Spacex's Falcon Heavy - Launch successful! -

[Thebobo]

Despite the many delays Elon set a maiden launch date for this November. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful rocket currently flying. Musk is not so optimistic about its success though, apparently he is really concerned about the stress that the 27 Merlin Engines will cause on the rocket.

 

[Darwin333]

I really hope that it does well, have been looking forward to seeing it fly for a long time.

 

[Thebobo]

All three first stages have completed test firing. Still on track for a November launch.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Woah sweet did not realize it was this close, don't want to miss that one.

I got to applaud Elon for being honest about his optimism too, not a lot of CEOs are like that.

 

[Thebobo]

SpaceX has pushed back its launch date and is now aiming for a late December launch of the Falcon Heavy

A major question for SpaceX’s end of year manifest appears to be gaining some answers as the company aims to debut its Falcon Heavy rocket in the late-December time period. With one launch left off LC-39A before the pad’s final conversion for the new rocket occurs, SpaceX is understood to be targeting mid-December for the Static Fire of Falcon Heavy followed by a late-December, No Earlier Than 29 December, launch of the heavy lift rocket.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/spacex-aims-december-launch-falcon-heavy/

 

[ultimatebob]

I wonder if Anandtech will still be around by the time SpaceX has a manned flight with this rocket. I give the site 50/50 odds at this point.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Looking forward to that launch, I hope I'll be off that day.

December is our super busy month though so chances are I'll be at work on OT and it will be all hands on deck.

 

[PottedMeat]

I wonder if Anandtech will still be around by the time SpaceX has a manned flight with this rocket. I give the site 50/50 odds at this point.

I think it'll fly crewed before the SLS at least. spacex hasn't said much about those customers that have prepaid for a trip around the moon in late 2018

 

[Thebobo]

Originally the Falcon 9 was planned to take astronauts to the ISS. They need to have the Dragon capsule certified first for human flight. There have been a lot of delays with certification and earlier this year NASA found some problems with the first stage engines.

"SpaceX and Boeing probably won’t be flying astronauts to the station until 2019, report suggests"

https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/16/14640618/nasa-spacex-boeing-astronaut-iss-2018

 

[Darwin333]

I still find it absolutely crazy that a private company will be flying people to the ISS and beyond before NASA regains the capability.

 

[Thebobo]

I still find it absolutely crazy that a private company will be flying people to the ISS and beyond before NASA regains the capability.

Yea not sure why the huge rush to decommission the Shuttle. Would of been nice to service Hubble one more time, it's still making groundbreaking discoveries. And even after James Webb Telescope launches it still has tools the Webb doesn't. And Webb is very complicated a lot to go wrong and if does it's a dud. No real way to service it.

I liked the idea of using the shuttle's main tank and solid rockets, with a glider less booster and other stages. This would allow for faster parts to still be made for most of the shuttle and save a shit load time and money, The SLS is a rocket to nowhere right now.

 

[Darwin333]

Yea not sure why the huge rush to decommission the Shuttle. Would of been nice to service Hubble one more time, it's still making groundbreaking discoveries. And even after James Webb Telescope launches it still has tools the Webb doesn't. And Webb is very complicated a lot to go wrong and if does it's a dud. No real way to service it.

I liked the idea of using the shuttle's main tank and solid rockets, with a glider less booster and other stages. This would allow for faster parts to still be made for most of the shuttle and save a shit load time and money, The SLS is a rocket to nowhere right now.

I don't know how I feel. The shuttle was a seriously failed program considering what it was supposed to be. I have to think that we could have made some sort of special launch vehicle that sat on top of a normal rocket and mated with a manned pod that could do the same jobs. IMHO the biggest failure was not planning and budgeting the shuttle's replacement long before it was retired. The fact that the US has been unable to boldly send men where thousands have gone before (LEO) for so long and is currently hitching rides with the Ruskies is atrocious. Now we are banking on private sector companies who just a short few years ago was laughed at for implying they could put men into space to take up the slack until NASA eventually finishes the SLS whenever the hell that happens. By the time NASA does finish the SLS it will likely be redundant with the private options. I have always been for doubling NASA's budget but even I have to think, what could Musk have done with what NASA has already spent on the SLS?

 

[Thebobo]

Launch pushed back to January 2018. But this is awesome.

SpaceX will attempt to launch a red Tesla Roadster on maiden test flight of Falcon Heavy.

https://arstechnica.com/science/201...musk-plans-to-launch-his-tesla-to-mars/?amp=1

"Previously, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said he intends to launch the "silliest thing we can imagine" on the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy. This is partly because the rocket is experimental—there is a non-trivial chance the rocket will explode on the launch pad, or shortly after launch. It is also partly because Musk is a master showman who knows how to grab attention.

On Friday evening, Musk tweeted what that payload would be—his "midnight cherry Tesla Roadster." And the car will be playing Space Oddity, by David Bowie; the song which begins, "Ground Control to Major Tom." Oh, and the powerful Falcon Heavy rocket will send the Tesla into orbit around Mars. "Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent," Musk added. Ars was able to confirm Friday night from a company source that this is definitely a legitimate payload."

Conceptual drawing

I can't wait.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Lol that's great.

Would be funny if they put a car on the moon.

 

[Thebobo]

Falcon Heavy has been assembled at the Cape. If it launches there will be an attempt to land all three boosters.

And the business end

 

[tynopik]

needs a banana for scale

 

[ultimatebob]

needs a banana for scale

Or a Tesla Model S!

 

[tynopik]

Or a Tesla Model S!

you misspelled Roadster

 

[cytg111]

Great.. A Tesla around Mars... More weird shit to explain to the aliens once they make contact.

 

[PottedMeat]

yessssssss

you misspelled Roadster

 

[Thebobo]

yessssssss

Awesomeness!

 

[Thebobo]

yessssssss

Was just reading this picture was apparently leaked?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Was just reading this picture was apparently leaked?

Not sure why it would need to be, Musk's been very public about tossing his Roadster up there.

I wonder if he'll release a special edition Tesla Roaster if it doesn't make it. Caramelized black matte paint, maybe some fun red & orange paint detailing.

 

[Thebobo]

Not sure why it would need to be, Musk's been very public about tossing his Roadster up there.

I wonder if he'll release a special edition Tesla Roaster if it doesn't make it. Caramelized black matte paint, maybe some fun red & orange paint detailing.

Its all over the news now so it doesn't really matter. Can google it to find out the story.

 

[Thebobo]

Well since its out of the bag

Damn what an awesome thing to do. I love NASA but they would never do something like this. I can't wait for the in-car video when the fairings come off.