Author Topic: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion  (Read 204303 times)

Offline sanman

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #60 on: 12/02/2017 06:36 am »
I always thought the film "Heavy Metal" was a documentary.

This was exactly the same thing that came into my head, when I read the tweet - that same opening scene from Heavy Metal, with the corvette doing the atmospheric reentry, as the song Radar Rider plays in the background.



But other than momentarily captivating the masses and their pedestrian tastes, couldn't he have found some more scientifically worthwhile payload than this? They should have contracted with Bigelow to put up their big inflatable Olympus space station for free.

« Last Edit: 12/02/2017 06:49 am by sanman »

Online docmordrid

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #61 on: 12/02/2017 07:07 am »
if you're going to this much trouble you may as well make it useful. For all we know it's most of the materials which made up his Roadster, recycled into something else. That or his "Roadster" has been heavily modified into some sort of instrument platform. In either case, the purpose reveal is for a subsequent Tweet-storm.
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Online rakaydos

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #62 on: 12/02/2017 07:24 am »
Replace taillights with hall effect thrusters off the starlink prototype line?

Online docmordrid

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #63 on: 12/02/2017 07:38 am »
I mentioned in another thread either a Draco / SuperDraco hypergolic module with a vacuum nozzle, or a BFS methalox thruster module on it's first flight test and all that entails.
« Last Edit: 12/02/2017 07:39 am by docmordrid »
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Online redliox

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #64 on: 12/02/2017 07:55 am »
A cherry red roadster. Sweetest payload to send to Mars.
"Let the trails lead where they may, I will follow."
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Offline Hauerg

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #65 on: 12/02/2017 07:59 am »
We need to be careful. I am 100% sure it will fly out to the orbit OF Mars around the sun, NOT enter orbit around Mars.
The press and twitterguys already getting it wrong per default.

Offline deruch

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #66 on: 12/02/2017 08:25 am »
It's probably not going to actually capture into Mars orbit, y'all.  According to https://trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov/traj_browser.php , there is a launch opportunity on December 17th, 2017.  It puts the payload on a two year transfer, where it arrives at Mars after completing a whole orbit first.  Needs C3=33.3!   With post injection delta-v of 2.32km/s.  According to http://silverbirdastronautics.com/LVperform.html, Falcon Heavy, using booster RTLS and core ASDS recovery, can launch 872kg to such a C3.  That's probably a little bit under what it can do in reality because FH performance specs has increased quite a bit in the relatively recent past and i'm not sure when Silverbird last updated their FH performance.  Tesla Roadster Gen. 1 is listed by Wikipedia as having a curb weight of 1,305kg.  So, between some stripping (don't need a battery sized for an EV, etc.) and uprated Merlins on the FH, it's probably within reach.  But I don't think that is so if the car has to come up with 2.3+km/s of delta-v plus PV systems, etc.  And they're going to miss that date anyways, so the actual launching will need even more performance.

Best estimate is that it will maybe get close to Mars.  I'm dubious it will really course correct along the way or actually capture, even if it is still alive when it gets there after 2 years (again, doubtful).  But it can get out to the general vicinity, without a doubt.  Best playful payload ever!!

edit: ninja'd by Haureg while typing.
« Last Edit: 12/02/2017 08:34 am by deruch »
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Offline Hobbes-22

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #67 on: 12/02/2017 08:31 am »
So, he's going for the first car crash on another planet?

Online Jarnis

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #68 on: 12/02/2017 08:34 am »
So, he's going for the first car crash on another planet?

Nooooo, tweeted that it'll be in space for a billion years.

Unless it ends up as the first orbital class rocket launched car crash on Earth. Lets hope not.

Offline nacnud

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #69 on: 12/02/2017 09:23 am »
The hard part is going from solar orbit to Mars orbit - that requires a 3 to 6 month coast and then around 1 km/s worth of delta-v.
That means a spacecraft bus with power, comms, nav, and propulsion for deep space. Much more than a mass simulator.

Well the roadster 2 does have a 200kwh battery, over the air updates and gps. Not sure about propulsion, but it hits plaid speed.

Well it seems I was mistaken, they are sending a Gen 1 Roadster (2008), no over the air updates, no GPS, no plaid, and only a 53kwh battery.

It's a foolish idea and very silly :D

Offline jak Kennedy

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #70 on: 12/02/2017 10:12 am »
I am not really believing Elon on his latest tweet. I would still put my money on the pad abort Dragon inside the fairing. Or any pre flown Dragon. The adaptor for this has to be easier than for a Roadster. Anyone know where the pad abort Dragon is?
... the way that we will ratchet up our species, is to take the best and to spread it around everybody, so that everybody grows up with better things. - Steve Jobs

Online Jarnis

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #71 on: 12/02/2017 10:16 am »
I am not really believing Elon on his latest tweet. I would still put my money on the pad abort Dragon inside the fairing. Or any pre flown Dragon. The adaptor for this has to be easier than for a Roadster. Anyone know where the pad abort Dragon is?

Well, it has been confirmed by multiple reputable members of the press and by another SpaceX manager. Tesla Roadster is it.

Offline Elthiryel

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #72 on: 12/02/2017 10:46 am »
Elon said "Mars orbit", which is quite confusing. But he also said it's going to stay in the deep space for years, I think it leaves us with two options left. Actual orbit around Mars does not seem plausible, with transfer window a few months away and most probably no motor to perform braking maneuver.

The first option is that it may be something like a Hohmann transfer orbit with an apogee at the Mars orbit (they would go to the Mars orbit then, to some extent), but with the planet in the other place at the same time.

The second option is just a Mars flyby, far enough from the planet to make sure the payload won't smash into the surface. I guess that Roadster is not going to have any trajectory correction thrusters, so I don't think they would risk going too close.
« Last Edit: 12/02/2017 12:00 pm by Elthiryel »
GO for launch, GO for age of reflight

Offline geza

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #73 on: 12/02/2017 10:59 am »
Well, it has been confirmed by multiple reputable members of the press and by another SpaceX manager. Tesla Roadster is it.
With, or without, a satellite bus, that is the question.

Offline deruch

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #74 on: 12/02/2017 11:11 am »
Well, it has been confirmed by multiple reputable members of the press and by another SpaceX manager. Tesla Roadster is it.
With, or without, a satellite bus, that is the question.

With cameras.  That's as much as we've gotten so far beyond Elon's original tweets.
Shouldn't reality posts be in "Advanced concepts"?  --Nomadd

Offline Oersted

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #75 on: 12/02/2017 11:11 am »
Couldn't Mars aerocapture lead to an eventual orbit?

If they experiment with (hitherto untried) Mars aerocapture it will be a highly useful test mission, despite the playful payload.

Online Jarnis

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #76 on: 12/02/2017 11:27 am »
Elon said "Mars orbit", which is quite confusing. But he also said it's going to stay in the deep space for years, I think it leaves us with two options left. Actual orbit around Mars does not seem plausible, with transfer window a few months away and most probably no motor to perform braking maneuver.

The first option is that it may be something like a Hohmann transfer orbit with an apogee at the Mars orbit (they would go to the Mars orbit then, to some extent), but with the planet in the other place at the same time.

The second option is just a Mars flyby, far enough from the planet to make sure the payload won't smash into the surface. I guess that Roadster is not going to have any trajectory correction thrusters, so I don't they they would risk going too close.

Considering the cost of something space-navigation-propulsion-worthy of braking over a ton to Mars orbit after many months, I'm pretty sure "Mars orbit" in this case means "an orbit around the Sun that touches Mars orbit at one end, Earth orbit at the other". Might target for a Mars flyby, might not. Launch date would imply probably not, at least not a very close one.


Online eeergo

Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #77 on: 12/02/2017 11:27 am »
https://twitter.com/DutchSpace/status/936930034568151047

Lol

Quote from: @DutchSpace
Hey Elon, that idea was used before back in 1975 when @CNES introduced their new launcher #DiamantBP4 and placed a @renault 4 on the launcher/pad (didnt launch it though...) @ESA_History
« Last Edit: 12/02/2017 11:28 am by eeergo »
-DaviD-

Offline Oersted

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #78 on: 12/02/2017 11:49 am »
btw, back in May I called (as did many others I'm sure) that they'd launch a Tesla...

LEGO pieces happen to be indestructible and could hurt people when they fall to Earth after re-entry, so I think we should stay with a school bus or perhaps a Tesla Model S.

- And if they say they'll launch a car of course that is what they'll do. Not something else made of car pieces...

Offline AncientU

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Re: Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Discussion
« Reply #79 on: 12/02/2017 11:51 am »
Wonder if Road and Track could schedule a trial between the Roadster and Curiosity?
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
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