SpaceX has quickly become one biggest names in the world for its ingenuity and quest to send people to explore space with their reusable spacecraft. In March of 2020, the Space Center Houston opened its exhibit showcasing the Falcon 9 Booster horizontally for all to see up close from the retractable landing legs to burn marks from re-entry. This is one of 28 current boosters that have flown multiple missions including launching Starlink satellites and trips to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 is about 47.7 meters tall, 3.1 meters in diameter, and has 9 Merlin engines that can take up to 50,000 lbs into orbit.
This 1,200,000 pound rocket is secured by three anchored arms that leave it 14 feet in the air. Portland Bolt was called upon to manufacture the 3” diameter anchor rods that can withstand the weight of this giant spacecraft. With our 1.3+ million pounds of steel on the floor, our threading capabilities up to 6” diameter, and our own hot-dip galvanizing line we were able to produce the order in 2 weeks keeping a tight schedule like the space industry is accustomed to.