SpaceX Falcon Heavy test achieves most flight goals

[conehead433]

Tesla, fastest car ever made.

 

[Paratus]

Question: why isn't NASA developing a more economical rocket? Not an expert on the SLS but it seems like it will be expensive compared to what SpaceX is doing.

Good question!

So SLS started as Aries V in the constellation program back around 2005-2006 after the Columbia Accident Investigation Board suggested retiring the Shuttle.

The mission was to go back to the moon carrying modules and capsules which basically requires a Saturn V class big dumb booster. To “save” money and design time they looked at using shuttle program derived hardware, (external tank, SRBs, shuttle main engines, etc). Later Constellation was cancelled by the Obama administration and we were directed to go to an asteroid. Aries V became SLS and the Orion capsule came along mostly unmodified.

Congress also had a large hand in this. By using shuttle derived hardware the same government contractors in the same congressional districts continued to to get funding to maintain that shuttle infrastructure. This is why SLS is sometimes derogatorily called the “Senate Launch System” because via appropriations NASA must use shuttle derived hardware.

Now at the time, back in 05-06, SpaceX was barely a company. So it made sense to use hardware that worked from proven companies. Of course with funding of benign neglect and multiple Presidencies with different agendas SLS will have taken about 15 years to finally get off the ground.

SLS will have more up mass capability and a larger payload fairing than the Falcon heavy but at a much higher cost.

One last point. In a way NASA did go for a cheaper better rocket. By funding SpaceX cargo and manned missions to the ISS SpaceX had enough revenue to fully develop falcon 9 and falcon heavy. Now NASA would have the option of purchasing that capability.

 

[Paratus]

So it looks like the core stage failed to light all three engines on decent and smashed into the water at 300 mph damaged the drone ship.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/6/16980954/spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-middle-core-failed-landing

Musk says of the cameras survived he’ll post video.

All in all a pretty damn good flight. Especially if the upper stage still functions after the cruising through the Van Allen belts for 6 hours.

 

[cytg111]

cause reusing boosters is.. was.. a mad mans idea. I like his response in the press briefing just now.. We want another space race.. Eventually these engineering expertises is gonna leak to NASA ESA Blue.. Russia China.. and in Elons eyes this is a good thing.
Cant wait for BFR.

 

[feralkid]

So it looks like the core stage failed to light all three engines on decent and smashed into the water at 300 mph damaged the drone ship.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/6/16980954/spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-middle-core-failed-landing

Musk says of the cameras survived he’ll post video.

All in all a pretty damn good flight. Especially if the upper stage still functions after the cruising through the Van Allen belts for 6 hours.

Indeed.

Amused that they reported this as happening tomorrow. Just excited I guess.


The Falcon Heavy rocket took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 3:45PM ET on Wednesday and made a beautiful arc to space.


.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Indeed.

Amused that they reported this as happening tomorrow. Just excited I guess.


The Falcon Heavy rocket took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 3:45PM ET on Wednesday and made a beautiful arc to space.


.

I got excited too.😀

 

[snoopy7548]

Check this one out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBr2kKAHN6M&feature=youtu.be

This is freaking wild. Has anyone ever dreamt of seeing something like this in their lifetime? The two rockets landing at nearly the same exact time was like seeing something out of a sci-fi movie.

 

[Darwin333]

This is freaking wild. Has anyone ever dreamt of seeing something like this in their lifetime? The two rockets landing at nearly the same exact time was like seeing something out of a sci-fi movie.

Take that ya dumb flat earthers!

 

[Puffnstuff]

Looks like they lost the center core booster as it failed to ignite some return engines slamming into the water at 300mph.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/06/spacex-landed-two-of-its-three-falcon-heavy-first-stage-boosters/

 

[uallas5]

This is freaking wild. Has anyone ever dreamt of seeing something like this in their lifetime? The two rockets landing at nearly the same exact time was like seeing something out of a sci-fi movie.

The first thing that popped into my head when I saw those two boosters come in side by side was the old "Thunderbirds" TV series from when I was a kid. Actually just watching all this coverage is making me feel like a kid again. Just spent about an hour watching the Starman Live View full screen with Bowie playing over my headphones.

 

[Bitek]

Jesus Christ that was awesome. Can't believe the two boosters landed so synchronized.

That beats Dodge's stupid MLK super bowl ad.

Tesla made the opening to Heavy Metal real.

They should launch a Winnebago on the next test flight.

 

[woolfe9998]

Good question!

So SLS started as Aries V in the constellation program back around 2005-2006 after the Columbia Accident Investigation Board suggested retiring the Shuttle.

The mission was to go back to the moon carrying modules and capsules which basically requires a Saturn V class big dumb booster. To “save” money and design time they looked at using shuttle program derived hardware, (external tank, SRBs, shuttle main engines, etc). Later Constellation was cancelled by the Obama administration and we were directed to go to an asteroid. Aries V became SLS and the Orion capsule came along mostly unmodified.

Congress also had a large hand in this. By using shuttle derived hardware the same government contractors in the same congressional districts continued to to get funding to maintain that shuttle infrastructure. This is why SLS is sometimes derogatorily called the “Senate Launch System” because via appropriations NASA must use shuttle derived hardware.

Now at the time, back in 05-06, SpaceX was barely a company. So it made sense to use hardware that worked from proven companies. Of course with funding of benign neglect and multiple Presidencies with different agendas SLS will have taken about 15 years to finally get off the ground.

SLS will have more up mass capability and a larger payload fairing than the Falcon heavy but at a much higher cost.

One last point. In a way NASA did go for a cheaper better rocket. By funding SpaceX cargo and manned missions to the ISS SpaceX had enough revenue to fully develop falcon 9 and falcon heavy. Now NASA would have the option of purchasing that capability.

Thanks for the explanation! I do hope NASA will acquire SpaceX tech or collaborate with them on a manned Mars mission. NASA is the only entity in the world who has proven the ability to actually land on Mars, so I think ultimately NASA will have to do so first, assuming the political will is there.

 

[cytg111]

This is freaking wild. Has anyone ever dreamt of seeing something like this in their lifetime? The two rockets landing at nearly the same exact time was like seeing something out of a sci-fi movie.

Nope, its insane, bordeline madness.. So friggin cool.

 

[cytg111]

Looks like they lost the center core booster as it failed to ignite some return engines slamming into the water at 300mph.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/06/spacex-landed-two-of-its-three-falcon-heavy-first-stage-boosters/

Yea. Apparently the center core is of new design, so it makes better sense.. Those side boosters have taken alot of damage, rapid unscheduled disassembly, before they got those landings right...
BFR is up next in 3-4 years and then its to the moon in a straight line.. Moonbases. Yay.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Question: why isn't NASA developing a more economical rocket? Not an expert on the SLS but it seems like it will be expensive compared to what SpaceX is doing.

It is called the Senate Launch System for a reason. It is all about pork and benefits and not about least cost.

The next SpaceX vehicle, the BFR, will be launching early than SLS and will cost less to fly, while being able to carry an equal or greater payload.

 

[cytg111]

I wonder when we will be able to put a down payment on some moon propery, you know for the family summer residence to come.

 

[Puffnstuff]

I wonder when we will be able to put a down payment on some moon propery, you know for the family summer residence to come.

I'll bet that if it got that far it would be like on the Expanse where only the richest families lived on the moon.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Anyone mention this yet?

 

[luv2liv]

i heard this all over the local radio station. it's about time the media glorify intelligent people.
stop giving dumb people the megaphone.

 

[cytg111]

Good question!

So SLS started as Aries V in the constellation program back around 2005-2006 after the Columbia Accident Investigation Board suggested retiring the Shuttle.

The mission was to go back to the moon carrying modules and capsules which basically requires a Saturn V class big dumb booster. To “save” money and design time they looked at using shuttle program derived hardware, (external tank, SRBs, shuttle main engines, etc). Later Constellation was cancelled by the Obama administration and we were directed to go to an asteroid. Aries V became SLS and the Orion capsule came along mostly unmodified.

Congress also had a large hand in this. By using shuttle derived hardware the same government contractors in the same congressional districts continued to to get funding to maintain that shuttle infrastructure. This is why SLS is sometimes derogatorily called the “Senate Launch System” because via appropriations NASA must use shuttle derived hardware.

Now at the time, back in 05-06, SpaceX was barely a company. So it made sense to use hardware that worked from proven companies. Of course with funding of benign neglect and multiple Presidencies with different agendas SLS will have taken about 15 years to finally get off the ground.

SLS will have more up mass capability and a larger payload fairing than the Falcon heavy but at a much higher cost.

One last point. In a way NASA did go for a cheaper better rocket. By funding SpaceX cargo and manned missions to the ISS SpaceX had enough revenue to fully develop falcon 9 and falcon heavy. Now NASA would have the option of purchasing that capability.

Speaking of Nixon, the US space program never really recovered from that guy. Speaking of "that guy", I read somewhere some days back that Trump is planning on axing the IIS? That true?

 

[cytg111]

I'll bet that if it got that far it would be like on the Expanse where only the richest families lived on the moon.

For sure, to begin with, those rich bastards will be part of funding the further development that makes space accessible to common folk as well.
Anyway thats Elons vision as I understand it.

 

[Exterous]

Take that ya dumb flat earthers!

Looks like the Earth is just a circular coaster to me

 

[Puffnstuff]

For sure, to begin with, those rich bastards will be part of funding the further development that makes space accessible to common folk as well.
Anyway thats Elons vision as I understand it.

Nevertheless it doesn't hurt to dream about it.😛 While I don't think that I'd like to live in space I wouldn't mind a visit every now and then.😀

 

[Paratus]

It is called the Senate Launch System for a reason. It is all about pork and benefits and not about least cost.

The next SpaceX vehicle, the BFR, will be launching early than SLS and will cost less to fly, while being able to carry an equal or greater payload.

Not quite. His next priority, which he confirmed in his press conference yesterday, is manned Dragon, which quite frankly it should be. Plus he has a history of picking early dates and blowing them. Although to be fair the rest of the industry, contractors and govt, does too.

SLS should fly it’s first mission sometime in the next 2-3 years. Manned Dragon should be flying sometime in the next 10-18 months. Musk also has to ramp up production of Falcon Heavies over the next year or two. So assuming BFR flies before SLS in 2-3 years is a bit of wishful thinking in my opinion.

Speaking of Nixon, the US space program never really recovered from that guy. Speaking of "that guy", I read somewhere some days back that Trump is planning on axing the IIS? That true?

NASA has been looking at what to do with the ISS for awhile. The first parts went into orbit in 1998. It also consumes most of NASAs manned spaceflight budget. So to free up that budget for exploration work they’ve been looking to see if handing over operations to private enterprise might be possible.

So while the current administration is pursuing handing over operations sometime in the mid 2020’s, figuring out what to do with the ISS has been going on for several years.

The only other option would be to increase NASAs budget to let it do both the ISS and Exploration.

 

[cytg111]

Nevertheless it doesn't hurt to dream about it.😛 While I don't think that I'd like to live in space I wouldn't mind a visit every now and then.😀

Visits for sure. I like earth... and 1G gravity. That being said I cant imagine anything more patriotic than being part of the first settlements on mars...