SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : Feb 6, 2018 : Discussion Thread 2

[macpacheco]

SES-16 is now clear, which means we've finally gone from six months™, to next week/next launch now. 

FH is not necessarily the next launch. If there are significant issues between now and when the next paying launch  is manifested for, I am sure that SpaceX will reorder. But yeah, it's feeling very real.

If the static fire was really, truly 100% successful, what big problem could happen that would prevent the launch ??
Isn't the static fire testing everything but releasing the rocket ??
What's left ?
I think until the static fire, yep, the schedule was 100% uncertain. But now... I think there might be a scrub (or two) for weather or pad issues, but there's an excellent chance there will be none and it will launch.

[John Alan]

My opinion...
The odds of FH actually launching Feb 6th on time is not great... 
I can think of 100's of little things... like a way-word boat or plane with all the attn it's getting...

I hope I am wrong... 

[cscott]

But of course it could be anyone, maybe even Harrison Ford.

That was actually my first thought, especially if Musk had a hand in it.

Kennedy Space Center, and thus these viewing tickets, is run by the Delaware North corporation, and has no connection to SpaceX or to NASA.  If Harrison Ford is going to be a guest of Elon's I'd expect him to show up at the private Exploration Tower event (or as a SpaceX VIP, who watch from the VAB I think?), not KSC.

Also, KSC is a money-hungry private corp, very much for-profit. If they had Harrison Ford booked you'd better believe he'd be named on their advertising and they'd have doubled the (already incredibly steep) ticket prices.

(And it remains unclear whether KSC's rocket garden will even get an F9 booster -- it might get erected in front of the spaceX LCC, where it would be *free* for public visits, unlike at KSC where you have to pay to visit.)

[speedevil]

(And it remains unclear whether KSC's rocket garden will even get an F9 booster -- it might get erected in front of the spaceX LCC, where it would be *free* for public visits, unlike at KSC where you have to pay to visit.)

I guess on general terms they are likely to know if they are ever going to fly their stock of pre-block-5 in 3-4 years - there could be a lot of museum pieces available as well as the existing 'no way' list like the one that got wet.

[Zed_Noir]

But of course it could be anyone, maybe even Harrison Ford.

That was actually my first thought, especially if Musk had a hand in it.

Musk can get a bigger name than Harrison Ford. He is friendly with Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey jr). Marvel Studios owes Musk a few favors from his help with the Iron Man movies.

[Ben the Space Brit]

After reading Zed's post, it occurs to me that Marvel and Musk are missing a huge potential bit of free publicity here. Why hasn't the FH upper stage or PLF got Black Panther or Infinity War promo art painted on? Disney pays a nominal sum to have their next blockbuster's name on every TV screen when the networks show the lift off (because I'm fairly sure they will, although I hardly expect it to be first item) and Musk draws more 'lay' attention to SpaceX.

[Pete]

After reading Zed's post, it occurs to me that Marvel and Musk are missing a huge potential bit of free publicity here. Why hasn't the FH upper stage or PLF got Black Panther or Infinity War promo art painted on? Disney pays a nominal sum to have their next blockbuster's name on every TV screen when the networks show the lift off (because I'm fairly sure they will, although I hardly expect it to be first item) and Musk draws more 'lay' attention to SpaceX.

Because if the launch succeeds, their promo is dwarfed by the reality that is a successful launch of the biggest thing flying..
And in the case of Kablooey, they really don't want their promo associated with it in any way.

Now putting a Promo that is only visible if the mission is a 100% success, that could work.
Maybe put something with a strong Brand Awareness rating on the final payload? Like, say, a Tesla?

[Athrithalix]

Furthermore, I seem to remember reading somewhere that even the SpaceX logo on the rockets is painted to a specific size and carefully positioned to avoid static electricity problems. If that's true (and not just me misremembering/misreading some rubbish) then painting another logo on the side might be more complex than it would initially seem.

[Zed_Noir]

After reading Zed's post, it occurs to me that Marvel and Musk are missing a huge potential bit of free publicity here. Why hasn't the FH upper stage or PLF got Black Panther or Infinity War promo art painted on? Disney pays a nominal sum to have their next blockbuster's name on every TV screen when the networks show the lift off (because I'm fairly sure they will, although I hardly expect it to be first item) and Musk draws more 'lay' attention to SpaceX.

Because there is a non zero chance of the inaugural Falcon Heavy flight could go very badly. Nobody but SpaceX will take the chance that the last image before something catastrophic happens is their promo art on all media platforms. 

[Zed_Noir]

Furthermore, I seem to remember reading somewhere that even the SpaceX logo on the rockets is painted to a specific size and carefully positioned to avoid static electricity problems. If that's true (and not just me misremembering/misreading some rubbish) then painting another logo on the side might be more complex than it would initially seem.

IIRC the logo on PLFs is usually a giant sticker sheet or two.

[Proponent]

I think your point might be that there probably exists an elliptical orbit with a lower perihelion and a higher aphelion that has the same total energy as the Earth's orbit.

Many such orbits do indeed exist.  If a is the length of the semi-major axis (i.e., the average of aphelion and perihelion), then the specific energy of the orbit is just -0.5GM/a.  Same semi-major axis, same energy.

[Kansan52]

There was a proposal, if memory serves the RTF after Colombia,  to sell space on a billboard arrangement associated with the RTF to support the astronaut memorial fund.

Maybe something like that on the first successful FH paying flight.

[Nomadd]

Because there is a non zero chance of the inaugural Falcon Heavy flight could go very badly. Nobody but SpaceX will take the chance that the last image before something catastrophic happens is their promo art on all media platforms. 

  It would make a great insurance company ad.

 *Things don't always go the way you expected?*

[cscott]

(And it remains unclear whether KSC's rocket garden will even get an F9 booster -- it might get erected in front of the spaceX LCC, where it would be *free* for public visits, unlike at KSC where you have to pay to visit.)

I guess on general terms they are likely to know if they are ever going to fly their stock of pre-block-5 in 3-4 years - there could be a lot of museum pieces available as well as the existing 'no way' list like the one that got wet.

I bet one of the sticking points is who pays for safing, transporting, and erecting the stage.  I'm guessing SpaceX would be reluctant to foot the bill for the for-profit KSC to have one of their rockets.  Apparently even negotiations with the Smithsonian faltered over the exhibit costs, with (reportedly) the Smithsonian wanting SpaceX to pony up for a new building to house the stage in addition to the other costs.

[cscott]

After reading Zed's post, it occurs to me that Marvel and Musk are missing a huge potential bit of free publicity here. Why hasn't the FH upper stage or PLF got Black Panther or Infinity War promo art painted on? Disney pays a nominal sum to have their next blockbuster's name on every TV screen when the networks show the lift off (because I'm fairly sure they will, although I hardly expect it to be first item) and Musk draws more 'lay' attention to SpaceX.

Even this trivial stuff adds time constraints to SpaceX. If the launch is scrubbed and has to stand down for technical reasons for a number of months, the fairing would miss the publicity window for <sponsor X>, and the fairing would have to be repainted or updated with a new sponsor.  It's pretty clear that SpaceX wants the inaugural FH launch to have as few external entanglements as possible.

[gongora]

Also, is anyone aware who will be the person mentioned on the page (https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/falcon-heavy-launches#FeelTheHeat)?

"You will also have the opportunity to hear from a special guest in a live presentation."

My guess would be one of the astronauts they have on-call for astronaut appearances ( https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar?categories=Astronaut%20Appearances )
but they don't want to commit to a specific one in case the launch is delayed or rescheduled.

But of course it could be anyone, maybe even Harrison Ford.

Bill Nye?
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2018/20180201-falcon-heavy-demo-preview.html

My boss, Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye, is scheduled to make an appearance at the Kennedy Space Center visitor's center.

[Kabloona]

Bill Nye it is. Good find, gongora.

[CyndyC]

.....  If Harrison Ford is going to be a guest of Elon's I'd expect him to show up at the private Exploration Tower event (or as a SpaceX VIP, who watch from the VAB I think?), not KSC.

Don't be too surprised if he shows up at Fishlips. I only have anecdotal evidence that could happen, growing up in the same hometown with more than one rock band who became famous, but a number of their members managed to be quite sociable, and coincidentally, one of those members and Harrison Ford used to be residents of Jackson Hole Wyoming at the same time.

[billh]

Any idea when the center core will make it back to port, assuming it is recovered successfully on OCISLY? I'd like to be there to watch if I can.

[Kabloona]

Any idea when the center core will make it back to port, assuming it is recovered successfully on OCISLY? I'd like to be there to watch if I can.

It usually takes 3 days or so for the tow back to port.