SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket sets up at Cape Canaveral ahead of launch
SpaceX won't hit its 2017 target for a test flight of its new, huge Falcon Heavy rocket – but the massive launch craft is now in place at Cape Canaveral in Florida, where it will undergo testing including a full static test fire, as well as final assembly, before attempting its inaugural launch early next year.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared images of the Falcon Heavy set up in a Cape Canaveral facility, nearly complete minus some remaining elements like the fairing and payload that will top the rocket.
Here's hoping for a successful test flight of Falcon Heavy.
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The static test fire of the Falcon Heavy, already delayed several times in recent days, has now been delayed due to the U.S. government shutdown:
SpaceX will be unable to test fire its three-core Falcon Heavy rocket at Kennedy Space Center due to the government shutdown, further delaying checkout operations ahead of the rocket's demonstration flight, the 45th Space Wing said Sunday.
"Due to the shutdown removing key members of the civilian workforce, the 45th Space Wing will not be able to support commercial static fires taking place on KSC," the Wing said, further noting that launch operations at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station are also on hold until the shutdown is resolved.
SpaceX teams have fueled the 230-foot-tall Falcon Heavy rocket at pad 39A at least twice ahead of the static test fire, which is essentially a test before the test – engineers will examine data from the 12-second firing of the rocket's 27 Merlin main engines before giving the all clear to launch on its premiere mission.
General article about Falcon Heavy.
Previously: SpaceX to Attempt Landing Three Falcon Heavy Boosters on Pads
Elon Musk Says Successful Maiden Flight for Falcon Heavy Unlikely
Falcon Heavy Prepares for Debut Flight as Musk Urges Caution on Expectations
SpaceX Successfully Tests Falcon Heavy First Stage Cores
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Rocket Sets Up at Cape Canaveral Ahead of Launch
Falcon Heavy Readied for Static Fire Test
U.S. Government Shutdown Starting on January 20, 2018
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
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday December 21 2017, @12:58PM (11 children)
Is it going to sit at the location it is intended to launch from for a whole 10-15 days?
Is Musky really going to get his Tesla Roadster into Mars orbit?
If that does succeed, should it be considered a nuisance/space junk?
Musk has said that the launch might have a 50% chance of success and that he just hopes the rocket will get far enough from the launch pad to not damage it. Is he deliberately lowballing the chance of success to make the accomplishment seem more exciting?
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(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday December 21 2017, @02:43PM (1 child)
My impression is that it is to get into the orbit that Mars occupies, but nowhere near the planet Mars. The launch window to hit this particular orbit WHEN Mars is actually going to be there occurs only about every 2 years.
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(Score: 2, Informative) by ElizabethGreene on Thursday December 21 2017, @11:03PM
We're still 4.5 months from the optimum transfer orbit window, but you can get to mars now. It just takes more delta-V.
I don't believe there is enough public data to guesstimate if they'll make it or not. Not is the safe bet. Mars is hard.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday December 21 2017, @02:51PM (8 children)
Why not? They can't launch through bad weather yet or equipment problems like fuel leaks.
Perhaps not, but he can knock it out of the Earth-Moon system.
Why should we care who considers it "space junk"?
Sounds like there's significant risk then. If it does blow up, does that mean he deliberately lowballed the chance of failure? Sometimes the only way to figure out how to do something, is to do it.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday December 21 2017, @04:27PM
I didn't particularly know. Seemed like a long time to keep it on the pad (a whole year even!).
He wants to send 1 million people to Mars (sure, over a long time) which would take 10,000 BFR trips.
I guess it doesn't matter with Phobos and Deimos looming overhead.
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(Score: 3, Interesting) by Freeman on Thursday December 21 2017, @05:19PM (6 children)
My Question is this: Could an Astronaut hop a ride in the Tesla, if the car made it safely? *Assuming an Astronaut makes it to the Mars surface in a reasonable time frame.* Probably the coolest publicity stunt I could ever conceived of, would be having an Astronaut cruising around in a Tesla. It would be the Only production car to ever be driven on the surface of a celestial body. It could quite possibly end up being the Only to ever accomplish the feat at that. Even attempting it, makes for a rather cool possibility.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday December 21 2017, @05:24PM (4 children)
*oops* Was thinking there was a possible plan to land it on Mars . . .
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday December 21 2017, @06:00PM (3 children)
Breaking News: First Car Crash on Mars
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday December 21 2017, @07:27PM (1 child)
Try explaining that one to your insurance guy.
On the other hand, first one to crash into a tree beyond LEO has to win something.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday December 21 2017, @10:39PM
Possibly a Darwin award?
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by legont on Friday December 22 2017, @06:04AM
First car crash death on Mars; and it's gonna be Uber's anyway. (note that the first American was killed... in NYC by an electric cab https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_H._Bliss [wikipedia.org] )
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(Score: 1) by ElizabethGreene on Thursday December 21 2017, @11:07PM
If they were going anywhere near Mars there would be significant delays to scrub the car and descent module for planetary protection.
It's going to be an artificial satellite or a Terran debris field. We're not sure which yet.
(Score: 2) by Snospar on Thursday December 21 2017, @01:57PM
I'm genuinely excited about this launch. I've had so many spectacular Kerbal rocket failures, either on the launch pad or shortly after lift off, that I really want SpaceX to just nail this the first time.
Common sense though says retreat to the safety of the bunker and watch via remote link for this first attempt.
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