+John. Subscriber¹ Posted February 5, 2018 Subscriber¹ Share Posted February 5, 2018 @DocM will they be doing a WDR today? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598183576 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 Dunno, this one has most people guessing. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598183578 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaguyGZT Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 (edited) Likely DDR, then they'll do WDR to make sure there aren't any issues going into tomorrow. Procedures finalization and such, from rollout on down the line. Giving themselves more experience at getting FH out to the Pad from Step XXX.XX and so on. No reason not to, after all. They're SpaceX and they don't want anything biting them in the ass. Not with all eyes on them Tuesday. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598183654 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skiver Veteran Posted February 5, 2018 Veteran Share Posted February 5, 2018 Can someone explain DDR and WDR for the uninformed? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598183698 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+John. Subscriber¹ Posted February 5, 2018 Subscriber¹ Share Posted February 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Skiver said: Can someone explain DDR and WDR for the uninformed? DDR = Dry Dress Rehearsal WDR = Wet Dress Rehearsal Basically simulating launch from the rollout to the moment of takeoff, without actually doing so. Only difference with the Wet one is that propellant is loaded in. BetaguyGZT and DocM 2 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598183742 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skiver Veteran Posted February 5, 2018 Veteran Share Posted February 5, 2018 2 hours ago, John. said: DDR = Dry Dress Rehearsal WDR = Wet Dress Rehearsal Basically simulating launch from the rollout to the moment of takeoff, without actually doing so. Only difference with the Wet one is that propellant is loaded in. Ah, cheers Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598183904 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598183946 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 (edited) Edited February 5, 2018 by DocM BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184026 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184090 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+John. Subscriber¹ Posted February 5, 2018 Subscriber¹ Share Posted February 5, 2018 12 minutes ago, DocM said: oh *that's* what he meant by Life on Mars. I was thinking there'd be a rehearsal with some seriously loud music! BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184130 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 YouTube caption Uploaded on 5 Feb 2018 When Falcon Heavy lifts off, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. 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's 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. Following liftoff, the two side boosters separate from the center core and return to landing sites for future reuse. The center core, traveling further and faster than the side boosters, also returns for reuse, but lands on a drone ship located in the Atlantic Ocean. At max velocity the Roadster will travel 11 km/s (7mi/s) and travel 400 million km (250 million mi) from Earth. 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. 400m km is just shy of Ceres orbit. A slap to SLS's chops. BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184174 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 Getting quotes from the pre-flight presser . BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184406 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184504 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 !!!!! Sounds like Grey Dragon just turned into Grey BFS.... BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184526 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 OMG is right.... BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184574 Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingskippy Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 What are the chances that the S2 doesn't turn into a block of ice with a 6 hour cruise? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184584 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 (edited) They've done Long coasts, 30-120+ minutes, and the main risks are the batteries dying and LOX boiloff. They can roll the stage while in sunlight to warm the RP-1. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184596 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaguyGZT Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Yeah to all of the above. That's gonna be the real chore. LOX/LHe boiloff and the batteries dying out will be the things to watch out for. If the S2 blows, we'll know that LOX/LHe boiloff (and the resulting expansion) occurred and ruptured the tank. If absolutely nothing happens, and the S2 simply "stops responding" but is intact, we'll know that the batteries croaked. Pretty easy to post-mortem it ahead of time when you already know what can go wrong. Here's hoping that it doesn't. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184608 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 (edited) There are pressure relief and vent valves but if they stick yeah , S2 could pop. But it wouldn't be a single point failure. BetaguyGZT 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184660 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaguyGZT Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Right, I was speaking generally. There'd be no way to triage it. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184698 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 (edited) Patch and timeline from the press kit, which contains the pre- and post- launch event timelines. Mission Timeline (all times approximate) COUNTDOWN Hour/Min/Sec Events - 01:28:00 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load - 01:25:00 RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading underway - 00:45:00 LOX (liquid oxygen) loading underway - 00:07:00 Falcon Heavy begins engine chill prior to launch - 00:01:00 Flight computer commanded to begin final prelaunch checks - 00:01:00 Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins - 00:00:45 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch - 00:00:05 Engine controller commands side booster engine ignition sequence to start - 00:00:03 Engine controller commands center core engine ignition sequence to start - 00:00:00 Falcon Heavy liftoff LAUNCH, LANDINGS AND ORBITAL INSERTION Hour/Min/Sec Events 00:01:06 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) 00:02:29 Booster engine cutoff (BECO) 00:02:33 Side cores separate from center core 00:02:50 Side cores begin boostback burn 00:03:04 Center core engine shutdown/main engine cutoff (MECO) 00:03:07 Center core and 2nd stage separate 00:03:15 2nd stage engine starts 00:03:24 Center core begins boostback burn 00:03:49 Fairing deployment 00:06:41 Side cores begin entry burn 00:06:47 Center core begins entry burn 00:07:58 Side core landings 00:08:19 Center core landing 00:08:31 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1) 00:28:22 2nd stage engine restarts 00:28:52 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-2) Mission continues on an experimental long coast and third stage two burn to target a precessing Earth-Mars elliptical orbit around the sun Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598184858 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skiver Veteran Posted February 6, 2018 Veteran Share Posted February 6, 2018 I've been struggling to find an answer to this, can anyone explain the orbit that the Tesla is going to make? My understanding in the most basic terms is that it will enter a Heliocentric Orbit and only pass "near" Mars and will basically continue to orbit around Earth/Mars for billions of years, Sort of an apogee of Mars and perigee around Earth? The part I struggle to understand is that I'm under the belief that a Mars orbit around the sun is not far from being twice that of Earth so surely there will be times where the distance between is a lot greater so a "stable" orbit would not be possible without constant corrections? Also, is there an estimate around how long it will take for the Tesla to get to its apogee around Mars? Sorry for the extreme lack of understanding but I find all of this incredibly interesting but don't have the knowledge to understand half of it. bguy_1986 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598185030 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 (edited) The orbit will be an elliptical path around the Sun, with an apogee beyond Mars orbit and a perigee near Earth's orbit. At intervals it'll come near each planet. This would be similar to, but not the same as, an Aldrin Cycler orbit. Just a different form of Mars Cycler. An Aldrin Cycler orbit is stable and was designed by Buzz Aldrin as a logistical orbit for supplying a Mars base, or one on a Martian moon. What varies with planetary positions is the transit time. Its first pass by Mars orbit should take several months. Edited February 6, 2018 by DocM BetaguyGZT and Skiver 2 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598185116 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaguyGZT Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Yep, it'll be out near Ceres' orbit at its' apogee. Over time, the characteristics of the orbit will modify somewhat due to gravitational influences, but not a lot. Pretty stable orbit actually. DocM 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598185130 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaguyGZT Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Something that just occurred to me -- the tires. Those are going to be put to the test, I think. Not in the usual way, though ... Hope they remembered to let the air out of 'em. Otherwise there's gonna be lots and lots of debris if they let go. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1244836-spacex-falcon-heavy-updates-maiden-flight/page/12/#findComment-598185134 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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