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SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

bbc.co.uk

11–20 of 27 posts

Re: SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

#11
post #8
post #4

The title of this post is incorrect. We have to wait a few hours to know if the rocket man has made it to Mars orbit. EDIT: It's not a Mars orbit, its a solar orbit that puts it close to Mars at times. From the linked article: "If all phases of the flight are successful - and that will not be known until at least 6.5 hours after lift-off - the Tesla and its passenger will be despatched into an elliptical orbit around…

Actually, no, once the 2nd stage cuts off the trajectory is mostly fixed and we know what orbit it is in. There are, I believe, two more small burns that will be done to adjust the trajectory, but these are more of an adjustment to what kind of Martian transfer orbit it is in. It already has the hyperbolic velocity to leave Earth's orbit, and enter solar orbit with an apogee at the same distance as Mars. In 6.5 hours…

Unless I'm mistaken, it's not on a trajectory out of Earth orbit currently.

It is in a parking orbit, where it will sit for a few hours and then will reignite and will be set on a trajectory toward "martian orbit".

IIRC currently they are testing (or proving depending on how confident they are) that they can have the second stage sit for several hours in space before reignighting.

Re: SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

#13
post #12
post #9

Center core is gone, didn't land successfully. Well it was a test and most of the flight succeeded https://twitter.com/kimballclark/status/960986447770656768

This could reference the video feed, was before 1&2 landed?

The core looked like it had some engine fire just before the 2 boosters landed and it wasn’t from the central engine.

Re: SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

#14
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This could reference the video feed, was before 1&2 landed?

The core looked like it had some engine fire just before the 2 boosters landed and it wasn’t from the central engine.

It also looked like it was falling sideways, but I didn't know the camera orientation so I had no idea

Re: SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

#16
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, no, once the 2nd stage cuts off the trajectory is mostly fixed and we know what orbit it is in. There are, I believe, two more small burns that will be done to adjust the trajectory, but these are more of an adjustment to what kind of Martian transfer orbit it is in. It already has the hyperbolic velocity to leave Earth's orbit, and enter solar orbit with an apogee at the same distance as Mars. In 6.5 hours…

Unless I'm mistaken, it's not on a trajectory out of Earth orbit currently. It is in a parking orbit, where it will sit for a few hours and then will reignite and will be set on a trajectory toward "martian orbit". IIRC currently they are testing (or proving depending on how confident they are) that they can have the second stage sit for several hours in space before reignighting.

I think you're correct. At stage 2 cutoff, they were showing a speed of ~26,000 km/h, which is approximately orbital velocity, not escape velocity.

Re: SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

#17
post #8
post #4

The title of this post is incorrect. We have to wait a few hours to know if the rocket man has made it to Mars orbit. EDIT: It's not a Mars orbit, its a solar orbit that puts it close to Mars at times. From the linked article: "If all phases of the flight are successful - and that will not be known until at least 6.5 hours after lift-off - the Tesla and its passenger will be despatched into an elliptical orbit around…

Actually, no, once the 2nd stage cuts off the trajectory is mostly fixed and we know what orbit it is in. There are, I believe, two more small burns that will be done to adjust the trajectory, but these are more of an adjustment to what kind of Martian transfer orbit it is in. It already has the hyperbolic velocity to leave Earth's orbit, and enter solar orbit with an apogee at the same distance as Mars. In 6.5 hours…

I hope we see more images of Starman, driving his car with the Earth shrinking behind him.

Re: SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

#18
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's a Martian transfer orbit, albeit without Mars at the other end.

Meaning it could have reached Mars, they just chose not to?

Yes, depending on time of year. They could probably have aimed to hit Mars, but stopping in Mars orbit would (probably) require another burn on the Mars end.

Regardless, like other posts have said, they haven't actually left Earth orbit yet. There's one more burn in about 5 hours.

Re: SpaceX successfully deploys the Star man

#19
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's a Martian transfer orbit, albeit without Mars at the other end.

Meaning it could have reached Mars, they just chose not to?

It would reach it if they lined up the dates, yeah. Landing something on mars just wasn't the goal here
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