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"  SpaceX might reach another watershed moment in its young life on Monday if it can successfully launch a satellite to geosynchronous orbit. This would be the first time the company has done it, and success would validate SpaceX as reliable launch company despite its cut-rate prices\u2014and better position it against foreign competitors. Elon Musk&amp;#039;s upstart will launch a broadcast satellite for Luxembourg-based SES. The SES8 sat needs to be deployed in geostationary orbit where it can deliver direct-to-home television for a wide swatch of Asia. Monday&amp;#039;s launch will cost SES about $60 million. That&amp;#039;s $200 million less than proven European provider Arianespace charges. If Monday&amp;#039;s flight succeeds, it would be a triumph for the U.S. private space industry and more free enterprise-focused approach to spaceflight. Monday&amp;#039;s launch, from Cape Canaveral at 5:37 pm Eastern, will be a nail-biter. On September 29, SpaceX debuted a new engine layout for its Falcon 9 spacecraft during a satellite launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. That flight successfully put a Canadian space weather research satellite and a several secondary payloads into polar orbit, but the rocket&amp;#039;s second stage could not restart in space. It will have to do this if the SES 8 launch is to be successful. SpaceX says frozen fuel lines were to blame and added a new thermal system to fix the problem. But until that engine restarts, there will be a lot of worry in mission control. The satellite launch industry is not tolerant of risk or failure, as PopMech found in our feature on the international launch industry. Sat owners are eager for the prospect of cheaper launches that private companies like SpaceX offer, but not so eager that they will put their precious spacecraft at risk. Bob Buschman, senior vice president at sat manufacturer Hughes Network Systems, pointed out that often &amp;quot;the launch cost is less than the cost of a satellite.&amp;quot; But SpaceX&amp;#039;s success could reshape the way the entire globe accesses space. &amp;quot;There is no pressure for the Europeans, Chinese, or Russians to bring down their launch costs because they can get whatever they charge,&amp;quot; says Marco Caceres, analyst with the Teal Group. &amp;quot;But now that you&amp;#039;ve got SpaceX, that&amp;#039;s the key to putting downward pressure on the prices. And you should start to see launch costs gradually come down. To me that&amp;#039;s going to be their biggest contribution to the industry.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a9743/why-mondays-sat-launch-is-so-crucial-for-spacex-16187790/>