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posted by martyb on Monday January 29 2018, @07:25PM   Printer-friendly

Engadget is reporting that the Flacon Heavy demo flight has been scheduled:

It looks as though it's finally happening. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket may have a launch date, according to Chris G. of NASASpaceflight.com. The rocket will launch no earlier than February 6th, with a window of 1:30 PM ET to 4:30 PM ET. There's a backup window on February 7th, just in case. We've reached out to SpaceX for confirmation.

Update 1/27: Elon Musk has confirmed that SpaceX is "aiming for" a February 6th launch.

Aiming for first flight of Falcon Heavy on Feb 6 from Apollo launchpad 39A at Cape Kennedy. Easy viewing from the public causeway.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2018

Spaceflight Now has these launch details:

Launch window: 1830-2130 GMT (1:30-4:30 p.m. EST)
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch on its first demonstration flight. The heavy-lift rocket is formed of three Falcon 9 rocket cores strapped together with 27 Merlin 1D engines firing at liftoff. The first Falcon Heavy rocket will attempt to place a Tesla Roadster on an Earth escape trajectory into a heliocentric orbit.

Previously:
SpaceX Conducts Successful Static Fire Test of Falcon Heavy
SpaceX Falcon Heavy Testing Delayed by Government Shutdown
Falcon Heavy Readied for Static Fire Test
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Rocket Sets Up at Cape Canaveral Ahead of Launch

SpaceX Successfully Tests Falcon Heavy First Stage Cores


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  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday January 29 2018, @07:39PM (11 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Monday January 29 2018, @07:39PM (#629987) Journal

    Has Elon stripped out or removed more valuable items from the Tesla being used as a dummy payload? (Batteries, motor, computer, large touch screen, etc.) Replace with bags of unicorn excrement or other dead weight that wouldn't biologically contaminate other planetary bodies in case of eventual capture / crash. Or is it absolute certainty that the Tesla will never happen to get captured.

    Since the Tesla presumably does not have thrusters, would it end up in an elliptical orbit, with that ellipse moving around the sun. The ellipse end points being the distance of Mars orbit and Earth orbit. eg, the Tesla endlessly moves between Earth orbit and Mars orbit, and presumably neither planet is ever again at this location as the Tesla passes by. Or is that not how this works? (If so, please correct.)

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  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday January 29 2018, @07:58PM (3 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Monday January 29 2018, @07:58PM (#629992) Journal

    They should put it in an orbit that will reach as much space junk as possible and then magnetize the shite out of it. Then, as it gets 'heavier'/more massive and starts heading in for a burn up, either rocket it out into space (if it will not burn up in the atmosphere) or just let it burn up. Clean up some of the orbital debris: call it a hit and run orbit.

    Or, just give it to me.
    I'll take it.

    Honest.
    I wouldn't sell it for cash or nothin'.... cross my heart-Scouts honour ("Hey, Boo")... you can trust me, guy!...I'm Saddam!

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29 2018, @08:30PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29 2018, @08:30PM (#630009)

      He got up. Dope. He couldn't get enough of it. The man walked away happily. The woman died in terror and despair, having fulfilled her purpose as a used.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by DannyB on Tuesday January 30 2018, @03:17PM (1 child)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday January 30 2018, @03:17PM (#630388) Journal

      You know, a strong magnetic space junk accumulator is an interesting idea. Maybe bag them in a large net.

      All that space junk, already lifted to orbit, might have some economic value as raw material for future recycling without the cost of re-lifting it to space. A lot of solar panels. Refined metals.

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
      • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday January 30 2018, @07:23PM

        by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday January 30 2018, @07:23PM (#630539) Journal

        +1
        I like it!
        Recycle, compost, worm farm: let's recycle all that refuse into.....

        Teslas! Yeah...give me one!

        Shit. I'll take anything free.
        :)

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29 2018, @08:50PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29 2018, @08:50PM (#630020)

    Given the subject, "Dummy Payload", I thought this was gonna be a comment thread suggesting letting Trump the Tesla driver's seat.

    How tweet that would be.

    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday January 29 2018, @09:53PM

      by bob_super (1357) on Monday January 29 2018, @09:53PM (#630049)

      Didn't you read Gaaaaaaaaaark's comment about reducing space junk ?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29 2018, @10:52PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29 2018, @10:52PM (#630071)

      You're wasting three seats. How about Devin Nunes for one of the seats?

  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday January 30 2018, @02:49PM (2 children)

    by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Tuesday January 30 2018, @02:49PM (#630371) Homepage
    I think they could at least put a couple of fresh humanoid skeletons in bomber jackets and a glowing green meteorite in it, so if it's discovered it's at least a little /Heavy Metal/. Car stereo needs to be playing Don Felder /Takin' a Ride/, obviously.
    --
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    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday January 30 2018, @06:37PM

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday January 30 2018, @06:37PM (#630517) Journal
      And remember to pop the chute after you land hard. "The safety guys made me take this. LOL."
    • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday January 30 2018, @07:27PM

      by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday January 30 2018, @07:27PM (#630542) Journal

      Or a couple of Cylons with the cool red eye, while playing "All along the Watch tower"

      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday January 30 2018, @02:55PM

    by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Tuesday January 30 2018, @02:55PM (#630373) Homepage
    Ignoring relativity, all orbits are elliptical, and relativity only causes precession of that orbit (so not the magnitude of the axes).
    So anything launched with a non-solar-escaping velocity will eventually return to the same distance from the sun an infinitude of times (up to 4 times per orbit, potentially). So we on earth are pretty much guaranteed to encounter it again.
    --
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