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

[andylander]

Starman in Red Roadster

https://www.instagram.com/p/BezcvpzAgYI/

Is this just a mannequin that's there just for the picture, or is this a passenger? 

Also, is that a camera just in front of the Roadster?

Space Stig?

Hahahahaha! Perfect.

[Ben the Space Brit]

I would lay odds that there will be another camera either in the spacesuit's helmet or looking over its shoulder.  That will capture the dash car with a look out the front window.  Maybe even a stencil on the front instrument cluster reading "ludicrous speed engaged".

I'd put a sticker on the glove compartment: "300,000km/s - It's not just a good idea, it's the law!"

[Norm38]

The only thing that could make this any stranger/cooler is if that suited figure is actually a robot that can turn its head and give a thumbs up to the camera.

[intrepidpursuit]

I hope they have a camera setup on the mini car in such a way that it appears to be free floating to give them an impossible camera angle. Think star wars miniatures.

[toruonu]

And we have a webcast link now!



Usually, there is also a press kit link on the SpaceX Webcast site, but apparently not this time.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast

I think the webcast has broken timezones. It says launch in 32h at 1:30 PM PST. I think it should be EST at least according to what I have found elsewhere.

[ZachS09]

It's unfortunate that there's no technical webcast for this launch.

I understand there hasn't been one on most launches since SpaceX CRS-11 last year, but I remember reading a post saying that technical webcasts could be a thing for special occasions like the maiden Falcon Heavy mission.

[vanoord]

I think the webcast has broken timezones. It says launch in 32h at 1:30 PM PST. I think it should be EST at least according to what I have found elsewhere.

Saying 'live in 31 hours' for me - currently 13.30 ish UCT here, so that puts it at 20.30 UCT tomorrow, which is 15:30 EST.

[sailor.dm]

Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit.

What about Energia?

Technically, both Energia launches weren't orbital. The orbit was achieved by payloads themselves, under their own power. Which allow SpaceX PR to get away with claims like this.

[ugordan]

It's unfortunate that there's no technical webcast for this launch.

Quite.

[vapour_nudge]

I just checked and it appears “The Stig” is driving this Roadster to space. Some people call him the “Starman”, we just call him “The Stig”

[envy887]

Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit.

What about Energia?

Technically, both Energia launches weren't orbital. The orbit was achieved by payloads themselves, under their own power. Which allow SpaceX PR to get away with claims like this.

The first one didn't reach orbit at all due to a Polyus failure. The second delivered Buran to a suborbital trajectory very near orbit... but Buran, like the Shuttle, wasn't really a payload but part of a partially-reusable orbital launch vehicle system.

Like Shuttle, the Energia-Buran combination (despite it's higher IMLEO) could only deliver about half as much actual payload to orbit as Falcon Heavy can deliver. Energia with a payload like Polyus could potentially have delivered more, but never succeeded in doing so.

[cscott]

Is it possible that the "starman" isn't (just) for looks---could SpaceX have snuck in an actual test of their suit?  The suit is supposed to be a launch-and-landing suit, not an EVA suit.  Are there any useful tests that could be done by instrumenting the suit as it floats in interplanetary space? Maybe there's ECLSS aboard?

[sailor.dm]

but Buran, like the Shuttle, wasn't really a payload but part of a partially-reusable orbital launch vehicle system.

As a matter of fact, Buran was the pure payload like the Polyus was. It wasn't an integral and irreplaceable part of the Energia launch system like the Shuttle Orbiters were, neither was it assisting the Energia part of the launch at all. It only became active after the separation and circularized the orbit under its own power. Both Energia launches were suborbital. (and the first one was successful for the Energia despite the Polyus failing to reorient itself for the circularization burn in time)

[Norm38]

I just checked and it appears “The Stig” is driving this Roadster to space. Some people call him the “Starman”, we just call him “The Stig”

For those who aren't British or watch Top Gear.
The Stig: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stig

[Johnnyhinbos]

Someone over on the Facebook group says they’ve been told be a SpaceXer that the “X” on the payload adaptor is special - it’s made with the names of the employees who worked on the rocket. Don’t know if it’s true - but it wouldn’t surprise me at all...

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Best of luck @SpaceX with the Falcon Heavy launch tomorrow – hoping for a beautiful, nominal flight! @BlueOrigin #GradatimFerociter

https://twitter.com/jeffbezos/status/960521086298238976

[Demidrol]

Someone over on the Facebook group says they’ve been told be a SpaceXer that the “X” on the payload adaptor is special - it’s made with the names of the employees who worked on the rocket. Don’t know if it’s true - but it wouldn’t surprise me at all...

Actually, that info came from reddit user - https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/7vcraf/starman_in_red_roadster/dtrcpe0/

[obi-wan]

Two #FalconHeavy infographics from this @FT launch preview

https://www.ft.com/content/3aaba5d8-09c1-11e8-8eb7-42f857ea9f09

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/960383330809151488

The second infographic is wrong - the shuttle did not have higher thrust than the Saturn V, it was about 6.2 million pounds as compared to 7.6. It should lie right about midway between Saturn V and Falcon Heavy.

Also interesting there wasn't a single Atlas variant on the chart...

[ZachF]

There’s a second Roadster and astronaut - on the dash. (I didn’t discover this). 

I wonder if the second roadster/starman has another roadster/starman on it's dash....

[Johnnyhinbos]

There’s a second Roadster and astronaut - on the dash. (I didn’t discover this). 

I wonder if the second roadster/starman has another roadster/starman on it's dash....

(That was the point of my recursive footnote...)