SpaceX Falcon Update With Pictures 30
Toren Altair writes "SpaceX made good progress with their Falcon 9 rocket. Check the progress with pictures. 'Today we fitted the F9 skirt to the fuel tank end of the 1st stage. Also had movement on the erector, with the upper aluminum truss just coming back from being painted. Activity on the floor is constant and will remain so throughout the week and weekend as we prepare the F9 structures for shipping to Texas for testing before they head to the Cape.'"
Re:Update the schedule while you're at it. (Score:3, Insightful)
Given what I've heard, arrival at launch site doesn't mean that its ready to launch, because a lot of the integration work is easiest to do at the cape. I think the biggest reason for setting that date and sticking to it, even if the date of the eventual launch slips, is that this way its putting up a big ad at the cape for the new administration and the transition team to say "Hey, remember us when you're figuring out the future," since (if everything goes as expected) they are the path of least resistance to filling the shuttle gap.
As long as they don't rush the actual launch it seems like a smart move to me.