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SpaceX Falcon Heavy updates (Falcon Heavier?)

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  • #16
    Blogger/Video blogger Everyday Astronaut explains how Falcon Heavy works, why it took so long and other tidbits.

    His spacesuit is real - it's a Russian suit bought at auction. He has press credentials and access. He's just a bit....different

    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

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    • #17
      Craig Vander Galien
      @Craig_VG
      Here's the TEL at 39a rolling into the HIF on the 22nd... see the hold downs for #falconHeavy ?? Credit https://www.instagram.com/jason_barkley/
      11:09 AM - Dec 26, 2017 · Florida, USA

      IMG_20171226_132646.jpg

      Emiliano C. Diaz de Leon
      @ECDiazdeLeon
      We got a sneak peek at @SpaceX #FalconHeavy rocket while taking the bus tour. #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/18gnRCXobF
      11:27 AM - Dec 26, 2017

      IMG_20171226_132829.jpg
      Dr. Mordrid
      ----------------------------
      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

      Comment


      • #18
        How does the FH compare to the venerable Saturn V?
        “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
        –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

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        • #19
          Saturn V had 7.9 million lbf of first stage thrust.

          FH #1 is a mix of Block 3 (boosters) and Block 4 (center), so 5.1 million lbs of thrust.

          Subsequent FH's will be all Block 5's with about 5.5+ million lbf. Enough to launch the mass of a fully fuelled 737-200 loaded, crewed, and PAX, to orbit, with change.

          The BFR booster will be about 15 million lbf..
          Dr. Mordrid
          ----------------------------
          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

          Comment


          • #20
            So no one has technically matched the lift power of the legendary Saturn V, but it's in the works. I wonder if the SLS or the BFR will be first to best the Saturn V.
            “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
            –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

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            • #21
              SLS is seriously late, severely over budget and is under may not fly until 2022/2023. Even when it does fly it'll be an early version with only 50-60% of the lift of Saturn V. The full version of SLS, roughly a Saturn V equivalent, won't fly until 2028 at the earliest. This is when the RS-25E engines and Advanced Boosters are to be delivered. Until then it's using up leftover Shuttle main engines and booster tech.

              Price: $4-5 billion a launch.

              Once BFR, Blue Origin's New Glenn & New Armstrong, Vulcan-ACES and other super-heavies near flight at 10-20% of the price, SLS will be a dead man walking. It may only fly 4 times, just long enough to use up the leftover Shuttle main engines.
              Dr. Mordrid
              ----------------------------
              An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

              I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

              Comment


              • #22
                Wow, the New Glenn is gigantic!

                “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
                –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

                Comment


                • #23
                  New Glenn is large because you need bigger tanks for methane fuel, which has a lower bulk density than FH's RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene.)

                  New Glenn: 45,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit

                  Falcon Heavy: 68,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit

                  Credit to @ExploreSpaceKSC

                  Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 28 December 2017, 10:19.
                  Dr. Mordrid
                  ----------------------------
                  An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                  I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Credit: NASASpaceFlight.com

                    post-10859-0-26857100-1514514691.jpg
                    Dr. Mordrid
                    ----------------------------
                    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Here-We-GO!!

                      Chris G - NSF @ChrisG_NSF
                      Oh, yeah. And after the #Zuma launch on the 4th, #SpaceX plans to static fire #FalconHeavy 2 days later on the 6th… leading to an opening of FH’s launch window no earlier than 15 January! Not too bad for the first two weeks of the year. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017...tic-fire-test/ …
                      9:45 AM - Jan 2, 2018
                      Dr. Mordrid
                      ----------------------------
                      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        3000x2000 hires beauty pics of Falcon Heavy. 2 are wallpaper quality, and note the vehicles for scale.

                        https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/

                        Neat drone footage of FH on the pad
                        at the link. Note the vehicles in the frame for scale.



                        SpaceX ✔ @SpaceX
                        With more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff—equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft at full power—Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. http://instagram.com/p/BdeEU2glMJT
                        9:10 PM - Jan 2, 2018
                        Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 2 January 2018, 21:42.
                        Dr. Mordrid
                        ----------------------------
                        An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                        I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Video at link.

                          Static Fire engines test next week.

                          Elon Musk ✔ @elonmusk
                          Falcon Heavy goes vertical
                          7:30 PM - Jan 4, 2018
                          https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/949075475036487680
                          Dr. Mordrid
                          ----------------------------
                          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            ROLLOUT for the static test firing,

                            Susan @Luindriel
                            NASA bus tour. @SpaceX Heavy is inching its way out of the hangar.
                            10:50 AM - Jan 8, 2018

                            Dr. Mordrid
                            ----------------------------
                            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Pic at link

                              @julia_bergeron
                              Falcon Heavy vertical at 39A today in prep. for Wednesday's static test fire attempt between 1300 and 1900. Seen from the @ExploreSpaceKSC bus tour. As big as the Heavy is, the tower still blocks the view of the rocket from the Saturn V center. #FalconHeavy @NASASpaceflight

                              https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/s...65636757704704

                              We have a static fire window!

                              @EmreKelly
                              #FalconHeavy status update: SpaceX scheduled to attempt test fire between 1300 and 1900 Wednesday. Looking forward to the brief rumble.

                              https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/950761870985658368
                              Dr. Mordrid
                              ----------------------------
                              An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                              I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                A source says if there's a successful static fire launch is NET January 25th.

                                Stock up on the beer & popcorn.
                                Dr. Mordrid
                                ----------------------------
                                An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                                I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                                Comment

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