Falcon Heavy Demo Mission Payload Speculation

[Nomadd]

 I just hope they do a better job on the 2nd stage camera than usual. A good shot of the Roadster heading off on it's journey would be on any list of the most iconic space photos of all time.

[hkultala]

So it's effectively going to mars transfer orbit?

Wonder if the car is going to close enough to mars that mars gravity sling effect will lift it's pegiree from earth "height" from sun to higher than earth "height" from sun?

Or will the car crash back to earth after thousands of years when the orbits resonate again?

[speedevil]

Although they could have made more of this payload, there was no point in doing very elaborate things for a flight that could "blow on the pad," as Mr. Musk taunted. Maybe they have some thing extra nice for the Demo 2 flight.

This implicitly assumes there can be no worthwhile payload that can be constructed for a 'trivial' amount of money that would have provided useful information to inform things going forward.

This seems odd, when in a few years, they may have launch capability able to launch things for a trivial amount of $/kg (at least marginal capacity).
'very elaborate' - no.
Bolt off the-shelf industrial equipment to a thick aluminium shell, and you can have a lot of stuff go from TRL=3 or 4 to 8 (or 9) in one leap.

You have to have an actual internal risk number you're working to - and if you've worked it out as 90% likely to launch OK, then there is no reason not to use that number to develop a speculative payload.
If they think it's 50% likely going to blow up on the pad, they're not launching. It would mean a several month F9 stand-down, at best.

[Wolfram66]

I just hope they do a better job on the 2nd stage camera than usual. A good shot of the Roadster heading off on it's journey would be on any list of the most iconic space photos of all time.

Question I have, how are we going to hear David Bowie Space Oddity in space?or will it be transmitting it?

[ValmirGP]

This implicitly assumes there can be no worthwhile payload that can be constructed for a 'trivial' amount of money that would have provided useful information to inform things going forward.

This seems odd, when in a few years, they may have launch capability able to launch things for a trivial amount of $/kg (at least marginal capacity).
'very elaborate' - no.
Bolt off the-shelf industrial equipment to a thick aluminium shell, and you can have a lot of stuff go from TRL=3 or 4 to 8 (or 9) in one leap.

You have to have an actual internal risk number you're working to - and if you've worked it out as 90% likely to launch OK, then there is no reason not to use that number to develop a speculative payload.
If they think it's 50% likely going to blow up on the pad, they're not launching. It would mean a several month F9 stand-down, at best.

Your points are valid, but with so many unknown unknowns already lurking in this mission, I believe anything more than "the silliest thing possible" would be a large distraction. It's a matter of opinion though.

[mme]

Although they could have made more of this payload, there was no point in doing very elaborate things for a flight that could "blow on the pad," as Mr. Musk taunted. Maybe they have some thing extra nice for the Demo 2 flight.

This implicitly assumes there can be no worthwhile payload that can be constructed for a 'trivial' amount of money that would have provided useful information to inform things going forward.

This seems odd, when in a few years, they may have launch capability able to launch things for a trivial amount of $/kg (at least marginal capacity).
'very elaborate' - no.
Bolt off the-shelf industrial equipment to a thick aluminium shell, and you can have a lot of stuff go from TRL=3 or 4 to 8 (or 9) in one leap.

You have to have an actual internal risk number you're working to - and if you've worked it out as 90% likely to launch OK, then there is no reason not to use that number to develop a speculative payload.
If they think it's 50% likely going to blow up on the pad, they're not launching. It would mean a several month F9 stand-down, at best.

They definitely don't want to be limited by any payload's existence, readiness or requirements.  The FH launch window needs to be flexible for this mission.  They don't want extra irrelevant complexity,  and they probably don't want the bad PR of loosing some students' pride and joy. This mission is about the staging, recovery, and performance of the rocket.

Sometimes I wonder if people would be less upset if the mass simulator was just a block of steal rather than an old Tesla.  The Tesla is a PR stunt that will hopefully give a bunch of Tesla lovers and/or owners some exposure to SpaceX and the dream of becoming a multi-planetary species.

[dwheeler]

...A good shot of the Roadster heading off on it's journey would be on any list of the most iconic space photos of all time.

An icon for what? Cars and spacecraft? I'm old and crotchety I guess. I don't get it...

[oiorionsbelt]

Sometimes I wonder if people would be less upset if the mass simulator was just a block of steal rather than an old Tesla. 

Exactly!

[Johnnyhinbos]

...A good shot of the Roadster heading off on it's journey would be on any list of the most iconic space photos of all time.

An icon for what? Cars and spacecraft? I'm old and crotchety I guess. I don't get it...

You DO realize this guy is currently selling flamethrowers and making a bunch of dough doing so. No offense directed towards you, but perhaps you aren’t supposed to get it. The world is a very different place these days...

[gaballard]

Twist: the real payload is the infamous Mars Greenhouse!

[docmordrid]

I'm crotchety and old too, but totally get this. It's when we don't get doing silly for its own sake that we're in trouble.

[meekGee]

It's like when hoodlums "tag" a wall with their colors, declaring it "theirs".  Also very common in the animal kingdom, especially among males.

With his Tesla, Musk is tagging the entire effin solar system.

"Mine!"

[Jim]

It's like when hoodlums "tag" a wall with their colors, declaring it "theirs".  Also very common in the animal kingdom, especially among males.

With his Tesla, Musk is tagging the entire effin solar system.

"Mine!"

More like just trashing the solar system.

[meekGee]

It's like when hoodlums "tag" a wall with their colors, declaring it "theirs".  Also very common in the animal kingdom, especially among males.

With his Tesla, Musk is tagging the entire effin solar system.

"Mine!"

More like just trashing the solar system.

Tomato tomato.

I'd like to think that my kids will be able to take a trip to see the Tesla.

[Jim]

I'd like to think that my kids will be able to take a trip to see the Tesla.

It will be in pile at the feet of some native alien.

Also, I seriously doubt it.  Still will be struggling to make Mars trips profitable.

[meekGee]

I'd like to think that my kids will be able to take a trip to see the Tesla.

It will be in pile at the feet of some native alien.

Also, I seriously doubt it.  Still will be struggling to make Mars trips profitable.

My kids will very rich

[oiorionsbelt]

It's like when hoodlums "tag" a wall with their colors, declaring it "theirs".  Also very common in the animal kingdom, especially among males.

With his Tesla, Musk is tagging the entire effin solar system.

"Mine!"

More like just trashing the solar system.

Did anyone else get that cognitive dissonance where the thoughts "of course boosters end up in the ocean" and "hey, stop littering!" start competing for headspace?

no, because it is insignificant

[Lars-J]

It's like when hoodlums "tag" a wall with their colors, declaring it "theirs".  Also very common in the animal kingdom, especially among males.

With his Tesla, Musk is tagging the entire effin solar system.

"Mine!"

More like just trashing the solar system.

Huh?  SpaceX has yet to litter *any* other planetary body, and is the foremost among launch providers to reduce littering from their rockets. (via reuse) Don't worry, they'll get off your lawn soon.

If SpaceX is thrashing the solar system, I wonder what you think about NASA... 

[Jim]

If SpaceX is thrashing the solar system, I wonder what you think about NASA... 

active spacecraft is different from a inert car

[Jim]

It's like when hoodlums "tag" a wall with their colors, declaring it "theirs".  Also very common in the animal kingdom, especially among males.

With his Tesla, Musk is tagging the entire effin solar system.

"Mine!"

More like just trashing the solar system.

Did anyone else get that cognitive dissonance where the thoughts "of course boosters end up in the ocean" and "hey, stop littering!" start competing for headspace?

no, because it is insignificant

There is no conflict