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Company says it is building world's biggest rocket
Yahoo News ^
| 5 Apr 2011
| SETH BORENSTEIN
Posted on 04/05/2011 11:39:39 AM PDT by mandaladon
WASHINGTON A high-tech entrepreneur has unveiled plans to launch the world's most powerful rocket since man went to the moon.
The rocket could lift twice as much cargo into orbit as the soon-to-be-retired space shuttle.
Space Exploration Technology's new rocket called Falcon Heavy is big enough to send cargo or even people out of Earth's orbit to the moon, an asteroid or Mars. Only the long retired Saturn V rocket that sent men to the moon was bigger.
Space X president Elon Musk said Falcon Heavy will be far cheaper than government or private rockets. Launches are about $100 million each. The first launch is slotted for 2013 from California.
Potential customers are NASA, the military, other governments and satellite makers.
Musk founded PayPal and launches smaller rockets.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Technical
KEYWORDS: falconheavy; rockets; space
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Space X president Elon Musk said Falcon Heavy will be far cheaper than government or private rockets. Launches are about $100 million each. The first launch is slotted for 2013 from California government is always more expensive than private sector.
To: mandaladon
Bernie Madoff thought he had the world's biggest racket.
But Social Security still wins that prize.
To: ClearCase_guy
To: mandaladon
There is a big difference between plans and a rocket of his description.
call me back in 2013 and lets see how close he is.
4
posted on
04/05/2011 11:43:44 AM PDT
by
Venturer
To: mandaladon
5
posted on
04/05/2011 11:45:38 AM PDT
by
TSgt
(Colonel Allen West & Michele Bachman - 2012 POTUS Dream Team Ticket!)
To: mandaladon
I stood under one of the Saturn V engines at the National Air & Space Museum once. I read somewhere that during launch power output was equal to 20% of the country’s electric power output for that time. And they designed that stuff with slide rules. Kind of like the big guns on the battleships, they won’t be built again.
6
posted on
04/05/2011 11:47:03 AM PDT
by
printhead
To: TSgt
Does Paris Hilton or Snooky know about this?
7
posted on
04/05/2011 11:47:14 AM PDT
by
RexBeach
("I'd horse whip you, if I had a horse!" -Groucho)
To: mandaladon
“World’s largest” except it ain’t.
8
posted on
04/05/2011 11:49:40 AM PDT
by
Atlas Sneezed
("If you touch my junk, I'm gonna have you arrested.")
To: mandaladon
9
posted on
04/05/2011 11:49:40 AM PDT
by
mandaladon
(PalinGenesis)
To: mandaladon
Hey, dream big and go for it. As long as it’s a private venture and creates jobs, it’s cool.
One would think, though, that once the motor itself reaches a certain size, the thrust-weight ratio would start to flatten out.
10
posted on
04/05/2011 11:50:38 AM PDT
by
lurk
To: Venturer
He's got a reputation of doing what he plans. His company is the first private entity to orbit a man-ratable capsule and return it safely.
/johnny
To: Venturer
Seeing that this is just an incremental improvement over his already-proven rockets, I don’t think this is just hype.
12
posted on
04/05/2011 11:51:25 AM PDT
by
thecabal
(Destroy Progressivism)
To: Venturer
13
posted on
04/05/2011 11:54:59 AM PDT
by
mandaladon
(PalinGenesis)
To: printhead
Well, Wehrner von Braun was a genius.
We actually went to the moon with less computer power than is in a calculator you can get for $1.98 at Wally’s today.
14
posted on
04/05/2011 12:03:26 PM PDT
by
Emperor Palpatine
(Tosca, mi fai dimenticare Iddio!!!)
To: Venturer
There is a big difference between plans and a rocket of his description. call me back in 2013 and lets see how close he is.
Some of the components they will use have already been used successfully on real launches.
15
posted on
04/05/2011 12:03:45 PM PDT
by
Moonman62
(Half of all Americans are above average. Politicians come from the other half.)
To: TSgt
So...27 different opportunities for a malfunction?
16
posted on
04/05/2011 12:04:20 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
(This post is not a statement of fact. It is merely a personal opinion -- or humor -- or both)
To: mandaladon
Space X president Elon Musk said Falcon Heavy will be far cheaper than government or private rockets. Launches are about $100 million each. The first launch is slotted for 2013 from California. Potential customers are NASA, the military, other governments and satellite makers.
Musk founded PayPal and launches smaller rockets.
So I can charge one on my PayPal account?
17
posted on
04/05/2011 12:04:50 PM PDT
by
The_Victor
(If all I want is a warm feeling, I should just wet my pants.)
To: printhead
I stood under one of the Saturn V engines at the National Air & Space Museum once. I read somewhere that during launch power output was equal to 20% of the countrys electric power output for that time. And they designed that stuff with slide rules. Kind of like the big guns on the battleships, they wont be built again. Initial studies for the F1 began in the early 1950's.
18
posted on
04/05/2011 12:05:06 PM PDT
by
Moonman62
(Half of all Americans are above average. Politicians come from the other half.)
To: mandaladon
But can he do it cheaper than the russians?
19
posted on
04/05/2011 12:06:41 PM PDT
by
smokingfrog
( sleep with one eye open ( <o> ---)
To: mandaladon
It will never happen as there is no Muslim outreach mentioned.
20
posted on
04/05/2011 12:07:36 PM PDT
by
AEMILIUS PAULUS
(It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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