SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launches with Cassiope Comsat

SpaceX successfully launched the upgraded version of its unmanned rocket Falcon 9 v1.1 on Sept. 29, 2013, carrying Canada's communications satellite or comsat, Cassiope. The satellite will keep an eye on Earth's space environment.

The rocket launched smoothly from California's Vandenberg Air Force Station at 09:00 local time (16:00 UTC).

"It went better than expected. It was incredibly smooth," SpaceX founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk, told Reuters in a report.

Falcon 9 v1.1 is carrying the Cassiope weighing 1,100 pounds along with five secondary payloads.

The engines used in the improved version of Falcon 9 called Merlin-1D, are 60 percent stronger compared to the older versions and more budget-friendly than the previous version of the engine called Merlin-1C. New features include enhanced software and electronics and longer fuel tanks, which are devised for improved launch and better operating of the rocket.

The Canadian comsat Cassiope was to be launched in 2008 using SpaceX's Falcon 1 launcher, which is not into use anymore. Both stages of the rocket were started during the launch as an experiment.

"It's certainly a huge relief to have successfully delivered Cassiope to orbit. It's been weighing on me quite heavily," Musk told Reuters.

"The most revolutionary thing about the new Falcon 9 is the potential ability to recover the boost phase, which is almost three-quarters of the cost of the rocket," Musk added.

Musk aims at enhancing the technology related to the flight of Falcon's first stage. Presently the  boosters of the rocket fall toward the Earth after dropping the payloads in their orbits. Musk wants to devise a technology that can return the boosters to the launch site or be guided to a water body so it can be repaired and reused for future flights.

"The most revolutionary thing about the new Falcon 9 is the potential ability to recover the boost phase, which is almost three-quarters of the cost of the rocket," Musk said.

Though the engine restart test of this flight did not go flawlessly, the engineers have gathered all the data for planning next year's flight demonstration.

"The most important thing is we now believe we have all the pieces of the puzzle," Musk said.

SpaceX's upcoming mission is to drop a comsat for SES World Skies to its orbit, the mission will be taking place next month from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station situated in Florida.

"We accomplished a lot today," Musk told Reuters. "We have a little bit of work to do obviously, but all-in-all I think it's been a great day."

SpaceX has more than 50 launches planned of its rocket Falcon 9. Out of these, 10 missions are for delivering cargos to NASA's ISS (International Space Station).