OT: Falcon Heavy Test Launch
For the first time, SpaceX will attempt to launch its three-core Falcon Heavy rocket this afternoon. They will then attempt to land all three cores, two of them on Cape Canaveral, one on its landing barge in the Atlantic. The payload? One of Elon Musk's Tesla cars, targeting a long journey to Mars.
If successful this will be the most powerful rocket available in the world by a considerable margin.
Launch is, barring complications or wind shear (a problem today) about 17 minutes away.
I'm a bit hyped.
EDIT: Livestream available at SpaceX.com, and I believe at other locations as well.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:28 PM ^
Doesn't get better than this:
We're anxiously awaiting the @SpaceX launch. Hope this thing goes. Good thing we have someplace to sit while we wait. #falconheavy pic.twitter.com/ikZGTTskex
— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) February 6, 2018
February 6th, 2018 at 3:31 PM ^
I reserved. The delivery of the POS keeps getting pushed back.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:34 PM ^
What could possibly go wrong?
February 6th, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^
A lot of things. I think Musk says that he believes, at least intellectually, that there is a 50% chance that this launch isn't a total success (I'm a bit vague on his wording). Anyway, there is a good chance of a failure of some sort.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^
I heard him say that. Now he's happy to be wrong.
February 6th, 2018 at 4:50 PM ^
where SpaceX is rapidly taking space travel. I love checking out this kind of stuff. My brother-in-laws father was an engineer for Honeywell and then NASA and actually engineered the joy stick on the space shuttle which steers it.
February 6th, 2018 at 9:59 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
Watching this now! Unfortunately Elon has stopped tweeting around 2 hrs ago. It was actually a pretty good follow while he was active
February 6th, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^
Let’s go!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:45 PM ^
LAUNCH!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:45 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 3:47 PM ^
And past Max Q, still nominal.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:49 PM ^
This is awesome to watch. Thanks for the heads up!
February 6th, 2018 at 4:14 PM ^
Watching the cores land was damn impressive. Side by side back at Cape Canaveral. The camera went out on the barge so you couldn't see that core land, but they said it was fine.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:48 PM ^
Space, bitches. SPACE!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:48 PM ^
Booster separation. Successful! Meco, successful!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:49 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 3:49 PM ^
And there's a picture I thought I'd never see: A Tesla roadster in space.
With an awesome Hitchiker's Guide callout.
Spectacular.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
Ha! Did not expect to see that!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
That was pretty badass!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
The landing! PERFECT!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
The side boosters land within a second of each other. Absolutely amazing.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
Side boosters touching down was very cool!
February 6th, 2018 at 3:57 PM ^
Who knows. Either way, that's a successful test mission!
February 6th, 2018 at 4:00 PM ^
There's no signal from the drone ship. There are temporary interruptions in signal a lot, so that in itself doesn't mean much. So it could be something as minor as an antenna failure. If there were a more catastrophic failure that damaged or destroyed the drone ship, of course, we wouldn't hear for a while.
If the booster just completely missed we'd have signal from the carrier. This has already been almost a perfect test for them, they're not going to hide one relatively small issue.
February 6th, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
They need a second drone carrier with camera positioned at a safe distance away to film and confirm.
February 12th, 2018 at 10:02 AM ^
I just saw this article yesterday -- the center core actually did NOT successfully land on the carrier:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/6/16980954/spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-m…
The center core was only able to relight one of the three engines necessary to land, and so it hit the water at 300 miles per hour about 300 feet from the drone ship. As a result, two engines on the drone ship were taken out when it crashed, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a press call after the rocket launch. “[It] was enough to take out two thrusters and shower the deck with shrapnel,” he said.
February 6th, 2018 at 4:01 PM ^
It almost always lands on the drone ship. The issues in the past have been with it remaining upright after landing.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:58 PM ^
That was fucking awesome.
Not your father's rocket launch.
February 6th, 2018 at 5:15 PM ^
and I can tell you the Saturn V rocket launches were - and still are, if you look at videos - awesome. The roar, the flames, the U S A in red letters going by as it launched skyward, it's still stirring just to think about it. The Stages returning to earth, yeah a lot less impressive.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:58 PM ^
...looked too smooth to be real. If real, I'm impressed.
February 6th, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^
Ya might get punched in the face. ;-)
February 6th, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^
That was pretty awesome. Thanks for posting Stephenjking!!!
I caught the live feed at T-minus seven seconds. Perfect timing. I love this "sports" blog.
February 6th, 2018 at 4:03 PM ^
That was the nerd Super Bowl. SCIENCE!!!!
February 6th, 2018 at 4:04 PM ^
I watched with my son.
I feel like I'm living an episode of Big Bang Theory.
February 6th, 2018 at 4:15 PM ^
With fewer bewbs.
February 7th, 2018 at 4:39 AM ^
As the launch was happening, did you say to your son:
"Son, this is a special moment, and I am glad we could spend it together. Now, the bad news. Watching this with me has set you on a path that will prevent you from the "pleasures of a woman" until at least your late 20s. Sorry about that..."
February 6th, 2018 at 4:03 PM ^
This is why I don't get too hung up on "OT" around here.
I hear about a lot of cool things because of it.
February 6th, 2018 at 4:07 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 4:11 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 4:19 PM ^
The most capable operational rocket right now is the Delta 4 Heavy, which can launch 28 metric tons into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and they charge $380 million to do it. The space shuttle could launch 24 metric tons of payload into LEO.
This thing that was launched today can theoretically launch 63 metric tons into LEO, and they charge $150 million (less than $100 million for non-government payloads).
So twice the payload for half the cost, and the biggest payload of any booster that has been launched since the last Saturn V in May 1973. That's certainly not cause to say "meh, I'm used to it."
February 6th, 2018 at 5:52 PM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 4:44 AM ^
Why did you say "better half of twenty years" instead of just saying "about 10 years." It's like saying, "I've been alive for the better half of 100 years." "Oh, so you're between 51 and 99?" "Yes."
February 6th, 2018 at 4:11 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 4:17 PM ^
Left Booster was a little out of sync.