Could the fairing problem that halted the Zuma flight be related to some clearance issue they discovered with this car?
Quote from: IanThePineapple on 12/02/2017 07:17 pmQuote from: CJ on 12/02/2017 07:12 pmRegarding "Mars orbit". I'm very, very skeptical that it means "Orbiting Mars" because of the need for an orbital insertion burn. I suppose they could try aerobraking, but that still requires some propulsion. We can rule out the second stage for this; nowhere near enough duration time. But what if Elon meant "Mars' orbit"? In other words, heliocentric but at the same distance from the sun Mars is? Use a Mars grav assist to roughly match Mars' orbit? Viable?I'm guessing they'll fit a Starlink bus (minus everything except power, propulsion, control and comms) onto the back to get it into a crazy elliptical orbit, perhaps aerobraking to a more stable orbit, then using leftover fuel to boost the periapsis up.nah, they will not risk going into Mars.And what starlink bus? Anyways, they are LEO buses.
Quote from: CJ on 12/02/2017 07:12 pmRegarding "Mars orbit". I'm very, very skeptical that it means "Orbiting Mars" because of the need for an orbital insertion burn. I suppose they could try aerobraking, but that still requires some propulsion. We can rule out the second stage for this; nowhere near enough duration time. But what if Elon meant "Mars' orbit"? In other words, heliocentric but at the same distance from the sun Mars is? Use a Mars grav assist to roughly match Mars' orbit? Viable?I'm guessing they'll fit a Starlink bus (minus everything except power, propulsion, control and comms) onto the back to get it into a crazy elliptical orbit, perhaps aerobraking to a more stable orbit, then using leftover fuel to boost the periapsis up.
Regarding "Mars orbit". I'm very, very skeptical that it means "Orbiting Mars" because of the need for an orbital insertion burn. I suppose they could try aerobraking, but that still requires some propulsion. We can rule out the second stage for this; nowhere near enough duration time. But what if Elon meant "Mars' orbit"? In other words, heliocentric but at the same distance from the sun Mars is? Use a Mars grav assist to roughly match Mars' orbit? Viable?
To clarify, I said it’s legit because the boss tweeted it out. I don’t know any more info and Elon’s the go to guy on this.
Quote from: Formica on 12/02/2017 07:46 pmHowever this ends up, Elon is earning his trolling merit badge with aplomb this weekend.Do you think we should send him one? He could sew it onto his hat
However this ends up, Elon is earning his trolling merit badge with aplomb this weekend.
Quote from: vanoord on 12/02/2017 06:40 pmAnd...QuoteEric Berger @SciGuySpace2 minutes agoElon Musk told me just now, on Saturday afternoon: The Tesla to Mars mission is "100% real."Would be nice if SpaceX's communications team stepped in here.We do have right now enough info to make a "Mind blowing" meme about the whole story.
And...QuoteEric Berger @SciGuySpace2 minutes agoElon Musk told me just now, on Saturday afternoon: The Tesla to Mars mission is "100% real."Would be nice if SpaceX's communications team stepped in here.
Eric Berger @SciGuySpace2 minutes agoElon Musk told me just now, on Saturday afternoon: The Tesla to Mars mission is "100% real."Would be nice if SpaceX's communications team stepped in here.
erberger Ars Technica Space Editor 26m Elon says the mission is real on Twitter. Confirms last night in email. Elon tells the Verge he totally made it up. Elon is pretty adamant with me this afternoon. He has told one publication it's not real. My guess is that he's unhappy with that publication. (edited)
Plus, the maximum payload to GTO for Falcon Heavy is around 8 tons.
Confirmed! The payload is a Roadster going to Mars. What exactly "going to Mars" means is yet to be confirmed.Eric Berger:QuoteAnother SpaceX official confirms:"The Roadster to Mars payload is real."https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/937078015720394756
Another SpaceX official confirms:"The Roadster to Mars payload is real."
There's only a very small amount of places that can get answers from SpaceX because they have earned it with their coverage. This site and its reporters is one example. Eric Berger is another. And some others .......................
Saturday update: There has been some confusion today because Elon Musk told The Verge on Saturday morning that he "totally made it up" about sending a Tesla Roadster to Mars. However, in multiple emails with Ars on Saturday afternoon, Musk confirmed that this plan is, indeed, real. Another SpaceX official also said the Tesla payload was very much real.
Quote from: ZachS09 on 12/02/2017 06:39 pmPlus, the maximum payload to GTO for Falcon Heavy is around 8 tons.No, that's the max Falcon 9 payload in expendable configuration.Max Falcon heavy to GTO is 26 tons.
If it helps, as you've seen with this thread, this is where you're going to see everyone who's ever been to a launch claiming they have inside information. There's only a very small amount of places that can get answers from SpaceX because they have earned it with their coverage. This site and its reporters is one example. Eric Berger is another. And some others .......................That is all.
Yup Launched a LEO bus to Mars onceDidn't end wellAnd that was a bus with flight heritage
The engine was derived from one belonging to an Earth orbital satellite and was not designed to lie dormant for months before being fired.
Quote from: AncientU on 12/02/2017 11:51 amWonder if Road and Track could schedule a trial between the Roadster and Curiosity?On Mars? That would be a crater vs a functioning rover
Wonder if Road and Track could schedule a trial between the Roadster and Curiosity?
My first time seeing this--is this new?http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/elon-musk-on-the-roadster-to-marsquote: "Incidentally, for the first launch there is no plan to recover the boosters as has been done on Falcon 9 launches, but future flights will bring all three back to Earth. "
He said it’ll be placed in “a precessing Earth-Mars elliptical orbit around the sun.”