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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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 30 2017, @03:47PM (4 children)
Taky must be about to blow his load.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 30 2017, @04:05PM (2 children)
"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
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)
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday December 30 2017, @08:11PM
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 30 2017, @05:45PM
Yeah.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday December 30 2017, @04:02PM (1 child)
Radar rider is going to drive a Tesla Roadster instead of a Corvette.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMPe3wF9jQ [youtube.com]
Now I'm gonna have to watch the movie. Again. For about the thousandth time.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday December 30 2017, @04:12PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8l121LGlWU [youtube.com]
Based on that short video, I'd like to see what he could do with the entire movie. It's pretty awesome, even if it is still a Corvette.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Saturday December 30 2017, @06:23PM (3 children)
Falcon 9 went through several revisions that increased thrust. Maybe Falcon Heavy will get a similar treatment and be able to lift more than SLS Block 1 soon enough. Maybe this would happen before SLS Block 1 even lifts its first useful payload.
BFR might launch within 4-5 years. It seems like it would cannibalize most of the market for Falcon Heavy, leaving just Falcon 9 and BFR. Especially since BFR looks easier to completely reuse than Falcon Heavy or even Falcon 9 (second stage is a killer, BFR could do it because it has so much more thrust).
Is SpaceX going to start putting winglets/wings on future rockets?
If Falcon Heavy is successful in January, will they still be sending two people around the Moon in late 2018/early 2019?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday December 30 2017, @08:15PM (2 children)
Probably not. That creates a lot of air resistance on the trip up and isn't useful for their method of vertical landing on the trip down.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday December 31 2017, @09:17AM (1 child)
Maybe just land somewhere else, instead of burning all that fuel boosting back to the launch pad. Launch from Vandenberg, and land in Nevada.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday December 31 2017, @01:58PM
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Saturday December 30 2017, @06:28PM (10 children)
If the rumor is true, will it be returned to Earth?
Makes me wonder how much Musk can sell a car that went into space. I figure there are plenty of rich a-holes that would bid a huge amount of money to have a car so unique.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 30 2017, @06:37PM (2 children)
Just think of how much money it would cost to recapture it from Mars orbit and return it to Earth. They'll have to develop some new rockets first.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by el_oscuro on Saturday December 30 2017, @07:01PM
Perhaps it could land on Phobos? Low gravity an minimum delta-V make this relatively easy. Maybe have some cameras and probes too? Some solar panels to keep the batteries charged? It could be the next Opportunity? [xkcd.com]
SoylentNews is Bacon! [nueskes.com]
(Score: 2) by EETech1 on Sunday December 31 2017, @10:52AM
He'll probably land it on the moon, and drive it around remotely for a million miles on solar power.
(Score: 2) by jimtheowl on Saturday December 30 2017, @06:42PM
(Score: 2) by ledow on Saturday December 30 2017, @06:48PM (5 children)
Cost would be incredibly prohibitive.
And who wants a large lithium-powered car chock-full of micro-meteorite holes?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 30 2017, @07:00PM (4 children)
The Smithsonian.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 30 2017, @08:12PM (3 children)
> The Smithsonian.
Historically, no. The Smithsonian backed Langley's aircraft research and refused the Wright Flyer for many years because it "wasn't their guy" that made the first controllable flights.
Given that logic, they might prefer a gov't funded rocket?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 30 2017, @08:32PM
Plenty of government funding went into SpaceX.
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-122815a-spacex-falcon9-stage-display.html [collectspace.com]
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(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday December 31 2017, @06:20AM
It'll be considerably longer than that before that Tesla would be returned to Earth. Plenty of time to get over ego problems.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday December 31 2017, @09:30AM
The Smithsonian is not the private club it use to be.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday January 01 2018, @03:57PM
So Zuma launch needs to happen first before static fire test, which needs to happen before the actual launch. The article also goes into technical details on how the static fire test will proceed with a staggered sequence of the 27 engine ignitions. Finally, there's speculation on the launch date: