SpaceX

[Palpatine]

Even profitable companies have needs for more cash in the bank to manage cash flow. Maybe Elon is tapped out of free cash at the moment.

Raising money now will be easy for Elon, after their successful launch and after landing the large government contracts. He only has to give up a very small ownership position to raise a lot of cash. If he had tried to raise $60 million a year ago then it might have cost him a much larger piece of the ownership pie.

 

[TEG]

This is not the first time Space-X has raised outside funds.

Private rocket company SpaceX gets $20M from The Founders Fund | VentureBeat

 

[Chris H.]

Ahh, yes, I forgot about the Founder's Fund investment...

Maybe he needs the extra cash for the Falcon 9 launch scheduled for later this year.

 

[Picasso]

t-25mins

spacex is doing a launch today live at Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - SpaceX

 

[Palpatine]

spacex is doing a launch today live at Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - SpaceX

That is so cool to watch live.

 

[Picasso]

update

"We nailed the orbit to well within target parameters...pretty much a bullseye. Satellite has separated and is communicating with (the) ground," Says Musk.

 

[doug]

Start-Ups Are Poised For Latest Space Race - WSJ.com

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., a trailblazer in this commercial space arena, hopes the initial launch of its Falcon 9 heavy-lift rocket will happen by early 2010. It initially invested its own money to develop a smaller cargo rocket and then received taxpayer money to support that project.

Now, the company and its founder Elon Musk -- a former Internet entrepreneur -- are lobbying Congress and urging the White House to come up with similar financial support for the more-powerful rocket.

"At the end of the day," said Larry Williams, the company's point man in Washington, "a commercial approach requires industry to share the development investment risk" but also permits greater rewards by selling the technology to other customers. "It's a much more free-market approach."

Of course Valleywag adds their negative spin:

Elon Musk Wants Another Obama Bailout - SpaceX - Gawker

Elon Musk is becoming a welfare case. Federal auto-industry loans helped save his electric-car company, Tesla. Now Musk wants another federal bailout for his embarrassing space startup. And he may well get it.

 

[doug]

Lift off for SpaceX | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY

After just five launches, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has landed a pair of commercial contracts to use its Falcon 1e rocket to launch satellites.

It's too early to say if this success means the California company better known as SpaceX is NASA's best hope for the commercial development of space, which appears to be the approach set for the future direction of the U.S. space effort.
​

However, the contract awards for the 7-year-old SpaceX show that a U.S. launch enterprise can compete in the international launch market.
...

 

[dpeilow]

Orlando Sentinel - Air Force: SpaceX's Falcon 9 first launch planned for Nov 29

 

[doug]

Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | SpaceX doubles down on inaugural Falcon 9 mission

SpaceX has announced the payload for the first Falcon 9 launch later this year will be a stripped-down version of the company's own Dragon capsule, a vehicle being developed to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.

 

[dpeilow]

SpaceX Announces Completion of Acceptance Testing for Falcon 9 First and Second Stages

 

[Arnold Panz]

Daily Kos interview with Elon Musk

Interesting interview with Elon Musk about SpaceX. The interviewer covers scientific issues for the Daily Kos website.

 

[dpeilow]

Nice pics and vids: Inaugural Falcon 9 / Dragon flight hardware update | International Space Fellowship

 

[tennis_trs]

NY Times NASA article

"It'd be cool to set a Mars goal," Mr. Musk said. "Personally, I think it could be done in 10 years." Maybe he's being overoptimistic, but what's the harm in letting him — and everyone else — go for it?

 

[Chris H.]

Obama visits SpaceX at SLC 40, Cape Canaveral:

Obama then immediately drove to nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where he toured the commercial launch facility of the California-based SpaceX company. SpaceX is expects to test its Falcon 9 rocket -- capable of carrying cargo to the International Space Station -- in the coming months.

http://satellite.tmcnet.com/news/2010/04/15/4731971.htm

Obama Kennedy Space Center Visit (201004150003HQ) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[dpeilow]

Obama 'deep space' Mars plans in Boeing booster bitchslap • The Register

 

[doug]

Obama 'deep space' Mars plans in Boeing booster bitchslap • The Register

NPR Science Friday segment that included Elon after Obama's SpaceX visit:

http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201004162

 

[dpeilow]

The Pressure is on at SpaceX | MSNBC

 

[Iz]

The Pressure is on at SpaceX | MSNBC

And we worry about our Model S :frown:

 

[dpeilow]

Another good update: Preparations for first Falcon 9 launch | International Space Fellowship