Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle Payload User's Guide - SpaceX

5.2.2. Humidity, Cleanliness and Thermal Control
Payload environments during various processing phases are:
In hangar, encapsulated:
• Temperature: 70⁰ F ± 5⁰ F
• Humidity: 50% ± 5%
• Cleanliness: Class 10,000
• Flow rate: 1,000 cfm
During rollout (& transport from Payload Processing Facility [PPF])*:
• Temperature: 70⁰ F ± 5⁰ F
• Humidity: 50% ± 5%
• Cleanliness: Class 10,000
• Flow rate: 1,000 cfm
On pad payload environmental control system (horizontal or vertical):
• Temperature: any setting between 50⁰ F and 85 ⁰ F ± 5⁰ F
• Humidity: any setting between 20% and 50% ± 5%
• Cleanliness: Class 5,000
• Flow rate: Variable from 1000 to 4500 cfm
Falcon 9 User’s Guide
*Conditioned air will be disconnected for a short duration when the erector arrives at the pad
and the fairing umbilical is switched over to the pad air conditioning supply.
5.2.3. Launch and Flight Environments
This section provides details on the maximum predicted environments (MPE) the payload will
experience during Falcon 9 launch vehicle ground operations, integration, flight, and initial
orbital operations.
5.2.3.1. Design Load Factors
During flight, the payload will experience a range of axial and lateral accelerations. Axial
acceleration is determined by the vehicle thrust history and drag, while maximum lateral
acceleration is primarily determined by wind gusts, engine gimbal maneuvers, first stage engine
shutdowns, and other short‐duration events. Falcon 9 Design Load Factors are shown using the
envelope plotted in Figure 5‐2. The design load factors provided here are expected to be
conservative for payloads with the following basic characteristics: a fundamental bending
mode greater than 10 Hz, a fundamental axial mode greater than 25 Hz, and a mass between
3,000 and 20,000 lbs (1360 – 9070 kg). A positive axial value indicates a compressive net‐center
of gravity acceleration, while a negative value indicates tension. Actual spacecraft loads,
accelerations, and deflections are a function of both the launch vehicle and payload structural
dynamic properties and can only be accurately determined via a coupled loads analysis.
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