Anybody else excited for the SpaceX Falcon Heavy test launch today? For those unfamiliar, Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world, and is capable of carrying the second most payload into orbit, second only to the legendary Saturn V. It's first stage rockets give it 5.1 million lbf of thrust, which falls a little short of Saturn V's 7.89 million lbf. But, given that Falcon Heavy only weighs 3.1 million pounds, to Saturn V's 6.5 million, I think it's safe to say that this thing has some 'get up and go' to it. Still, it's biggest achievement is probably that it will boast a cost-per-launch of only about 7% of Saturn V's cost-per-launch, $90 million versus $1.2 billion (adjusted for inflation). Really though, it's just exciting to me that this is a rocket powerful enough to send people & payload into an orbit of the same distance as Mars. Of course this is privately owned, so it is available to any country, which is all-the-better as it will surely be a global effort when we eventually make it to Mars, rather than the "space race" of old... and the payload for this test flight to a Mars-like orbit? Elon Musk's personal red Tesla roadster. Musk should toss a Speedmaster in the glove box, just for old time's sake... The launch, which hopefully goes smoothly, can be watched live at http://www.spacex.com/. I believe the target launch is 1:30pm EST. Here's to hoping its a successful one.
He has you there @MikeMan2727! But I’m right there with you. My Zodiac GMT just came in, so I had to take it on a spin!
Well muck fee if that launch/landing didn’t go as smoothly as a porno shot in a KY wrestling pit...unbelievable...well done Elon Musk and Space-X...
That was bloody brilliant...loved the Spaceman / Tesla / Don't Panic screen with Bowie Life on Mars in the background...and incredible seeing boosters land simultaneously...looked like something from Thunderbirds!
Incredible! So exciting. Has there been an issue with the return of the center engine to the seaborne landing pad?
Looks like they lost the center core...check-out 38:29 Still an amazing achievement overall for a test flight.
That landing of the two side boosters simultaneously was maybe the most goddam impressive thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Awesome.
My son, wearing my Speedy, sent me the link. It was awesome to watch it from the quite of my closed door office (company policy is to maintain an open door, but I broke the rules for this event).