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This evening at 6:30pm GMT SpaceX are going to attempt to launch their new Falcon 9 Heavy. It can carry more than twice as much as the next largest rocket current in use to LEO.
Falcon Heavy will be a 'great rocket launch or the best fireworks display'
The most impressive thing is that they are going to try and land all 3 boosters independently so they can be reused. Once it works each launch will be about 90m USDcompared with 1bn USD for NASA's equivalent rocket which won't be ready for at least 2 years.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy launch on 11:51 - Feb 6 with 10438 views
Just watched a report on the local news channel and its expected 100,000 will head over to the space coast, and the reporter has talked to folks camping overnight! It also mentioned that 2 of the boosters will return to land and the other out in the ocean on a barge. I thought about driving over but with the chance of the launch being delayed i'm going to watch from my roof 50 plus miles away and then wished i'd driven across!
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy launch on 12:12 - Feb 6 with 10418 views
Best fireworks display... on 13:27 - Feb 6 by StokieBlue
Well, it's his money essentially and the only "passenger" is his own Tesla Roadster.
SB
I think SpaceX is now self financing, same can not be said for Jeff Bezos and his space company that said it's allowed him to design and start testing rockets that will be the same size as the Saturn V .
I believe SpaceX are aiming for a manned mission by the end of this year.
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Best fireworks display... on 13:50 - Feb 6 with 10310 views
Best fireworks display... on 13:43 - Feb 6 by IpswichKnight
I think SpaceX is now self financing, same can not be said for Jeff Bezos and his space company that said it's allowed him to design and start testing rockets that will be the same size as the Saturn V .
I believe SpaceX are aiming for a manned mission by the end of this year.
SpaceX is self-financing now with all the contracts it has for the normal Falcon 9 but Musk still owns the majority stake and it's not a publicly listed company at the moment.
I don't think Bezos has anything at the planning stage as big as a Saturn V? SpaceX however have the BFR planned from 2222 which is even bigger than the Saturn V and will be fully reusable:
Best fireworks display... on 13:50 - Feb 6 by StokieBlue
SpaceX is self-financing now with all the contracts it has for the normal Falcon 9 but Musk still owns the majority stake and it's not a publicly listed company at the moment.
I don't think Bezos has anything at the planning stage as big as a Saturn V? SpaceX however have the BFR planned from 2222 which is even bigger than the Saturn V and will be fully reusable:
As with anything, it's not the size but what you do with it.
In this case whilst the New Glenn is tall it doesn't deliver much payload to LEO. For instance:
New Glenn LEO payload: 45,000kg Falcon Heavy LEO payload: 64,000kg Saturn V LEO payload: 140,000kg BFR LEO payload: 150,000kg
So Blue Origin would seem quite a way behind SpaceX at the moment, however it's easy to plan things, actually making them work is far harder so still plenty to play for.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
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Best fireworks display... on 15:40 - Feb 6 with 10232 views
Best fireworks display... on 15:34 - Feb 6 by StokieBlue
As with anything, it's not the size but what you do with it.
In this case whilst the New Glenn is tall it doesn't deliver much payload to LEO. For instance:
New Glenn LEO payload: 45,000kg Falcon Heavy LEO payload: 64,000kg Saturn V LEO payload: 140,000kg BFR LEO payload: 150,000kg
So Blue Origin would seem quite a way behind SpaceX at the moment, however it's easy to plan things, actually making them work is far harder so still plenty to play for.
SB
Indeed they are! Falcon heavy will allow SpaceX to start putting the bigger US military satellites into space. We will soon see manned SpaceX missions though primarily for space tourism the dragon capsule is already compatible to the ISS and unlike Orion is ready to go into Space this year.
Hopefully I'll make it home in time for the launch!
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Best fireworks display... on 15:44 - Feb 6 with 10221 views
Best fireworks display... on 13:50 - Feb 6 by StokieBlue
SpaceX is self-financing now with all the contracts it has for the normal Falcon 9 but Musk still owns the majority stake and it's not a publicly listed company at the moment.
I don't think Bezos has anything at the planning stage as big as a Saturn V? SpaceX however have the BFR planned from 2222 which is even bigger than the Saturn V and will be fully reusable:
Those rockets are going to be good for the environment, whatever people think of Musk at least his battery/electrics engines/rockets are helping to keep the atmosphere clean
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy launch on 21:00 - Feb 6 with 10003 views
Is this all part of the plan to go off and f#ck up more planets as well as our own ? What a waste of time and money. Elon Musk.... ....."His goals include reducing global warming through sustainable energy production and consumption, and reducing the "risk of human extinction" by establishing a human colony on Mars.[26]" ....covering all his bases then. Techno fix loon, it is people with his mindset that has got our planet into the mess it is.
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."