Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy rocket launches successfully
The launch of this turbocharged version of the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, which has been carrying cargo to space for years, marks an important milestone in spaceflight, the first time a rocket this powerful has been sent into space by a private company rather than a government space agency.
The rocket carried a playful payload: Mr. Musk’s red Roadster, an electric sports car built by his other company, Tesla. Strapped inside the car is a mannequin wearing one of SpaceX’s spacesuits. They are expected to orbit the sun for hundreds of millions of years.
With the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lb)---a mass greater than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel--Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost. Falcon Heavy draws upon the proven heritage and reliability of Falcon 9.
Its first stage is composed of three Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft. Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit. Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars.
Article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/06/science/falcon-heavy-spacex-launch.html
Reference:
http://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy
#space #SPACEX #FalconHeavy #universe #science
Saturn V was the most powerful?
ReplyDeleteThe Falcon Heavy stands 230 ft (70 m) tall, its core has a diameter of 12 ft (3.66 m), and when fully assembled with its side boosters is 40 ft (12.2 m) wide and weighs 3,132,301 lb (1,420,788 kg).
ReplyDeleteThe Saturn V with its three stages in place, tops out at 363 ft (110.6 m) tall, has a diameter of 33 ft (10.1 m), and tips the scales at 6,540,000 lb (2,970,000 kg). So...the answer is, yes.
That landing of the 2 boosters looked so... Movie like :)
ReplyDeleteSo great!
Next major leap: BFR? Or is there another major leap between now and BFR?
Corina Marinescu thanks, somehow I knew you would know!
ReplyDeleteYeah, watching those boosters land successfully was like watching a 1950's scifi movie, only it was real. That was eerily cool.
ReplyDeleteMark Gaiser I heard Elon interviewed afterward, the BFR is being developed now and is next up, no intermediary
ReplyDeleteI wonder when the first launch with a 'live' payload will be? Anyone want to sign up when they do?
ReplyDeleteSam Collett: one of my aspirations is to ride Olympus Mons on a mountain bike, so, sure!
ReplyDelete