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Eric Sofer
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 3:17pm | IP Logged | 1
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I just watched, in real time, the launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy spacecraft. The launch was perfect... the boosters landed as expected, on location and under power... and we're still advancing into outer space.
I haven't felt excitement like that since watching the Apollo launches. And now that it's been shown that private industry CAN do something... it will be done. NASA must be both sad and gleeful, and our government must be ashamed (yeah, as if this were the ONLY reason!)
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 3:24pm | IP Logged | 2
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It's an exciting time to be alive!
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Conrad Teves
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 2230
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 3:30pm | IP Logged | 3
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I haven't been that nervous in a while!
That dual booster landing...I can't remember the last time I screamed "look at that!!!" over and over at the screen.
Wow. Just wow.
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Conrad Teves
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 2230
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 3:59pm | IP Logged | 4
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And here's Starman LIVE, while the link works : click!Otherwise, here's what a car looks like in space...
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Matthew Chartrand
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1359
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 5:37pm | IP Logged | 5
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That photo looks like it came from an Aldo Nova album cover. :)
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Greg Kirkman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 May 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 15775
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 9:23pm | IP Logged | 6
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Otherwise, here's what a car looks like in space... +++++++++++++ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMPe3wF9jQ
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Conrad Teves
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 2230
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 10:11pm | IP Logged | 7
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Greg,
Yeah, I've been playing that soundtrack all day. I thought of that movie the second I saw Starman.
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Neil Lindholm
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 January 2005
Location: China
Posts: 4946
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| Posted: 06 February 2018 at 11:04pm | IP Logged | 8
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I showed the video to my Grade 12 Math class this morning. The girls in class had zero interest but the boys had some funny questions. One was wondering how the guy sitting in the car would get back to Earth. Another student was convinced the car was just small toy car. Another though that the car would hit something in space and get in an accident.
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Tim O Neill
Byrne Robotics Security
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 10942
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| Posted: 07 February 2018 at 12:55am | IP Logged | 9
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That is one expensive car commercial!
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Leigh DJ Hunt
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 February 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1570
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| Posted: 07 February 2018 at 3:14am | IP Logged | 10
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I'm clearly missing something. I'm all for space exploration and I realise how important it will be one day for the future of our species but what was it about this that was so special? Was it just that it was a private company? What's the point of the car? Isn't that just throwing more space junk into our atmosphere? I read that the plan is for it to go into an elliptical orbit onto Mars...but why?
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Rod Collins
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 938
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| Posted: 07 February 2018 at 3:22am | IP Logged | 11
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A guy who manufactures "environmentally friendly" electric cars uses a bucket load of fossil fuels to launch a car into space. Odd.
Note: The inverted commas are there because of all the waste being generated via used up electric car batteries.
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Neil Lindholm
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 January 2005
Location: China
Posts: 4946
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| Posted: 07 February 2018 at 3:46am | IP Logged | 12
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It is special for a few reasons. It was done by a private company rather than the government, which means they can be more innovative and price-conscious. Since it was a heavy-lift rocket and on a trial run, they needed a payload but it could not be a satellite so they put up a car. Why not? It fits the requirement for a heavy payload and it makes a great image. The orbit of Mars is planned to see if they can do it, in preparation for a future manned mission. As well, it was a test to see if they can recover and reuse the boosters, which they more or less did. This is all very impressive.
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