Really love SpaceX - 63 tons- this is a lot
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
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Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#262Center core going to Mars? https://twitter.com/FalconMainCore/status/960992022575374336
Vaguely. In reality it's going to an orbit that will cross Mars' orbit, but it won't actually be particularly near Mars for a very long time. It's a good proof of concept that they could launch something to Mars with this vehicle though.
Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#263Been watching all the previous launches. This one felt like a special moment in time.
Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#264There was something doubly awesome about the two falcons landing at the same time right next to each other!
So true. Was that just a happy coincidence? I wonder how much work went into coordinating there landings.
Well they do separate at the same time and fly the same path back to earth so not a coincidence (though it's really satisfying)
Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#265Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#266Wow. I can’t recall the last time I got this emotional from watching something on TV. Good thing my wife is asleep, cause I’m tear-eyed over two rockets touching down at the same time...
Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#267I like everything about private space exploration except this: when we sent the Voyager golden record to space, we consulted with the great minds about which were the important landmarks of our civilisation. In this model, it's all about idiosyncrasies: the Voyager record had the Vitruvian Man, this has an astronaut on a sports car and largely-irrelevant sci-fi stories. Of course, private space probably means the who…
Those "largely-irrelevant sci-fi stories" are partially what helped inspire the people that accomplished this.
Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#268Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can't fault them for sure, but it's strange for them. SpaceX tends to be very upfront with their failures, and tends to broadcast and in many cases re-upload video of their failures. Doubly so when the "failure" isn't part of the primary mission.
It wasn't a lie; they just didn't know the result. There have been multiple cases in the past when contact was temporarily lost after drone ship landing.
It's ok to be professional and say that you need a day to look at a failure (if it's that) before you announce it with the beginnings of an understanding.
Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#269There was something doubly awesome about the two falcons landing at the same time right next to each other!
Yes, that was pretty SF. So, whats to stop them attaching an additional two (or more) to the existing rocket now that they have the basic synchronization worked out.
The fairing diameter would not be much larger than it is right now and that is a limit all by itself. A bigger rocket would support a larger fairing.
Re: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches
#270Earlier quoted context omitted.
These are only baby steps at the beginning of the adventure.
But. We are making them! I've almost lost hope around the end of the Space Shuttle program. I thought it will be only satellites, ISS and occasional science probe launches. SpaceX single-handedly restored my faith in the future of space activities again, and with other player on the scene, we now have realistic hope of seeing an actual industry in space within our lifetimes.
I didn't think I'd say it, but after reading @Pinboard's history of a space shuttle, I'm glad we're moving past politicized too big to fail projects.
http://idlewords.com/2005/08/a_rocket_to_nowhere.htm