-
#400
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2017 16:05
-
Per what I said about not attaching.....well here it is in link form, before SpaceX lawyers call them at least:
https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/944248007213563904And it looks like Vector took that off Reddit (not that they cite origin).
This is getting messy. Elon needs to release some official pics. Heck, the adaptor stuff might be proprietary/ITAR as it is.
Please note: Link will die naturally if SpaceX parachute lawyers into Vector.
-
#401
by
tvg98
on 22 Dec, 2017 16:09
-
Per what I said about not attaching.....well here it is in link form, before SpaceX lawyers call them at least:
https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/944248007213563904
And it looks like Vector took that off Reddit (not that they cite origin).
This is getting messy. Elon needs to release some official pics. Heck, the adaptor stuff might be proprietary/ITAR as it is.
Please note: Link will die naturally if SpaceX parachute lawyers into Vector.
I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has to be honest. The post which got real traction on the SpaceX subreddit was deleted not too long ago so the lawyers are probably getting down to business.
-
#402
by
OnWithTheShow
on 22 Dec, 2017 16:15
-
Heck, the adaptor stuff might be proprietary/ITAR as it is.
There are plenty of pictures of SpaceX payload adapters out there. Why would this one specifically be ITAR?
-
#403
by
Roy_H
on 22 Dec, 2017 17:08
-
Musk had to have handed over the roadster a little while back. As has been pointed out, the batteries and their cooling system are not rated for vacuum, and would almost assuredly develop energetic leaks. Possibly before you could attempt a TMI-type maneuver.
The batteries and cooling system have to have been removed, as well as the tires having had their inflation cores pulled out, to avoid them over-inflating and eventually exploding in the vacuum. If any of the roadster systems are going to be powered up at the beginning, to provide super-kewl images of the headlights flashing and the cockpit panels all lit and alive, I imagine they will have to connect the roadster up to the Falcon upper stage's electrical system.
In any event, the conversion of the car to a vacuum-safe payload had to have taken several weeks, and likely wasn't even done at the Cape. It could have conceivably been done at Hawthorne, the car being crated up and shipped to the Cape for encapsulation. In fact, that makes a lot of sense -- it would have been useful to have the car there while building the payload module adapter that secures it in the fairing.
Since it appears it will be set at about a 30-degree angle to the base of the payload adapter, I'd say that argues for them planning on leaving the roadster permanently attached to the second stage.
I'll bet that the batteries, transmission/differential, motor and controller have all been removed. Going by the picture the COG has to be nearer the front of the car. Primary reason to reduce mass. I wonder what the stripped Roadster weighs?
-
#404
by
NX-0
on 22 Dec, 2017 17:26
-
I'll bet that the batteries, transmission/differential, motor and controller have all been removed. Going by the picture the COG has to be nearer the front of the car. Primary reason to reduce mass. I wonder what the stripped Roadster weighs?
I bet it doesn't have a transmission, either...since it didn't have one to start with.
It'll be the same with the Tesla BAMF (Semi).
-
#405
by
Herb Schaltegger
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:02
-
Primary reason to reduce mass. I wonder what the stripped Roadster weighs?
Absolutely not. Falcon Heavy easily has enough impulse to throw a full-mass vehicle probably well past Jupiter if not further. To the extent parts were removed it will have been to prevent energetic events (airbags & inflators, batteries and maybe displays), off-gassing that might interfere with the injection burn, or for dynamics/vibrational concerns during launch.
-
#406
by
Craig_VG
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:14
-
And finally, officially from Elon Musk's Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/elonmusk/Captioned:
Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring.
Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel.
The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.
Edited to add higher res photos
-
#407
by
MKremer
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:16
-
Also would have likely removed springs, shocks, and bushings & locking the suspension in place.
-
#408
by
gongora
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:33
-
Is that the most complete picture of a fairing interior we've gotten?
-
#409
by
cppetrie
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:35
-
Is that the most complete picture of a fairing interior we've gotten?
I was just thinking the same thing. Any recovery bits visible?
-
#410
by
Svetoslav
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:36
-
Well... I'll save my opinion about this one for myself, but ... can someone answer this question for final: Are there going to be smallsats on the mission?
-
#411
by
russianhalo117
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:38
-
Well... I'll save my opinion about this one for myself, but ... can someone answer this question for final: Are there going to be smallsats on the mission?
AFAIK from what I can find is Just the Tesla will be onboard.
-
#412
by
Ronpur50
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:54
-
Well... I'll save my opinion about this one for myself, but ... can someone answer this question for final: Are there going to be smallsats on the mission?
Maybe in the trunk?
-
#413
by
Greg Hullender
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:57
-
Gee, I hope the parking brake is good enough to keep it from rolling off during launch. :-)
-
#414
by
jimbowman
on 22 Dec, 2017 18:59
-
Well... I'll save my opinion about this one for myself, but ... can someone answer this question for final: Are there going to be smallsats on the mission?
Maybe in the trunk?
Smaller unpressurized trunk than Dragon for sure
-
#415
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 22 Dec, 2017 19:00
-
3 more Elon posted
Edit to add Elon’s comment:
elonmusk A Red Car for the Red Planet
Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring.
Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel.
The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.
-
#416
by
ZachF
on 22 Dec, 2017 19:06
-
One thing they should do is to put a mannequin with a space suit in the drivers seat.
Jebediah Kerman
-
#417
by
mgreb
on 22 Dec, 2017 19:38
-
I think that it would be fun to put the cowboy in the drivers seat
-
#418
by
Jim_LAX
on 22 Dec, 2017 19:45
-
Perhaps a cowboy who resembles Slim Pickins, riding backward?
-
#419
by
IanThePineapple
on 22 Dec, 2017 19:48
-
One thing they should do is to put a mannequin with a space suit in the drivers seat.
Jebediah Kerman
A Jeb plushie in the glove box, would be pretty safe from radiation for a while
