American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company SpaceX has announced it will resume its plan to launch the Falcon 9 rocket by December.
The announcement comes four months after the explosion of the unmanned rocket carrying cargo to the International Space Station.
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The explosion occurred minutes after it was launched from Cape Canaveral air force station in Florida and was the first failed launch of the Falcon 9, after flying successfully 18 times.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk confirmed the upgraded Falcon 9 rocket will take its first flight this year. The rocket is being redesigned for more power.
The company also stated it agreed with two satellite companies to test their second-stage engine on the first flight.
The test flight is scheduled to carry 11 small satellites for New Jersey-based telecommunications firm Orbcomm. The small satellites are designed to keep track of industrial vehicles, oil and gas equipment, mining assets and other machines.
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By GlobalDataThe second launch scheduled in December will carry a communications satellite for Luxembourg-based satellite communications and broadcasting services provider SES.
SpaceX said in the next few months it has close to 50 launch orders from airforce, Nasa and commercial satellite companies.
The explosion of the Falcon 9 rocket on June 28 cost Nasa millions of dollars. The company is carrying out its investigation into the disaster.
The firm will submit the report to Federal Aviation Administration next month.
In a preliminary review, Musk blamed a faulty two foot long steel strut for the disaster. The metal band was holding one of a number of helium-filled bottles inside the rocket’s second stage.
Last month, SpaceX announced it received two new orders for Falcon 9 and Falcon heavy launch vehicles.
Under the contracts, Falcon 9 will launch a communications satellite for HISPASAT and Falcon heavy will launch a Saudi Arabian Arabsat 6A communications satellite.
