 miles away from Los Angeles, on Omelek Island, which is part of the United States Army Kwajalein Atoll. Omelek is nearly 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, and just 9.1 degrees north latitude, making it a great location for launching rockets. Currently, Flight 5 is scheduled for an April 21st launch which corresponds with April 20th in the US.


The completed Falcon 1 Flight 5 first stage on the factory floor in Hawthorne, CA.

Having passed final factory checkouts, we recently transferred the completed Falcon 1 first stage to a shipping structure, and wrapped it securely for travel (see photos below). Departing from our Hawthorne headquarters via flatbed truck, the first stage traveled south to the Long Beach harbor, where we loaded it on to a large oceangoing transport for a voyage across the Pacific.


Wrapped tight for travel, the Falcon 1 Flight 5 first stage has left the building.


A loading crane moves the Flight 5 first stage off the truck and into the ship's hold for travel across the Pacific to the SpaceX launch site in the Kwajalein Atoll.

In the coming weeks, the Falcon 1 second stage will depart from California and travel by aircraft to Kwajalein, then by boat the short distance to Omelek. As the components arrive in close succession at the launch site, our Launch Operations crew will conduct the final integration, testing and preparations for flight. Watch for further Flight 5 updates as progress continues.

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Falcon 1 missions are the coolest! I love this little launcher! And their mission control room is so cool too! Nice tidy little rocket!

Monroe