Elon Musk's Space X Rocket Launch Tonight

Bygone_Tones · February 2018

Here's a guy that definitely 'thinks big' (and has the money to). Should be quite cool to watch. Broadcast live tonight from 6pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42950957

How the stig will be sent into space:

Ravenous · February 2018

And the real clever thing is, if everything works, the main rocket stages will come back to earth and be re-used. As seen in the above video. (Apparently the two side boosters they're using this time are already second-hand.)

sinbaadi · February 2018

As if there isn't enough space junk already!
Actually this is pretty cool and I'll be watching.

Ravenous · February 2018

By the way they've put the launch back to at least 19:20 UK time apparently. (Wind shear at altitude)

mrkb · February 2018

Ravenous said:

By the way they've put the launch back to at least 19:20 UK time apparently. (Wind shear at altitude)

They’ll want to make sure it’s dark to get the best firework effect

ToneControl · February 2018

what's to stop the car somersaulting forever?
Or have they fitted stabilising rockets to it somewhere?

Bygone_Tones · February 2018

Ravenous said:

By the way they've put the launch back to at least 19:20 UK time apparently. (Wind shear at altitude)

Looks like it has been put back to 8.05pm now, according to the spacex website.

DesVegas · February 2018

Old Musky is a standup guy. I too was wondering about the car spinning whilst in orbit. But glad he has put 3 video cameras on it for us to view.

Ravenous · February 2018

ToneControl said:

what's to stop the car somersaulting forever?
Or have they fitted stabilising rockets to it somewhere?

It probably will just end up rotating - I don't think they're fitting any sort of attitude control to it. Presumably just transmitters so we can see the pictures.

It's really just ballast, they can't test-launch the rocket empty (it'd be an unrealistic test) so they need some weight at the top.

Bygone_Tones · February 2018

Launch will be at 8.45pm apparently. Here's the link if you want to watch it live:

sinbaadi · February 2018

ToneControl said:

what's to stop the car somersaulting forever?
Or have they fitted stabilising rockets to it somewhere?

Why would it start to somersault?

Bygone_Tones · February 2018

Ravenous said:
It's really just ballast, they can't test-launch the rocket empty (it'd be an unrealistic test) so they need some weight at the top.

ballast penelope...

littlegreenman · February 2018

T - 5 minutes!

joeyowen · February 2018

Very cool!

Bygone_Tones · February 2018

Wow. Incredible how they get the boosters back like that. So quickly too.

Nitefly · February 2018

Wow, the boosters landed practically in sync! I hope we get to see if the second stage landed ok...

axisus · February 2018

Looks boring to me, I must be lacking testosterone. Stick a fast car in a rocket, blast it into space. I'm surprise that they aren't planning on blowing it up at some point.