SpaceX Falcon Heavy (updates & maiden flight)

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

 

[anthdci]

@DocM after maiden launch how long do you think it'll take them to ramp up the launches of it? Considering they'll have lots of numbers to crunch I guess it'll be a few months. I really want to see one go up when I'm there in January.

[DocM]

There are 2 FH launches manifested for the first half of 2018; Arabsat 6A and USAF STP-2.

 

No NET dates until after the maiden flight, of course.

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

Rewriting

Edited October 27, 2017 by DocM

[Beittil]

 

Omgomg... 

[anthdci]

any chance of a slip by about 15 days? It'll be going up before I get there if not 

[Blue-Vision]

They could launch anytime after the static fire, depending on how they feel things went, how things are sitting with the vehicle, etc. If all factors are looking good they'll file for the firm launch time with NASA, get the okay, clear it with the RSO, do all the other stuff they need to, make the announcement, and then we'll know for sure.

[DocM]

Don't forget, the range safety officer's role is much diminished now that SpaceX's autonomous flight safety system is live.  This allows them to lunch with up to 100 fewer people working the range.  It's working so well USAF is talking about implementing it at all their once ranges. ULA won't be able to implement it until Vulcan flies.

 

FH could actually fly earlier than Dec. 29th. 

 

They have scheduled 2 wet dress rehearsal; one just a tanking  operation and the other  the same but ending with a static fire. The NSF story reported that if the first wet dress rehearsal goes very smoothly they may blend the wet dress rehearsals and static fire during the first one. 

 

ISTM this could accelerate the launch schedule by a week or more.

[DocM]

The actual slip is a week or so. No doubt tied to doublechecking the fairings.

 

 

[Blue-Vision]

Gotta be something they're seeing that they don't like.

[DocM]

This is related to the problem they ran into with the fairings, something that they didn't like in one for a future launch. Now they're checking to see if that problem propagated itself to other fairings. 

 

Now that Iridium is talking about a date range I would think they've got the problem in hand and are just waiting to get CRS-13, which of course doesn't need a fairing, off the ground.

[Blue-Vision]

Yep. The first thing that comes to my mind would be that oscillation when they fairings are first cut loose. That wobble could in theory recontact the payload. That bottom cut of the fairing isn't rigid, so that's why they wobble like they do. It's meant to save weight.

[DocM]

That or the pushers that they use to deploy them are a vendor item and had a variance.

[Blue-Vision]

Yep.

[DocM]

Peek-a-boo....

 

 

 

[DocM]

Not...sure...if...serious...

 

 

 

[DocM]

@RocketJoy is a SpaceXer, so this sounds serious.

 

And they thought the wheel of cheese on Dragon #1 was different...

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by DocM

[DocM]

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/12/with-bowie-playing-on-the-radio-elon-musk-plans-to-launch-his-tesla-to-mars/

 

Quote

Previously, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said he intends to launch the "silliest thing we can imagine" on the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy. This is partly because the rocket is experimental—there is a non-trivial chance the rocket will explode on the launch pad, or shortly after launch. It is also partly because Musk is a master showman who knows how to grab attention.

 

On Friday evening, Musk tweeted what that payload would be—his "midnight cherry Tesla Roadster." And the car will be playing Space Oddity, by David Bowie; the song which begins, "Ground Control to Major Tom." Oh, and the powerful Falcon Heavy rocket will send the Tesla into orbit around Mars. "Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent," Musk added. Ars was able to confirm Friday night from a company source that this is definitely a legitimate payload.
>

 

[Blue-Vision]

How fitting is that .... Elon wants to make a statement, I think. Either FH works or it blows up and trashes what is likely SN# 00001 that rolled off the Tesla production lines.

 

And watch -- BFS's return flight to Earth will be to retrieve said Tesla Roadster, for identical reasons ... if it makes it to Mars.

[DocM]

5 minutes ago, Unobscured Vision said:

How fitting is that .... Elon wants to make a statement, I think. Either FH works or it blows up and trashes what is likely SN# 00001 that rolled off the Tesla production lines.

 

And watch -- BFS's return flight to Earth will be to retrieve said Tesla Roadster, for identical reasons ... if it makes it to Mars.

That or BFS picks it up in orbit, drops it on the surface of Mars and the crew use it to tool around.  THAT would be perfect.

[Blue-Vision]

1 minute ago, DocM said:

That or BFS picks it up in orbit, drops it on the surface of Mars and the crew use it to tool around.  THAT would be perfect.

That would be perfect. No reason to think it wouldn't work, other than needing to adjust the tire pressure for the Martian atmosphere and minding the cooling needs of the batteries/motor (lack of atmosphere = lack of efficient cooling). Otherwise should work as long as nobody takes their helmet off inside the car without thinking ... 

[DocM]

Sounds like it'll be instrumented with comms, propulsion etc.  Obviously, one hell of a custom payload adapter.

The full details of this are going to be real interesting.

 

[Blue-Vision]

Oh holy hell. I know why they're sending it to Mars.

 

Because ELON is going there himself, FIRST ship that heads there. It'll be him as part of the Setup Crew.

 

Watch and see.