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NFT: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launching today at 1:30 EST

giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 8:01 am
really excited to see this launch ..

if it works all three boosters will land back on earth and Elon Musk's Tesla will be in shot into a heliocentric orbit.

if it doesn't work - it will be a hell of an explosion

either way exciting times again for US space industry
I'm excited as well  
GmeninPSL : 2/6/2018 9:41 am : link
especially since I will be able to look up to the skies from my backyard and watch :)
Someone have a link to stream  
Canton : 2/6/2018 9:47 am : link
Or a channel on TV to watch it?
Animation of SpaceX Falcon Heavy demonstration launch  
Canton : 2/6/2018 9:56 am : link
This is ridiculous if they pull this off.
Link - ( New Window )
RE: Someone have a link to stream  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 9:57 am : link
In comment 13823339 Canton said:
Quote:
Or a channel on TV to watch it?


Spacex.com will have a link to the live stream.
No way this thing goes off without a hitch, not ...  
Boy Cord : 2/6/2018 10:10 am : link
... with 27 engines.

Also, is anyone else uncomfortable with SpaceX launching manned space flights as early as this year?
I'm looking forward to it.  
Diver_Down : 2/6/2018 10:13 am : link
I'll be heading to the beach in a bit. Vantage point won't be the best with the bright sun nearly overhead, but cool nonetheless to witness. If something goes wrong, it is going to be the most expensive fireworks display. I wish it was a night launch as the photography would be awesome.
RE: No way this thing goes off without a hitch, not ...  
giants#1 : 2/6/2018 10:19 am : link
In comment 13823380 Boy Cord said:
Quote:
... with 27 engines.

Also, is anyone else uncomfortable with SpaceX launching manned space flights as early as this year?


Musk owns it, the manned space "deadline" will slip.
RE: No way this thing goes off without a hitch, not ...  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 10:23 am : link
In comment 13823380 Boy Cord said:
Quote:
... with 27 engines.

Also, is anyone else uncomfortable with SpaceX launching manned space flights as early as this year?


Why is that? They are being closely monitored and regulated by NASA. Dragon will be at least four times as safe as the space shuttle, and will have a launch abort system
actually....  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 10:24 am : link
Quote:
Also, is anyone else uncomfortable with SpaceX launching manned space flights as early as this year?



Musk said yesteday that there will be no manned flight in Falcon Heavy

Spacex has learned that putting 3 Falcon 9 together for a mega rocket is overly complex so they putting resources into next gen rocket - the BFR
which will be the manned rocket
RE: RE: No way this thing goes off without a hitch, not ...  
giants#1 : 2/6/2018 10:27 am : link
In comment 13823400 Sarcastic Sam said:
Quote:
In comment 13823380 Boy Cord said:


Quote:


... with 27 engines.

Also, is anyone else uncomfortable with SpaceX launching manned space flights as early as this year?



Why is that? They are being closely monitored and regulated by NASA. Dragon will be at least four times as safe as the space shuttle, and will have a launch abort system


I'll try to find the article, but they've had more rocket disasters (boosters, not capsule) than ULA has had with the Atlas, despite far fewer flights.
Link  
giants#1 : 2/6/2018 10:32 am : link
Quote:
With regard to reliability though, the jury is still out, and the evidence is ambiguous. Although SpaceX was quick to assert last week that its Falcon 9 performed as advertised, the secret "Zuma" satellite is the third payload sitting on a Falcon 9 that has been lost in four years. By way of comparison, United Launch Alliance, SpaceX's sole competitor in the military launch business, hasn't lost a single payload in 12 years and 124 missions.


Quote:
A second report from NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel dated January 11 singled out two concerns about SpaceX preparations to participate in the civil space agency's commercial crew program -- the program to deliver astronauts to the space station. The first concerned a NASA-mandated redesign of helium tanks that maintain the pressure of liquid oxygen supplies during flight. Deficiencies in a "cryogenic oxygen pressure vessel" are believed to have contributed to the 2016 launchpad explosion that destroyed an Israeli satellite.

The second and related issue has to do with seating astronauts aboard crewed missions before supercooled fuel is added, a deviation from accepted practice that the safety panel warned involves significant risk. SpaceX plans to use "densified" fuel to increase the energy of Falcon 9 rockets, but that must be loaded shortly before takeoff, meaning astronauts will already be onboard when the loading occurs. Normal NASA procedure is to put astronauts in their capsule only after the volatile fuel has been loaded.


And I believe SpaceX's first manned missions will use the Falcon 9 (not the Falcon 27 or the BFR).
Link - ( New Window )
RE: RE: RE: No way this thing goes off without a hitch, not ...  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 10:35 am : link
In comment 13823404 giants#1 said:
Quote:
In comment 13823400 Sarcastic Sam said:


Quote:


In comment 13823380 Boy Cord said:


Quote:


... with 27 engines.

Also, is anyone else uncomfortable with SpaceX launching manned space flights as early as this year?



Why is that? They are being closely monitored and regulated by NASA. Dragon will be at least four times as safe as the space shuttle, and will have a launch abort system



I'll try to find the article, but they've had more rocket disasters (boosters, not capsule) than ULA has had with the Atlas, despite far fewer flights.


SpaceX has had 2 vehicle losses in the history of the falcon 9 program. SpaceX is hard. Atlas nearly had a vehicle loss (apparently one second from disaster) just last year and earlier this year ariane accidentally flew a rocket over a populated area. SpaceX has learned from its mistakes and will be certified by NASA for manned flights with the same safety requirements as Boeing (and much stricter than SLS)
manned flight  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 10:43 am : link
Quote:
Today, Musk said as long as the BFR’s development happens on schedule, SpaceX will send people, including the two tourists, into space on the new rocket. This would save the company the trouble of getting Falcon Heavy approved for human spaceflight only to turn around and replace it with the BFR. However, if the BFR takes longer to make than expected, then it’s possible SpaceX will return to the idea of putting crews on Falcon Heavy.

Here are four things we learned from Elon Musk before the first Falcon Heavy launch - ( New Window )
Are they taking bets on this in Vegas?  
NNJ Tom : 2/6/2018 10:54 am : link
The odds of this working, just like the video, is in the Buster Douglas territory.

They may get it up, without blowing up, that part is easy. To get the 3 boosters to land on pads is f-ing crazy and has zero chance of working.
ha  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 11:12 am : link
I agree
I think there is a change that one or both of side boosters make it back

but the middle one all the vibrations and stress and it is new modification
if they get that one back to earth in one piece I will be seriously impressed
Next gen rocket is the BFR, huh?  
3putt : 2/6/2018 11:55 am : link
Back in the 80s the term "BFR" became a police code name for what we would now call a "personal audio player." For example, "The victim was walking down the street when he was attacked and his BFR was taken."

Obviously, BFR stood for "Big F'ing Radio" but I guess it's just as fitting for a Big F'ing Rocket.
I live in Cocoa Beach  
jc in c-ville : 2/6/2018 12:25 pm : link
And work in Orlando. Couldn't get away to watch today.

Any of you live near Cocoa Beach?

Launch delayed to 3:05pm  
Jim in Fairfax : 2/6/2018 1:14 pm : link
Due to wind shear. Launch window closes at 4:00pm
really cool  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 1:25 pm : link
Flight profile posted by Musk

Will this be televised  
mitch300 : 2/6/2018 1:32 pm : link
What channel?
RE: Will this be televised  
Jim in Fairfax : 2/6/2018 1:52 pm : link
In comment 13823794 mitch300 said:
Quote:
What channel?

Live stream:


YouTube - ( New Window )
Thanks  
mitch300 : 2/6/2018 2:02 pm : link
Jim.
yes  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 2:04 pm : link
@elonmusk
Launch auto-sequence initiated (aka the holy mouse-click) for 3:45 liftoff #FalconHeavy
1:52 PM - 6 Feb 2018
15 minutes...  
Canton : 2/6/2018 3:29 pm : link
.
wow  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 3:41 pm : link
4 minutes so excited~!!!!
T-minus 3 minutes  
NNJ Tom : 2/6/2018 3:41 pm : link
I love fireworks !!!
holy  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 3:45 pm : link
hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's friggin awesome  
Ryan in Albany : 2/6/2018 3:46 pm : link
.
wow  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 3:48 pm : link
i am reverting to a 6 year old !

amazing
reminds me of  
Tom from LI : 2/6/2018 3:50 pm : link
The country needs more of this.  
Ryan in Albany : 2/6/2018 3:51 pm : link
.
CRAZY COOL!  
jpkmets : 2/6/2018 3:53 pm : link
HOLY SHIT!!!
wow  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 3:54 pm : link
both landing at same time was sick!!!!!!!
Holy crap  
Gary from The East End : Admin : 2/6/2018 3:55 pm : link
...
Love this stuff.  
Mr. Bungle : 2/6/2018 3:55 pm : link
This shit is way more exciting and important than Super Bowls, for me.
Saw it launch from my apartment  
mrvax : 2/6/2018 3:58 pm : link
Fun to watch. Shocking that those 2 boosters can actually come home and land in an upright position.
Don’t Panic!  
Jim in Fairfax : 2/6/2018 3:58 pm : link
.
No confirmation on the last rocket  
Canton : 2/6/2018 3:59 pm : link
Landing on the pad in the ocean....

That was very very  
ChathamMark : 2/6/2018 3:59 pm : link
exciting.
I was geeked out  
NNJ Tom : 2/6/2018 3:59 pm : link
by that. One of the coolest things I ever saw. Wonder what happened to the stage on the landing barge? The "lost" the signal right as it was landing.
They went off the air  
Canton : 2/6/2018 3:59 pm : link
And said to goto the website for confirmation
I was able to see it from my backyard  
Dr. D : 2/6/2018 4:03 pm : link
I live near the FL coast about 120 miles north of Cape. I watched the launch on TV and ran outside after about 20 sec and looked SE and easily saw the plume and then briefly the rocket (with binoc). Very cool.

Hope this is beginning of great things.
Incredible to watch.  
732NYG : 2/6/2018 4:04 pm : link
Just goosebumps the entire time.
That was really the best thing I have seen in a long time  
BlueHurricane : 2/6/2018 4:04 pm : link
A long time
I have been under a rock lately  
TommytheElephant : 2/6/2018 4:05 pm : link
Is that car on the way to Mars now?
That was some cool sh*t!  
fivehead : 2/6/2018 4:06 pm : link
I'm glad it was delayed. I was able to gather the kids around the TV and watch it together.
The car will be in an ellipical orbit around the sun  
Scyber : 2/6/2018 4:06 pm : link
At is further point it will intersect with Mars' orbit, but there is no plan to actually land it on Mars. This was just a test payload.
Shooting a car into orbit  
BlackLight : 2/6/2018 4:07 pm : link
sounds like an Onion headline.
That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen  
jlukes : 2/6/2018 4:10 pm : link
the landing didn't look real!
watching that  
santacruzom : 2/6/2018 4:13 pm : link
was oddly emotional. What an accomplishment.
RE: The car will be in an ellipical orbit around the sun  
Jim in Fairfax : 2/6/2018 4:13 pm : link
In comment 13824045 Scyber said:
Quote:
At is further point it will intersect with Mars' orbit, but there is no plan to actually land it on Mars. This was just a test payload.


Ahhh, they’ll figure out how to land it. Elon needs something to drive when he gets there. :-)
any update on the core  
jlukes : 2/6/2018 4:13 pm : link
?
Did they launch that car into space?  
giantsfan227B : 2/6/2018 4:17 pm : link
That was awesome to watch, especially the re-entry of the booster rockets and simultaneous landing.
center core probably lost  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 4:19 pm : link
Go to min 38:30 on the broadcast video . “We lost the center core”.
That was incredible!!!!  
Dave on the UWS : 2/6/2018 5:05 pm : link
Thanks for posting this today. What a visionary. Watching the boosters land was like watching a sci fi movie rocket land.
Impressive  
Rong5611 : 2/6/2018 5:07 pm : link
And, emotional. Americans can still do great things.
RE: Did they launch that car into space?  
Canton : 2/6/2018 5:08 pm : link
In comment 13824056 giantsfan227B said:
Quote:
That was awesome to watch, especially the re-entry of the booster rockets and simultaneous landing.


Here was a pic taken, moments ago, the tesla in earth's orbit.


image hosting private
wow  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 5:58 pm : link
RE: RE: Did they launch that car into space?  
RAIN : 2/6/2018 5:58 pm : link
In comment 13824096 Canton said:
Quote:
In comment 13824056 giantsfan227B said:


Quote:


That was awesome to watch, especially the re-entry of the booster rockets and simultaneous landing.



Here was a pic taken, moments ago, the tesla in earth's orbit.


image hosting private


Oh man... SpaceX is gonna get some heat from the flat earth society.
Amazing to watch  
Steve L : 2/6/2018 6:31 pm : link
and an incredible accomplishment.

Sucks that they to have lost the third booster but still amazing
Our friends’ son is an engineer working on  
Section331 : 2/6/2018 6:39 pm : link
the rocket landing gear. What they are doing is pretty awesome.
live press conference  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 6:39 pm : link
about to start streaming
SpaceX press conference Youtube - ( New Window )
Holy crap. I stand corrected.  
Boy Cord : 2/6/2018 6:42 pm : link
Hope we can watch somewhere online.
center core probably lost  
giantfan2000 : 2/6/2018 7:27 pm : link
Elon Musk confirming the center core's outer engines failed to reignite and it slammed into the water and damaged ICISLY. Sounds like a Matt Patricia operation to me.
RE: live press conference  
Diver_Down : 2/6/2018 7:29 pm : link
In comment 13824156 giantfan2000 said:
Quote:
about to start streaming SpaceX press conference Youtube - ( New Window )


The Live Chat is a shitshow.
.  
Diver_Down : 2/6/2018 7:33 pm : link
BFR - Big Fucking Rocket? or Big Falcon Rocket. Elon just said that it will be 30' in diameter and 120M tall.
Center core ran out of ignition chemicals.  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 7:34 pm : link
Smashed on the drone ship.

Live and learn.
Seems to me they would have an option  
if_i_knew : 2/6/2018 9:11 pm : link
to haul heavier loads if they just let the boosters fall back to earth. No need to carry spare fuel or the landing gear
just saw the video of the booster rockets landing intact -  
Del Shofner : 2/6/2018 9:13 pm : link
whoa - that is very cool! Apparently they lost the middle piece, but two out of three ain't bad ...
RE: Seems to me they would have an option  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 9:16 pm : link
In comment 13824395 if_i_knew said:
Quote:
to haul heavier loads if they just let the boosters fall back to earth. No need to carry spare fuel or the landing gear


Yes, that is true. And for heavy payloads they will offer expendable core or expendable core + booster.

What's remarkable about SpaceX is that even if they expend all their rockets, they are significantly cheaper than the competition. With reusability.... "old space" is going to have to learn some new tricks.
RE: Seems to me they would have an option  
Diver_Down : 2/6/2018 9:17 pm : link
In comment 13824395 if_i_knew said:
Quote:
to haul heavier loads if they just let the boosters fall back to earth. No need to carry spare fuel or the landing gear


But they would be unable to reuse them as quick (assuming that "the fall back to earth" scenario left them undamaged). By landing them, they are able to undergo a safety check and reuse eliminating the investment of building new boosters each time.
RE: RE: Seems to me they would have an option  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 9:52 pm : link
In comment 13824416 Diver_Down said:
Quote:
In comment 13824395 if_i_knew said:


Quote:


to haul heavier loads if they just let the boosters fall back to earth. No need to carry spare fuel or the landing gear



But they would be unable to reuse them as quick (assuming that "the fall back to earth" scenario left them undamaged). By landing them, they are able to undergo a safety check and reuse eliminating the investment of building new boosters each time.


They ARE offering expendable Falcon Heavy launches. It's just that there aren't many payloads that require it because, well... there are no rockets out there right now that can loft it.

There are payloads that a Falcon 9 won't be able to do with reuse, that will end up on Falcon Heavy so that stages aren't wasted.

It's actually pretty remarkable. Old space providers like ULA and Ariane are scrambling with halfhearted measures like SMART and Adelaine. Even if Musk ends up failing financially, he's changed the space game for the better.
Where's that poster  
santacruzom : 2/6/2018 10:00 pm : link
Who had an odd impulse to diminish everything Musk does?
RE: Where's that poster  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 10:01 pm : link
In comment 13824492 santacruzom said:
Quote:
Who had an odd impulse to diminish everything Musk does?


Trainmaster?
Wow I didn't know it came back and landed!!!  
DennyInDenville : 2/6/2018 10:25 pm : link
I watched it take off live for 10 mins then went out for errands

That's epic.

Props to Mr Musk, and all of humanity.
And the 2nd stage  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/6/2018 10:30 pm : link
just did the Trans Mars orbit injection.
oops  
giantfan2000 : 2/7/2018 12:10 am : link
Elon Musk’s Tesla overshot Mars’ orbit and is headed to the asteroid belt

going to end up between mars and Jupiter!!!

RE: oops  
Diver_Down : 2/7/2018 6:58 am : link
In comment 13824620 giantfan2000 said:
Quote:
Elon Musk’s Tesla overshot Mars’ orbit and is headed to the asteroid belt

going to end up between mars and Jupiter!!!


Starman - Don't Panic!
some people already are saying its fake  
GMAN4LIFE : 2/7/2018 8:41 am : link
it was all staged and shit... i mean come on
falcon super heavy  
giantfan2000 : 2/7/2018 9:23 am : link
Musk was saying in press conference yesterday they could theoretically strap 5 falcon 9s together and have a Falcon Super heavy .. which would have more thrust than Saturn 5

the craziest part
a launch of Falcon Heavy is going to cost $90 million per flight
Nasa's planned SLS rocket, a comparable system, is expected to cost about $1bn per flight

RE: some people already are saying its fake  
Mr. Bungle : 2/7/2018 9:25 am : link
In comment 13824738 GMAN4LIFE said:
Quote:
it was all staged and shit... i mean come on

Who cares...There are always going to be idiots. Just ignore them.
For those who missed it  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 2/7/2018 1:41 pm : link
here are the rockets landing simultaneously...

RE: For those who missed it  
DennyInDenville : 2/7/2018 1:45 pm : link
In comment 13825388 BigBlueDownTheShore said:
Quote:
here are the rockets landing simultaneously...


Wow. Wtf.

Can someone post a dumbed down recap?

So Musk launches this crazy rocket into space, sends a tesla car into orbit? And why? Then sends something else toward mars?? And has the main engines Land safely back on earth??? Wtf??? No wonder why some people think it's staged that's insane!!!!

Good stuff though
RE: RE: For those who missed it  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/7/2018 2:54 pm : link
In comment 13825400 DennyInDenville said:
Quote:
In comment 13825388 BigBlueDownTheShore said:


Quote:


here are the rockets landing simultaneously...




Wow. Wtf.

Can someone post a dumbed down recap?

So Musk launches this crazy rocket into space, sends a tesla car into orbit? And why? Then sends something else toward mars?? And has the main engines Land safely back on earth??? Wtf??? No wonder why some people think it's staged that's insane!!!!

Good stuff though


Elon Musk’s SpaceX currently has the falcon 9 rocket which launched 18 pay loads to low earth orbit, the space station and other orbits. They developed a new rocket that can launch a whole lot more,. Whole.lot farther. This was the first launch and had a lot that could fail, so instead of risking hundreds of millions of dollars, they launched a "mass simulator" to make sure the rocket functioned properly.

Except for fun, they used an electric car with a mannequin in a prototype space suit.

SpaceX has been regularly landing and reusing their boosters... The first reflight was last year.

SpaceX has significantly reduced the cost of launching rockets. Even without reuse they are about half to a third cheaper than their competition. With reuse, the cost of access to space is going to fall from.the sky.
Fascinating stuff  
DennyInDenville : 2/7/2018 3:02 pm : link
That's what I was thinking , just incredible what they are doing at SpaceX

Looking forward to the next launch
Thank you  
DennyInDenville : 2/7/2018 3:02 pm : link
.
Sry for the typos.  
Sarcastic Sam : 2/7/2018 5:41 pm : link
Also, SpX has launched 18 Falcon 9s last year. I think they're pretty close to 50 now in total.
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