Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - SpaceX
10 minutes to go. Light breeze at the launch site. The missile support system (strongback) is dropping down now, and things are proceeding.
6 minutes to go. It's good to see private-enterprise space attempts - I'd be even happier if they were doing a DC-X sort of effort, but I guess you can't have everything. Lockheed VentureStar croaked - they tried to load too many new technologies into it and the system couldn't support it. Don't know if the aerospike engine concept is dead yet - but it seems a bit ailing...
2 minutes to go - LOX topped off, battery chargers ending - now they're showing a shot down the rocket - lot of vapor down at the bottom, LOX dump perhaps?
1 minute to go - it's on internal sequencing now. Helium closed off.
30 seconds to go - water deluge on - got my fingers crossed - launching --- flying!!!!!!!! Falcon cleared the tower, it's looking good - lot of water going across the camera lense on the rocket - 1.4 KM at 20 seconds - good shot of the atoll - interesting view there! Approcing Mach one - water's cleared off the lens, clear view of the entire atoll ring. I do believe this is gonna go all the way....
Whoops - cut of feed from rocket cam... and now they're reporting an 'anomaly'. Hmmm? Check back for more information?
That happened right about 140 seconds, at an altitude of 35km. The last blog entry is 'vehicle switching to inertial guidance mode."
Now they're rolling credits? Wha' happened?
J.