Astronomy / Space SpaceX wants to launch Tuesday the rocket "the most powerful of the world"

Patrick_68000

Patrick_68000
The SpaceX's Falcon Heavy to take off Tuesday from Cape Canaveral.

The rocket is basically made up of three rockets Falcon 9 assembled and will be powered by 27 Merlin engines.

Together, these engines generate more than 2,500 tons of take-off thrust, or the equivalent of 18 Boeing 747

The Falcon Heavy is 70 meters high by 12 meters wide.

Elon Musk chose the destination of this first flight, the deep space, at a distance roughly equivalent to that of Mars compared to the sun

However Elon Musk is aware that the mission may be a failure
 

FrankMurphy

FrankMurphy
I'm looking forward to seeing this one go up. Light easterly winds and sunny skies forecast. I can't wait to hear the sonic booms on the way back in.

Anyone else checking it out
 

VR Mr Teatime

VR Mr Teatime
Caramel Clown said:
Is this an empty claim, or is it really more powerful than Saturn 5? Oo
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Not more powerful than the SaturnV - Falcon Heavy is ~5.1million lbs of thrust at sea level and Saturn V was 7.5million lbs (rising to 9+million pounds when at altitude due to engine bell tuning)

That's probably a quote from someone who misheard what Elon has said
 
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AndyJ

AndyJ
Really looking forward to this one tonight! :D

SpaceX is targeting launch of the Falcon Heavy demonstration mission on Tuesday, February 6 from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

The primary launch window opens at 1:30 p.m. EST, or 18:30 UTC, and closes at 4:00 p.m. EST, or 21:00 UTC.

A backup launch window opens on Wednesday, February 7 at 1:30 p.m. EST, or 18:30 UTC, and closes at 4:00 p.m. EST, or 21:00 UTC.
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(currently UTC = GMT for UK viewers)


For anyone wanting to watch the Falcon Heavy Test Flight livestream online - SpaceX's webcast page is here: http://www.spacex.com/webcast

Launch webcast will go live about 20 minutes before liftoff, sometime within the launch window.


There's a press-kit pdf file on the page too with a mission overview and expected timeline of events.

SpaceX will be attempting to land all 3 of the first stage cores after separation - the outer 2 at Cape Canaveral and the central core on their drone ship out in the Atlantic!


If the launch is successful, they're aiming to send the 2nd stage on to a "billion year elliptic Mars orbit" and it'll contain a red Tessla car inside as the test payload. https://www.instagram.com/p/BdA94kVgQhU/

"If it goes wrong, hopefully it goes wrong far into the mission, so at least we learn as much as possible along the way,"-Elon Musk

"I'll consider it a win if it just clears the pad and doesn't blow the pad to smithereens. That's 4,000,000lbs of TNT equivalent. There's probably not going to be much left if that thing lets loose."-Elon Musk


It's going to be spectacular - one way or another! :eek:


More about the Falcon Heavy here: http://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy
Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Direct YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbSwFU6tY1c
High-resolution photos will be posted at http://flickr.com/spacex
 

AndyJ

AndyJ
Live stream is running. T-17 minutes to a launch, hopefully at 20:45 UTC
 
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Der Zeitgeist

Der Zeitgeist
This is so awesome.

DVYWR2IUQAAutMB.jpg
 

AndyJ

AndyJ
That was awesome!

Loved the surprise Hitchhiker's Guide reference. Also above it on the dash is a tiny Hotwheels model of a red Tessla with its own spacesuit driver!

more pics:
oVms0Tb.png

nBLYPss.png


I guess that FD might be needing to add a new deep-space object for us to find in the Sol system if it continues on to the correct orbit!!!

:D
 
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NeilF

NeilF
Caramel Clown said:
Is this an empty claim, or is it really more powerful than Saturn 5? Oo
Click to expand...

I think it's about half the power of the Saturn 5...

The BFR being developed by Space X now will be about the same power (if not a touch more) than the Saturn 5...
 
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AndyJ

AndyJ
Caramel Clown said:
Is this an empty claim, or is it really more powerful than Saturn 5? Oo
Click to expand...

No it's not, but the Saturn 5 was the only rocket that could deliver more payload to orbit.

Saturn 5 thrust: 7,891,000 lbf (35,100 kN) at sea level

Falcon Heavy thrust: 5,130,000 lbf (22,819kN) at sea level

NeilF said:
I assume the final booster made it down OK?
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No news on the central core yet.

But...

Elon Musk's twitter reported @21:28 UTC:

"Upper stage restart nominal, apogee raised to 7000 km. Will spend 5 hours getting zapped in Van Allen belts & then attempt final burn for Mars."

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/960988527159795712
 
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Der Zeitgeist

Der Zeitgeist
While this is all pretty cool and stuff, one should note that the first actual payloads carried on the Falcon Heavy will not be spaceships to Mars but probably intelligence satellites for the U.S. Air Force. :rolleyes:
 

BirdWisdom

BirdWisdom
Patrick_68000 said:
The SpaceX's Falcon Heavy to take off Tuesday from Cape Canaveral.

The rocket is basically made up of three rockets Falcon 9 assembled and will be powered by 27 Merlin engines.

Together, these engines generate more than 2,500 tons of take-off thrust, or the equivalent of 18 Boeing 747

The Falcon Heavy is 70 meters high by 12 meters wide.

Elon Musk chose the destination of this first flight, the deep space, at a distance roughly equivalent to that of Mars compared to the sun

However Elon Musk is aware that the mission may be a failure
Click to expand...


Wish I hade type in here in the first place but you know the search engine (how many does understand it?) wish I hade a manual? wait a moment any Rockie video on that thing yet ?
 
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