FALCON USER’S GUIDE APRIL 2020 COPYRIGHT Subject to the existing rights of third parties, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is the owner of the copyright in this work, and no portion hereof is to be copied, reproduced, or disseminated without the prior written consent of SpaceX. © Space Exploration Technologies Corp. All rights reserved. FALCON USER’S GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1 1.1 User’s Guide Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Company Description ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Falcon Program Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Falcon Launch Vehicle Safety .......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Falcon Reliability ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.5.1 Engines ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.5.2 Avionics ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 1.5.3 Staging Architecture and Design .................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Pricing ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 2 VEHICLES .............................................................................................................................. 5 Falcon Vehicle Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Falcon Heavy Vehicle Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Structure and Propulsion ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Retention, Release and Separation Systems ................................................................................................................ 8 Avionics, and Guidance, Navigation and Control .......................................................................................................... 8 Coordinate Frame ............................................................................................................................................................... 8 3 PERFORMANCE ................................................................................................................. 10 Available Injection Orbits ................................................................................................................................................. 10 Mass-to-Orbit Capability .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Mass Properties ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Launch Windows ............................................................................................................................................................... 12 Flight Attitude .................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Separation Attitude and Accuracy ................................................................................................................................. 12 Multiple Payloads .............................................................................................................................................................. 13 Secondary Payloads ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 4 ENVIRONMENTS ................................................................................................................ 14 Transportation Environments ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Temperature, Humidity and Cleanliness ...................................................................................................................... 14 Flight Environments ......................................................................................................................................................... 15 4.3.1 Loads ..................................................................................................................................................................................................15 4.3.2 Sine Vibration ....................................................................................................................................................................................17 4.3.3 Acoustic .............................................................................................................................................................................................19 © Space Exploration Technologies Corp. All rights reserved. ii FALCON USER’S GUIDE 4.3.4 Shock ..................................................................................................................................................................................................25 4.3.5 Random Vibration ............................................................................................................................................................................25 4.3.6 Electromagnetic ...............................................................................................................................................................................28 4.3.7 Fairing Internal Pressure ................................................................................................................................................................34 4.3.8 Payload Temperature Exposure during Flight ............................................................................................................................ 34 4.3.9 Free Molecular Heating ..................................................................................................................................................................34 Environmental Compatibility Verification ..................................................................................................................... 35 5 INTERFACES ......................................................................................................................36 Mechanical Interfaces ...................................................................................................................................................... 36 5.1.1 Payload Adapters and Separation Systems ............................................................................................................................... 36 5.1.2 Payload Fairing .................................................................................................................................................................................36 Electrical Interfaces .......................................................................................................................................................... 38 5.2.1 Connectivity during Payload Processing and on Launch Pad ................................................................................................ 38 5.2.2 Falcon-to-Payload Command Interface ......................................................................................................................................40 5.2.3 Timing Services ................................................................................................................................................................................40 Interface Compatibility Verification Requirements .................................................................................................... 40 6 FACILITIES .......................................................................................................................... 41 SpaceX East Coast Launch Facilities ............................................................................................................................ 41 6.1.1 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida .................................................................................................................................