Asian traps will find their way to space in due time, lets not give them a boost...
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The Astronomy Thread
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Pops
Avatar of War Slayer
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Jysin
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Ummm.. no.
Elon Musk's Space Tesla Isn't Going to Mars. It's Going Somewhere More Important.
The Falcon Heavy launch would place the Roadster into a heliocentric orbit, meaning that like the planets and comets and so on, it will be orbiting the sun. More specifically, the Muskmobile will go into a type of heliocentric orbit called Trans-Mars injection, which it is the easiest and least energy-intensive way to move objects back and forth between Earth and Mars.
At specific moments every two years, the conditions are right to fire up the spacecraft’s engines and slide from one orbit to the other. A future transportation network that supplies a Martian colony would benefit from this kind of scheduling. Think of Musk's car like a city bus on a scheduled run through the solar system, slung this way and that to take advantage of the gravitational pull of the sun to make it easier to get into Earth or Martian orbits.
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Cybsled
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Oldbased
> Than U
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Elon Musk says SpaceX to focus on BFR following Falcon Heavy launch
Looks like he feels pretty solid about the Falcon design and functions now.
Looks like he feels pretty solid about the Falcon design and functions now.
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Mudcrush Durtfeet
Hungry Ogre
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Word is SpaceX is now going to focus on the BFR for realz. Sez three-four years until they start testing the actual thing (we'll see).
Interplanetary spacecraft, here we come!
Interplanetary spacecraft, here we come!
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Big Phoenix
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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I wont hold my breath for SLS. Theres no associated payload or planned mission with it, its strictly a rocket thats not even built yet.
Its basically pork.
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Tuco
I got Tuco'd!
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Retrofitting it and using it for
the belter space ship that launches passed the blockade and into the wormhole
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Tuco
I got Tuco'd!
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Yeah I don't see how basically all launch vehicles aren't being reimagined right now.
What SpaceX has done is impressive, but it's not like they're using vibranium struts and arc reactors. NASA, Boeing et all have got to be looking at following suit, and that's a beautiful thing.
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Oldbased
> Than U
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They did the 2nd fire of the engine tech Friday, that is the majority of it. As for payload, NASA has started on the Orion capsule finally. The mission is first the moon then Mars. Just like SpaceX.
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Oldbased
> Than U
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Lockheed actually is building the SLS capsule and it is now officially out of design and under construction.
SLS EM-1 mission to Moon( my bad I got mars on the brain ) is next year with the manned EM-2 mission in 2021.
To clarify the unmanned capsule is almost done( payload ), engines have undergone 2 testings( sls ) and construction of the manned module has started. That is pretty far along. SLS is currently ahead of SpaceX as far as mission and design go for deep space. SpaceX would really have to turn up the heat to beat NASA to the Moon/Mars with the new craft and it sounds like Musk is considering doing just that. He won't beat SLS/Orion to the moon next year I don't think, maybe not even the manned mission in 2021, but he may beat NASA to Mars in 2024 or whenever that is planned.
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Big Phoenix
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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Zapatta
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Mudcrush Durtfeet
Hungry Ogre
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Well, a big difference is that the Falcon Heavy exists _now_ and is mostly reusable. That's pretty neat.
SpaceX may yet beat NASA to the moon if that space tourism launch happens this year or next. It's certainly plausible.
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Oldbased
> Than U
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It is but I am not sure SpaceX has a compatible capsule for that. Dragon was more designed for supply and crew to LEO as far as I know and is fairly small. Orion however is already almost fully assembled for the unmanned mission. If Musk put all the the resources into a capsule to take advantage of the Falcon Heavy it would be close for next year but I think he is more interested in finishing up the final design specs of the Falcon 5th gen and move straight into BFR which he says will take several years. SLS will be ready with payload/capsule THIS year but undergoing test and prep for next years launch since it is new. As said before it has almost twice the thrust of the heavy, but Musk's BFR in a few years if it pans out as spec will be even 10-15% even more powerful than the SLS.
If money wasn't an issue it would be a good time to build an actual space station or start thinking about ship design in 10-20 years due to the increased payload possible with these new powerful rockets.
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