A lot of amazing stuff is happening within America’s Space Programs on the 50th anniversary of JFK’s iconic moon landing speech we talk about people stuck in the past of Apollo and some of the advantages of moving forward with companies like SpaceX.

After the break we have some awesome video from Endeavour’s solid rocket booster cameras as well as a Soyuz station flyaround with the Space Shuttle stuff attached to the International Space Station

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The Falcon 9 rocket rests on two dollies that have wheels that allow for the Falcon 9 rocket to be rotated around much in the same manner as a rotisserie chicken. Moreover, the entire rocket can be moved without electrical power – with as little as four people required to move it.

If something where to fall (and in many cases has fallen) from the upper decks of Launch Complex 39A (the space shuttle launch pad) damage can and has occurred to the vehicle being serviced on the pad. The likelihood of that happening at SLC 40 – is highly unlikely. If a tool was to fall – it would fall at maximum approximately 15 feet – as opposed to potentially hundreds of feet at LC39A or other vertical integration-based structures in the surrounding area.

The Liquid Oxygen (LOX) tank is another example of the company’s ability to cut cost. The tank was purchased for one dollar over the cost of scrap value. But the efficiency doesn’t stop there. It turned out that the flame trench needed to reduce the risk of damage to the rocket due to acoustic vibration was too short. One estimate from a traditional source put the cost to refurbish the site in the millions of dollars. SpaceX consulted a young engineer who created a more efficient method – for $65,000.

The more one spends out at SLC 40, the more one can tell that the firm is working to reinvent the manner in which rockets are sent into orbit. SpaceX’s CEO, Elon Musk, pushes his workers to do it better, faster and at less cost than traditional methods.

“We’ve been tasked by Elon to get the Falcon 9 out of the hangar and ready to launch within an hour,” said SpaceX’s Vice-President of Communications Bobby Block. “We’re not there yet – but we’re working on it.”

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The full 10 minute tour of Space Launch Complex 40 is available above. If you would like to watch the public YouTube version you may do so below:

As an epic subscriber you also have access to our full interview with SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk. Click here to go to that post, or click here to see all posts that have exclusive epic content.

We also chat about the upcoming Yuri’s Night World Celebration, how space needs to tell a story, the all new Falcon Heavy from SpaceX and much more!

Additional information on this episode can be found on the wiki article.

The big news this last week was that Space Exploration Technologies or SpaceX has become the first company in the world to have a spacecraft launch, orbit the Earth, re-enter our atmosphere and be safely recovered. Until now only 3 countries have been able to accomplish this: the US, Russia and China. Here’s a quick review of the launch itself just in case you missed it

And while watching a Falcon 9 lifoff from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, I think watching the Dragon module separate from the upper stage was even more exciting!

This is just the beginning. The Dragon capsule still needs to have the photovoltaic cells, or solar panels added for energy generation and additional maneuvering/docking tests need to be completed before SpaceX will be able to start officially carrying out its cargo transportation contract with NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services or COTS contract.

Just as SpaceX is starting to spin up production, NASA is winding down the Space Shuttle program. Last week the final 3 Space Shuttle Main Engines or SSMEs were installed in Atlantis for the Launch on Need Mission and potential final flight of the Space Shuttle Program: STS-135. Each engine is 14 feet long, weighs 6,700 pounds and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle.

Now that things have settled down a bit over here, it is our hope that we will resume our live show this Friday at 0200 UTC. We’ll have our Roku HD giveaway where you can win a FREE Roku box allowing you to watch Spacevidcast live on your HDTV! The only way to win is to watch live. For those of you in the US that would be Thursday night at 6:00pm pacific standard time or 9:00pm eastern standard time. We’ll see you there!

After the commercial break we’re joined by Tim Bailey and George Schellenger of SpaceTaskForce.com to talk about space flight, human exploration and putting sharks in space. No really, we actually talk about that.

As a special treat we’re making this episode’s post show available to all Spacevidcasters. Don’t have Spacevidcast epic? No problem, you can watch this post show on the Spacevidcast site to see what all the fuss is about. LIke what you see? Consider signing up for Spacevidcast epic to get more post shows like this, more content relating to the Shuttles, and help Spacevidcast attend more conferences, launches and events! Spacevidcast epic is what makes us tick!

CAPE CANAVERAL — Old hands out at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will tell you that no two launches are alike. However, the launch of Space Exploration Technologies’ (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket was perhaps the singularly most unique rocket launch in recent memory. Many have said that this flight marked a new age of spaceflight, a new way of doing the business of space travel.

With a press site in the midst of renovation, a dropout of video access and a wayward boat – this marked one of the most memorable launch days in history. However, through the weather concerns, tech issues and overly-enthusiastic sightseers the SpaceX team persevered and sent their rocket off on its maiden flight.

There were concerns early on that rough weather that was predicted to hit around 11:30 would cause a slip or scrub – however weather did not pose an issue with launch. Then there was a minor tech issue with telemetry – one which Falcon 9 techs quickly turned into a non-issue. It does seem that every launch has a small bit of “drama” included in the day’s lineup of events – however it rarely involves a wayward boat, helicopters and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Information was very hard to get but it became apparent that an “object” was in the restricted safety zone. We later found out that this “object” was a boat, that had been told to leave the area by a UH-60 Blackhawk and then, once outside the restricted zone, was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard – for a “discussion” regarding the crew’s error.

On the first launch attempt the countdown went all the way to two seconds – and then was aborted. Around the press site, all the old veterans were predicting doom and gloom, “Well that’s that for the day!” They said. They were all wrong. I can include myself in their number – and SpaceX – made us all eat our words. The first attempt was held at 1:30 p.m. EDT. How could they possible recycle in time to launch before their window closed at 3 p.m.? Easy – you work the problem and you try again for a 2:45 p.m. launch.

The announcement was made that the second attempt would be made and a mild state of shock rolled around the press site. These SpaceX guys had nerves of steel. The clock ticked down – and it did not stop. When the clock hit zero – the Falcon 9 lit to the skies like the bird she was named for. There is a funny story there and one that I hope my friends at Space Florida and SpaceX do not mind me relaying to you.

Being a regular at KSC – I prided myself on my knowledge of the area. The folks on the roof of the Orlando Sentinel building with me – had me looking at the Atlas pad. Folks over at the OSB II building – went nuts – you could hear them clear over at the press site. Then Emily Shanklin with SpaceX – lost her mind. I have never seen someone more excited to see a bird take flight. In all honesty I cannot thank her enough for her genuine expression of emotion. It made me realized the power and importance of this moment. As I drove home rolling over the day’s events in my mind I got stuck behind a car and it seemed I was being given a sign as to just how important this day was. The license plate on the car read simply – TO MARS.

Go SpaceX