Posted on 01/05/2018 6:09:23 PM PST by BenLurkin
Musk means that if the launch fails, the Falcon Heavy, currently standing at the Florida launch pad where Apollo astronauts began the first journey to the moon, could end up in a massive explosion over the Atlantic Ocean.
"There's a lot of risk associated with Falcon Heavy," Musk said at a conference in 2017. "Real good chance that the vehicle doesn't make it to orbit."
On the other hand, if the launch is successful, we'll see Musk launch his own cherry-red Tesla Roadster toward Mars followed by another spectacular first: SpaceX will attempt to simultaneously land and recover all three of the Falcon Heavy's first-stage rocket cores.
Of course, it's also possible the launch will be successful but all three landings may not be pulled off. This means we may get to see smaller explosions at either the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station landing pads where two of the cores will attempt landing, or on the offshore droneship the third will target.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnet.com ...
HEADLINE COPY/PASTE FAIL:
Should be “SpaceX Falcon Heavy debut will be epic, one way or another”
Article ends: “The success of Falcon Heavy is a key stepping stone in Musk’s master plan to eventually colonize Mars. The successor rocket to Heavy will be the so-called “BFR” capable of sending loads of potential colonists to the red planet.”
Interestingly, author doesn’t say what “BFR” stands for.
Man, I was so confused trying to connect the content back to the title!
Heh, Musk has stated it stands for Big F****** Rocket.
I believe it is something like “Big Frackin’ Rocket.”
Well, duh. It’s the Big eFfing Rocket.
Wow, 30 seconds between those replies. We should meet up and have a beer.
“Interestingly, author doesn’t say what “BFR” stands for”
The acronym was picked by the same guy that named his 4 models of electric cars S E X Y.
Mildly indifferent to loosing an expensive rocket when government subsidizes your company
When we had a rodent problem in the communications center where I used to work, a cry of “BFR!” would go out whenever there was a sighting.
Please correct if wrong but isn’t this built from surplus Russian engines coupled in large clusters of several that must all work reliably at the same rate at the very same time? I believe the Russians had problems with this coupling and necessity to have all engines work very similarly at the same time and it resulted in some spectacular explosions.
I don’t like Elon Musk. He is a shameless promoter and leech of gubment money. The team has done some spectacular things though.
No. In SpaceX's early days, probably even before there was a SpaceX, Musk visited Russia to try to buy Russian engines. They did not take him seriously, and he left thinking they were just trying to rip him off. Their engines I believe are 100% homegrown, and SpaceX does not outsource much design work or manufacturing at all.
Big Falcon Rocket
Looking forward to it. I was pretty close to getting a job with SpaceX, but didn’t make the final cut. I love what they do and follow their launches closely. Good luck Elon!
The launch live feed from Space-X control center in LA (Hawthorne) often features a bunch of liberal engineers chanting "USA! USA! USA!".
Big F***ing Rocket?
When? What time?
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