You never know who honors our solar system with a visit within millions of years. Although one thing is certain: they will suddenly see a red vehicle circling in the orbit around the sun. A Tesla Roadster, with removable glass roof.
what has been labeled as joke for months is now true. Elon Musk - also founder of space company SpaceX - posted a picture on social media yesterday: his car is fastened up in the Falcon Heavy rocket. In the meantime, it is standing right in its launch platform Apollo 39A at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Ready to go into space around 1.30 pm local time, with us from 7.30 pm. The place breathes history by the way, because also Neil Armstrong was sent to the moon from this base.
In April 2011, SpaceX announced that "the world's most powerful rocket" had a launch date. Even though the company did not go beyond 'late 2013 or 2014'. That date proved to be too optimistic. The rocket was only assembled in the second part of December last year, after which the monster was put upright a month ago. Until the short-term shutdown of the American government threw a spanner in the works. On 24 January, the first test finally followed, during which all 27 engines were simultaneously fired - a hussar work.
And so today also becomes an absolute nail-biting moment. After years of delay and the fact that the production process turned out to be "much more difficult" than expected, the maiden trip follows . Which would have been successful for Musk "if the Falcon Heavy comes off its launch pad far enough so that it will not be damaged". "To be honest, I would consider that a profit," he said earlier.
What makes the Heavy so special? In fact, he is the stronger brother of the Falcon 9 with another two additional thrusters, which are mounted on both sides. The Falcon Heavy thus has a total of 27 rocket engines, three times as much as the Falcon 9 has. The Heavy thus becomes the most powerful rocket since the moon rocket Saturn V, which has not flown since 1973. And has more than twice the freight capacity of the most powerful rocket on the current market (for specialists: the Delta IV Heavy, 28.8 tons). Also other current operational missiles do not come close to the momentum of the Falcon Heavy. The Space Shuttle, which was taken out of service by NASA in 2011, for example, was able to bring a 24,000 kilogram load in a low orbit around the Earth. According to SpaceX their rig can handle 63,800 kilos. On a trip to Mars that would be 16,800 kilos.
SpaceX is turning the commercial launch market upside down, for the purpose of the Heavy: to allow space tourists to fly to the moon and Mars over the next two years. The rocket that has to go into the air, however, will mainly be used for cargo missions in which satellites are brought into orbit around the Earth, for example the heavier ones of the American government.
David Bowie also picks up a piece of corn tonight: at the launch his song 'Space Oddity' will resound. "A fantastic publicity stunt" experts say about it. So wait until the rocket does not explode.
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