SpaceX Will Return Falcon-9 to Flight with Orbcomm-2 Mission to Test Rocket’s Upper Stage

Its been over three months since the loss of the SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)-7 Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA, which appeared to have fallen victim to a failed helium tank strut, provided by an external supplier. Now the Hawthorne, CA-based company stands ready to resume launches of its workhorse Falcon-9 rocket, in a heavily modified form, in as soon as “6-8 weeks”, and will do so on the Orbcomm OG-2 Mission-2 to deliver 11 satellites to orbit for Orbcomm.

“As we prepare for return to flight, SpaceX together with its customers SES and Orbcomm have evaluated opportunities to optimize the readiness of the upcoming Falcon 9 return-to-flight mission,” says SpaceX in a statement released this afternoon. “All parties have mutually agreed that SpaceX will now fly the Orbcomm-2 mission on the return-to-flight Falcon 9.”

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.americaspace.com

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