[SpaceX] New Falcon Heavy rocket preparing for launch

Its finally going down!

 

The BFR videos took the luster off the Falcon Heavy for me until recently. A guy that works for me can't stop talking about it and is flying to MCO early tomorrow morning to witness it. He single-handedly got me fired up.

 

It's packed out here. I'm on the beach about 3 miles out. We got here about 9am. I hate to see what it looks like in town.

 

Its definitely a big deal. We haven't been making any good progress on rocket design since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviets correctly banked on the idea of massive rockets carrying manned payloads instead of the Space Shuttle's hybrid system. The original Buran design (the Soviet shuttle) operated on this principle while the Space Shuttle had its own engines in addition to its rocket boosters. The Soviet approach ended up being safer (in principle although the Soviets didn't have the same access to technology) and cheaper. But the collapse of the Soviet Union basically erased all of that work while the US was committed to a clearly inferior approach with the Space Shuttle delivery system. Plus the ULA was just content with its monopoly on lifting payloads so it hasn't really pushed the bounds of rocket design like SpaceX has. As a whole, the US just hasn't been very invested in rocket design while the Russians frankly don't have the resources to really do anything ground breaking right now.

 

I guess SpaceX has really hit the big time. The event will be on TV instead of just the webcast.

Think about it: Elon Musk is launching his Roadster into space while trying to land 3 rockets while the entire world watches. It doesn't get any better than this (if all goes well).

 

When is the launch?

 

Keeps getting delayed. Launch time is now set for 2:45pm our time

and there is a webcast:

 

So far so good. What an amazing machine so far.

 

They did it!!!

Now back to nba trade rumors!

Will the boosters land??

 

both boosters just landed. freaking cool.

 

Boosters landed...

Honestly... that part seems more impressive to watch then the liftoff

 

That was AMAZING. Those boosters landing didn't even look real. I guess we've been so desensitized by CGI, etc. that it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that it really happened.

 

Words cannot describe that. After it cleared the launch pad, felt like my heart stopped for a couple of seconds.

 

It was cool how they used a fisheye lens to make the earth look round.

 

What happened to the core booster??
Radio silence on that so far...

 

Pretty darn cool..........but ya....I'm searching the Internet for that center core.

 

Just watched the video...wow that was amazing! There is a car in space!