Launch News SpaceX Falcon Heavy Demo Mission (1330-1630 EST 6th Feb. 2018)

[Thunder Chicken]

Launch date for Falcon Heavy:

[ame="https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/956964986353528832"]Chris G - NSF on Twitter: "Guys... are you ready!? #FalconHeavy LAUNCH DATE!

February 6th, with a backup on the 7th.

Launch time is 13:30-16:30 EST (18:30-21:30 UTC)

#ItsHappening"[/ame]

Guys... are you ready!? #FalconHeavy LAUNCH DATE! February 6th, with a backup on the 7th. Launch time is 13:30-16:30 EST (18:30-21:30 UTC) #ItsHappening

 

[ADSWNJ]

reminds me of this quote from Shakespeare

This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Shakespeare quoted in our humble forum? 'Twas never thus!

Yet for this poor player, the world's surly bonds shall be slip'd in a short number of days, to strut and fret on a solar systemly scale for all future of humanity.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Latest update:

Actually, The Roadster has a driver...

The driver is a spacesuit-clad dummy passenger dubbed “Starman".

 

[Ravenous]

Latest update:

Actually, The Roadster has a driver...

The driver is a spacesuit-clad dummy passenger dubbed “Starman".

Engadget on Twitter: "SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch gets a spacesuit-clad 'Starman' https://t.co/afkyZEWQma"

For some reason, that picture of the "guy" in the non-functioning car makes me think of the end scene in Dark Star.

 

[Artlav]

So, if it's a 65 tonne rocket and a roadster weight 2 tonnes, then what are the other 63 tonnes of ballast made of?

 

[Urwumpe]

So, if it's a 65 tonne rocket and a roadster weight 2 tonnes, then what are the other 63 tonnes of ballast made of?

All produced Tesla Model 3? :lol:

 

[C3PO]

So, if it's a 65 tonne rocket and a roadster weight 2 tonnes, then what are the other 63 tonnes of ballast made of?

I'm guessing a mass simulator consisting of two brass spheres. :lol:

 

[Artlav]

Ah, right. I forgot it's Mars-bound.

 

[Messierhunter]

New Falcon Heavy animation from SpaceX:

---------- Post added at 04:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:46 PM ----------

Hearing now that they plan to do a 6 hour coast of the second stage after launch before departing LEO.
[ame="https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/960615490803634176"]Eric Berger on Twitter: "Musk: We are doing a six-hour coast to demonstrate to the Air Force the capability to do direct-to-GEO missions. Risk is that the Roadster ends up in LEO."[/ame]
If true, that greatly increases the chances I could potentially track it at some point as it leaves the Earth-Moon system on its way out. That would be amazing!

 

[Andy44]

Now that the car has the spacesuit it looks even more like the car in Heavy Metal. I'll bet that's what inspired it.

 

[ADSWNJ]

So THAT's what happened to the Stig!

 

[IronRain]

Time to get Heavy!

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket stood atop historic launch pad 39A on Monday, one day before 27 kerosene-fueled rocket engines will dispatch the towering rocket into space with nearly 5 million pounds of thrust.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Either way this will be something to see. It'll either be a giant fireball, or America's "newest" heavy lifter.

I wonder how much instumentation is attached and what some of the data streams will be. And what about the pad too?

 

[Notebook]

BBC has woken up:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42950957

Nice graphic of the competition, though I would have thought they would leave the Shuttle out?

N.

 

[jedidia]

Now that the car has the spacesuit it looks even more like the car in Heavy Metal. I'll bet that's what inspired it.

Let's jsut hope there aren't any mysterious green glowing orbs on board... :shifty:

 

[C3PO]

I'm not hearing anything about fuel cross-feed. Was that particular feature dropped while I was looking the other way? That would IMHO be the most important aspect of this launch.

 

[DaveS]

I'm not hearing anything about fuel cross-feed. Was that particular feature dropped while I was looking the other way? That would IMHO be the most important aspect of this launch.

It was dropped as it turned out be too complex to achieve.

 

[4throck]

Looking forward to this!
The car is a bit silly, but the rest of the test is solid stuff.
Many firsts here. Just take a look at the press-kit:
www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/falconheavypresskit_v1.pdf

If they accomplish separation and landing of the 3 rockets, that´s very good.

 

[RisingFury]

After so many years of SpaceX saying "We'll launch FH this year!" and then pushing it back, I'm just waiting for this thing to be scrubbed.

 

[spacecoastie]

Elon Musk stated on the Today show interview this morning that he gives it a 1/2 to 2/3 chance of success