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posted by martyb on Saturday December 30 2017, @03:39PM   Printer-friendly
from the Does-parking-in-space-void-the-warrantee? dept.

The largest current rocket in the world, made by SpaceX, nears its first launch. The Falcon Heavy rocket has just been erected on a Cape Canaveral launch pad.

Spectators near the historic launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on December 28 were able to spot the vertical raising of SpaceX’s highly anticipated Falcon Heavy rocket. The rocket is being prepared for additional testing before its maiden launch, which will likely take place at some point in January.

The 70 meter (229 ft) tall rocket is composed of two refurbished Falcon 9 boosters and a newly designed central core stage. The rocket’s first stage is made up of a total of 27 engines that will be able to carry up to 63,800 kg (140,600 lbs) of cargo into low Earth orbit. The Falcon Heavy is set to be the single most powerful rocket ever built, producing the most thrust of any launch vehicle since the space shuttle.

[...] The maiden launch will feature a dummy payload, since Musk has previously stated that he believes there is a “good chance” of the launch going awry. Even so, the payload very well may contain something that will be entirely new to spaceflight: a Tesla Roadster. Musk has posted photos that seem to show the vehicle prepped for launch, though the jury is still out as to whether he is serious.

There's still a fair amount of testing that needs to be done before the Falcon Heavy will be considered ready for launch. In particular, SpaceX needs to successfully demonstrate fueling and conduct a static fire test.

Once the Falcon Heavy’s triple-body core and second stage are assembled inside SpaceX’s hangar, the transporter will roll into the integration building and cranes will hoist the rocket onto the strongback. The rocket will roll out to pad 39A for a fueling demonstration and at least one static fire test — depending on the test’s outcome and results — before SpaceX gives the “go” for a launch attempt.

The static fire will mark the first time SpaceX has fired 27 Merlin 1D engines at once. A test stand big enough to support such a hold-down firing does not exist at the company’s rocket test complex in McGregor, Texas, where each of the three booster cores has been fired individually.

Now we know how much it costs to park a car for a billion years!


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 30 2017, @03:47PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 30 2017, @03:47PM (#615864)

    Taky must be about to blow his load.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 30 2017, @04:05PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 30 2017, @04:05PM (#615869)

    "The Falcon Heavy is set to be the single most powerful rocket ever built, producing the most thrust of any launch vehicle since the space shuttle." I believe the Saturn V holds that record. The Saturn V had so much thrust that it registered as an earthquake upon ignition.

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Saturday December 30 2017, @06:09PM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday December 30 2017, @06:09PM (#615901) Journal

      Falcon Heavy [wikipedia.org]
      * Payload to LEO: 63,800 kg
      * Thrust (2 boosters): 7,607 kN (sea level), 8,227 kN (vacuum)
      * Thrust (first stage): 22,819 kN (sea level), 24,681 kN (vacuum)
      * Thrust (second stage): 934 kN

      Space Launch System [wikipedia.org] Block 1
      * Payload to LEO: 70,000 kg
      * Thrust (2 boosters): 16,000 kN each
      * Thrust (core stage): 7,440 kN
      * Thrust (second stage): 110.1 kN

      Space Launch System Block 2
      * Payload to LEO: 130,000 kg
      * Thrust (2 boosters): ???
      * Thrust (core stage): 7,440 kN
      * Thrust (second stage): 440 kN

      Saturn V [wikipedia.org]
      * Payload to LEO: 140,000 kg
      * Thrust (first stage): 35,100 kN (sea level)
      * Thrust (second stage): 5,141 kN (vacuum)
      * Thrust (third stage): 1,000 kN (vacuum)

      Big Falcon/Fucking Rocket [wikipedia.org]
      * Payload to LEO: 150,000 kg (reusable), 250,000 kg (expendable)
      * Thrust (first stage/booster): 52,700 kN (sea level)
      * Thrust (second stage/spaceship): 12,700 kN

      Interplanetary Transport System [wikipedia.org] (cancelled, replaced by BFR for now)
      * Payload to LEO: 150,000 kg (tanker mode), 300,000 kg (reusable), 550,000 kg (expendable)

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    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday December 30 2017, @08:11PM

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday December 30 2017, @08:11PM (#615950) Journal
      "Since the Space Shuttle". Yes, Saturn V was much bigger, but it stopped flying in 1973; Energia stopped flying in 1988; and the Space Shuttle stopped flying in 2011. That's the list of all rockets bigger than the Falcon Heavy which have ever flown.
  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 30 2017, @05:45PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday December 30 2017, @05:45PM (#615896) Journal

    Yeah.

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