SpaceX sticks the landing perfectly!

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jyoung8607

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If it gets into the first full week of February or beyond, then me and a buddy are going to try to road-trip this one.

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Road trip confirmed!

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vreihen

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<==== Can't go, because of the albatross around my neck plus being out of vacation/sick time from the hospital stay. :cry:

I've been to day, night, and an RSLS abort shuttle launches on the KSC grounds, so it is mostly the novelty of seeing Falcon Heavy with the possibility of a spectacular rapid unscheduled disassembly for me.

Viewing tips: Bring binoculars, and leave your camera at home. I watched the first one through a viewfinder, and never got to experience the awe of the actual launch. Other than a selfie or two for posterity, leave SpaceX and Twitter record the launch and just take the whole thing in.....
 
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Uwe

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I've been to day, night, and an RSLS abort shuttle launches on the KSC grounds, so it is mostly the novelty of seeing Falcon Heavy with the possibility of a spectacular rapid unscheduled disassembly for me.
Closest I've been was the Titusville "beach" for a Shuttle launch early in the previous decade -- about 12 miles from the pad. Pretty much the same spot Eric and I happened upon an Atlas-V launch in 2010. Narrative in the Day 4 section of this page.

Viewing tips: Bring binoculars, and leave your camera at home. I watched the first one through a viewfinder, and never got to experience the awe of the actual launch. Other than a selfie or two for posterity, leave SpaceX and Twitter record the launch and just take the whole thing in.....
I'm going to ignore that advice. I bought binoculars for the above-mentioned Shuttle launch; they didn't do much for me. I'll bring my camera because there is no substitute for pics you take yourself.
 
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vreihen

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https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/27/spacex-sets-historic-first-falcon-heavy-launch-for-february-6/

SpaceX sets historic first Falcon Heavy launch for February 6

Posted 17 hours ago
by Darrell Etherington (@etherington)

SpaceX has set February 6 as the target for its Falcon Heavy launch, the first ever test flight of the new, high-capacity rocket that the company is building to allow it to send nearly three times as much payload per mission into orbit.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted the target date on Saturday, adding that there will be plenty of viewing opportunity for the public from the nearby causeway. The launch will take place from launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, which SpaceX has refurbished and modified for its big rocket – and which previously played host to the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs for NASA.

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

The February 6 date was rumored late this past week, and SpaceX had previously said they were aiming to have the launch take place roughly a week after their successful static test fire of the rocket, which took place on January 24. But Musk’s confirmation gives us something to look forward to that’s far more specific.

SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy flight will be about testing it in real-world flight. The company has done a lot of preparation and simulation, but you can’t know how a rocket’s going to behave in the air until it actually launches. Musk has previously suggested this could end with the rocket exploding post-launch and pre-orbit, but that would still be a major step forward for SpaceX’s heavy booster.

The cargo on board for this mission is a cherry red original model Tesla Roadster – and if things go very well, it’ll be put into a long looping Mars orbit, a nod to everything Musk’s ventures have accomplished thus far, and also what they hope to achieve in the future.
 
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   #168  

jyoung8607

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Sweet! See you down there.

Viewing tips: Bring binoculars, and leave your camera at home. I watched the first one through a viewfinder, and never got to experience the awe of the actual launch. Other than a selfie or two for posterity, leave SpaceX and Twitter record the launch and just take the whole thing in.....

I'm going to ignore that advice. I bought binoculars for the above-mentioned Shuttle launch; they didn't do much for me. I'll bring my camera because there is no substitute for pics you take yourself.
I have to go with Art on this one. My buddy is into photography and I'll let him do his thing. As for me, I'll let others create the documentary. This is a bucket list experience for me, like visiting like the Transparent Factory. I'm going down there to feel the heat, to listen to twenty seven Merlin 1Ds sing me the song of their people, watch some kickass rocket acrobatics, and generally have my faith restored in the advancement of humanity.
 
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vreihen

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I'm going down there to feel the heat, to listen to twenty seven Merlin 1Ds sing me the song of their people, watch some kickass rocket acrobatics, and generally have my faith restored in the advancement of humanity.

As a side benefit, you'll have your hands free to run for your life in the unlikely event that the inter-core connecting struts shear at T+10 seconds and send one of the side boosters flying back at the spectators..... :D
 
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Uwe

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As a side benefit, you'll have your hands free to run for your life in the unlikely event that the inter-core connecting struts shear at T+10 seconds and send one of the side boosters flying back at the spectators..... :D
G35InKi.gif
 
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   #173  

Uwe

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Oh, and it's a "flight-proven" booster that going on this (GTO) mission in expendable mode.
Or not. Looks like they could have recovered it if they'd had a landing barge in place:

DU6DAbgUMAAWbNZ.jpg


It turns out they did an experimental, high-thrust landing burn using three engines (as opposed to the usual one engine) and they didn't want to risk damaging the landing barge. A high thrust burn like that requires somewhat less fuel, but obviously there's less time for any corrections that might be needed.

I think another consideration is that they wanted to have the barge ready for Falcon Heavy's middle booster next week, and it seems somewhat doubtful that they could land one this week, get it back to the Cape and get the barge in place again by next Tuesday?

Elon: You're gonna need more barges! :cool:
 
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vreihen

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I think another consideration is that they wanted to have the barge ready for Falcon Heavy's middle booster next week, and it seems somewhat doubtful that they could land one this week, get it back to the Cape and get the barge in place again by next Tuesday?

The $64 million dollar question is if your center stage booster theory is Musk's confidence that FH will make it that far...or Musk's arrogance????? ;)
 
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Andy

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Why do I have a suspicion that's not a dummy but actually Elon Musk's human form, sent to Mars while his avatar runs things on Earth?
 
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Uwe

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Why do I have a suspicion that's not a dummy but actually Elon Musk's human form, sent to Mars while his avatar runs things on Earth?

6YnnYVP.jpg
 
   #178  

vreihen

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I just had a realization on my way to work this morning. I cannot ship a new lithium-ion battery for a notebook computer via FedEx air, but Musk can launch a metric crap-ton of them into either the Atlantic Ocean or Mars orbit on the most un-tested rocket to fly since STS-1 Columbia.

If Greenpeace had any 'nads, they would be out with the Rainbow Warrior either violating the range's sea space or else board "Of Course I Still Love You" just before the launch window opens..... :p
 
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vreihen

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Per the Orlando Sentinel, new T=0 is 14:20 EST due to unfavorable upper-level winds forecast at 13:30 EST. Also noted that it is the biggest traffic jam since the space shuttle days trying to get to viewing locations.....
 
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