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#240 by AncientU on 03 Dec, 2017 15:14
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"And we're going to trust this childish man ... to launch our billion dollar payload? Can anyone get a straight answer out of him? Anyone? Are we sure he's not joking ... again?"
Ironically, I'm not 100% sure you're serious, but I'll assume you are.
People do understand viral marketing, and this is that. It's also a bit of fun. And of course it accomplishes the objective of the demo mission, as much as a wheel of cheese.
Or block of steel...
Relax and enjoy the ride; long time coming. -
#241 by john smith 19 on 03 Dec, 2017 15:29
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Top Gear, you are outdone.
Exactly.
What could possibly go wrong?So, are you saying it is going to be on fire?. I think that is a wrong analogy.
Priceless.
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#242 by Stan-1967 on 03 Dec, 2017 15:30
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Some naysayer see a man launching a car to Mars, I see a man giving his old Roadster a proper viking funeral...
In a proper Viking funeral, wouldn't Elon have to also be in the Roadster?
Perhaps Viking funerals in Space is an untapped market? Has more appeal than those offering to send your ashes up in some tin can. -
#243 by Johnnyhinbos on 03 Dec, 2017 16:30
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(Not directed at anyone) His companies, his rocket, his car. If you don’t approve of his actions you’re welcome to start your own car company, your own rocket company, create some very successful products and then launch whatever you want wherever you want. Otherwise, why not appreciate the fact our world has such a person and enjoy the ride...
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#244 by Patchouli on 03 Dec, 2017 16:42
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https://twitter.com/DutchSpace/status/936930034568151047
LolQuote from: @DutchSpaceHey 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
I'm surprised this didn't come up.
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#245 by Ludus on 03 Dec, 2017 17:00
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Alright - they could have sent up a large solar array also built by Tesla.
Surely that wouldn't be so hard for Tesla to do, considering they made a big battery reserve for Australia in record time.
A large solar array could be used as the basis to build out a space station or depot. It could also be a signature Tesla product. At least it would be more practical and useful than a car. Call it the Solar Roof Over the World, if you like.
Anything of this sort that attempts to be useful has the problem that if it’s serious it’s a major project on its own that’s much more costly and difficult. That’s exactly what’s not called for on a test of a new rocket. If it’s not serious it’s just junk, not Art. Something that unambiguously has no practical purpose has the clear value of just being a symbol. Some sloppy attempt to do something that seems practical serves no purpose at all. -
#246 by M_Puckett on 03 Dec, 2017 18:13
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I have devised a way to land a car from space, see the following concept video.
It is depicted as a Corvette instead of a Tesla though.
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#247 by Rocket Science on 03 Dec, 2017 18:21
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Why does almost every SpaceX thread turn into a party thread??
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#248 by oldAtlas_Eguy on 03 Dec, 2017 18:35
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Once Elon said he is launching his car then this became a party thread!!!
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#249 by guckyfan on 03 Dec, 2017 19:16
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Why does almost every SpaceX thread turn into a party thread??
Because most of what SpaceX does, feels like a party to many space fans. -
#250 by meekGee on 03 Dec, 2017 19:33
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Why does almost every SpaceX thread turn into a party thread??
Because most of what SpaceX does, feels like a party to many space fans.
This quiet Sunday morning I was marveling (with my wife) about the awesomeness not of the Roadster launch, but of the fact that in our solar system, in sun orbit, there will be a sports car, just floating on.
How bloody surreal. It might become a tourist destination one day, unless of course someone goes and retrieves it. Can you imagine going to see the car for your birthday or some such? Too much.
Let's hope the launch succeeds. -
#251 by AncientU on 03 Dec, 2017 20:21
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Once Elon said he is launching his car then this became a party thread!!!
Because he is... launching.... his car. -
#252 by IanThePineapple on 03 Dec, 2017 20:25
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Once Elon said he is launching his car then this became a party thread!!!
Because he is... launching.... his car.space car hype -
#253 by Space Ghost 1962 on 03 Dec, 2017 20:28
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Evaluated it alongside the "wheel of cheese". Formally as a business effect."And we're going to trust this childish man ... to launch our billion dollar payload? Can anyone get a straight answer out of him? Anyone? Are we sure he's not joking ... again?"
Ironically, I'm not 100% sure you're serious, but I'll assume you are.
People do understand viral marketing, and this is that. It's also a bit of fun. And of course it accomplishes the objective of the demo mission, as much as a wheel of cheese.
The cheese wheel barely trended briefly. Likewise this will as well. Estimate that the amount of "influence" is worth a few million as an advertising campaign. Whoopee.
For comparison, the "landing circus" had a few hundred million, which when it landed successfully went to a half billion. Not bad.
But to customers of the FH, no, not an effective use. If you wanted to enthuse govt HSF, you'd lob a boilerplate Dragon capsule on a cislunar trajectory. For NASA/ESA/other govt planetary science, you'd lob a satellite/cruse stage like mass with highest C3 (I'd shoot for out of solar system as highest velocity) on an accurate trajectory (possibly shooting by an well know asteroid). For NSS, inject a major mass simulator into a difficult orbit, with a high enough eccentricity for specific reentry in a chosen spot. For large geosats, likewise a mass simulator into a GTO-1500 would be desirable.
Those would be missions that would demonstrate skill and performance. If you do them successively, your repeat-ability becomes encouraging for use by actual customers. It would be the thing that SX's rivals would be chilled to the bone with.
Because it would be worth an greatly increased chance at a few hundred million of revenue, not marketing expense. Yes, I know this doesn't mean anything to most fans. I get that.
As it is, he's doing them a favor.They don't have to take FH seriously for another few years. But then let's cater to the fans, who a few months later by griping about some other thing like BFS being late ...
(Not directed at anyone) His companies, his rocket, his car. If you don’t approve of his actions you’re welcome to start your own car company, your own rocket company, create some very successful products and then launch whatever you want wherever you want. Otherwise, why not appreciate the fact our world has such a person and enjoy the ride...
Heard this also when I criticized Bezos about his $100M avoidable waste on Firephone.
Both are still demonstrations of incompetence. Apparently, competence isn't in, but bread and circuses are. Explains the tomfoolery in DC perfectly. Perhaps Musk got brain rot from hanging around Trump for too long.
It's a launch vehicle for spacecraft. I don't care about it's likelihood for failure - if it's too high they won't launch. Rest is useless nonsense. Not a fan.
And, as I've told many including the billionaires mentioned here, just because you have more doesn't mean you have the liberty to care less - you have to care more. Otherwise you get all the avoidable disasters we see on a daily basis.Some naysayer see a man launching a car to Mars, I see a man giving his old Roadster a proper viking funeral...
In a proper Viking funeral, wouldn't Elon have to also be in the Roadster?
Perhaps Viking funerals in Space is an untapped market? Has more appeal than those offering to send your ashes up in some tin can.
This comes to mind:
Seymour Cray Charts New Waters in SupercomputersQuote from:The story goes that Seymour Cray builds a new sailboat for himself by hand every year. But at the end of each summer, Cray burns the boat to the ground.
He does so, those who know him say, because he doesn't want to become a prisoner of his old boat design. He wants to start with a blank sheet of paper the following year. -
#254 by Ludus on 03 Dec, 2017 20:59
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Keep in mind that SpaceX is on the verge of becoming a consumer facing company with Starlink and much better known because of starting to launch people in 2018. Musk now has about 16 million twitter followers and may have a number closer to Trump or a pop star over 40 million by the end of 2018. Launching his Roadster has much more impact reaching a global mass audience. He has little reason to want to scare the competition more than they are already.
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#255 by pb2000 on 03 Dec, 2017 21:00
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But to customers of the FH, no, not an effective use. If you wanted to enthuse govt HSF, you'd lob a boilerplate Dragon capsule on a cislunar trajectory. For NASA/ESA/other govt planetary science, you'd lob a satellite/cruse stage like mass with highest C3 (I'd shoot for out of solar system as highest velocity) on an accurate trajectory (possibly shooting by an well know asteroid). For NSS, inject a major mass simulator into a difficult orbit, with a high enough eccentricity for specific reentry in a chosen spot. For large geosats, likewise a mass simulator into a GTO-1500 would be desirable.
Those would be missions that would demonstrate skill and performance. If you do them successively, your repeat-ability becomes encouraging for use by actual customers. It would be the thing that SX's rivals would be chilled to the bone with.
If Musk can launch a stock roadster (no course adjustment equipment) and nail his intended heliocentric orbit, that would be pretty impressive imo.
Personally, I'm hoping the car is mounted on a simple spacecraft bus that does the fine maneuvering to ensure a close flyby of mars and then releases the car with mars in the background. Bonus points if they spacecraft bus then has enough delta-v to slam on the brakes and enter orbit around mars to serve as a relay for future missions.
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#256 by vapour_nudge on 03 Dec, 2017 21:06
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Why does almost every SpaceX thread turn into a party thread??
Think of the possibilities. I’m asking for his dash-cam footage and his reversing camera footage too -
#257 by AncientU on 03 Dec, 2017 21:17
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We heard a lot of the same 'not serious' discussion when he named the Drone ships Just Read The Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You. Doesn't seem to have reduced their reliability or his success at bringing boosters or customers on board.
Maintaining your sense of humor or whimsy is not a 'character flaw'.
Acting like the steely eyed rocket man is better?
...perhaps to some... -
#258 by the_other_Doug on 03 Dec, 2017 21:19
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Once Elon said he is launching his car then this became a party thread!!!
Because he is... launching.... his car.
I'd be more impressed if the car was launching itself...
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#259 by andrewsdanj on 03 Dec, 2017 21:46
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Remembering the last Mars/Spacecraft selfie - Philae's shot of Rosetta's array in front of Mars during the 2007 gravity assist.
A Roadster/frankenupperstage doing the same thing would be *AWESOME*.
