A new page in space travels

[kiaa]

You must have heard about this the other day. Everyone's talking about it. SpaceX have launched (and successfully retrieved the boosters of) the most powerful carrier rocket into space, with a capacity of 64 tons of cargo (more than a plane, along with the crew, luggage, fuel, etc). Oh, and they've also launched a Tesla convertible into space, which was supposed to be orbiting the Sun somewhere between the Earth and Mars for the next few million years, but actually turned out to have enough power to propel itself further, and possibly settle somewhere around the Asteroid belt.

Here's a video of the launch:

http://www.spacex.com/webcast

Actually I'd recommend that the three videos be watched in reverse order:

- Vid 3 is an animated 101 about the whole project, its purpose, and the stages of launch and landing;
- Vid 2 is a recording of the launch itself, plus the phases and the booster landings (very impressive);
- Vid 1 is a live cam from the car currently floating across space. It's got a fake human in full astronaut gear behind the steering wheel, a "Don't panic" sign blinking on the display, and David Bowie's "Space Oddity" blasting through the speakers. If that's not the geekiest thing, I don't know what is.

Phase 1 didn't activate all three engines necessary for a safe landing, so it crashed into the ocean at 300 mph.

We'll be waiting for more news as the project unwraps.

Comments

How things turn around, eh

[mahnmut]

Re: How things turn around, eh

[abomvubuso]

[abomvubuso]

LOL, the flat-earthers weren't late to arrive to the party...

https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/wj4n5q/flat-earthers-are-mad-at-elon-musk-or-putting-a-tesla-in-space

[johnny9fingers]

I was impressed by the launch, and even more impressed that Tesla put out its worst figures (biggest losses) ever the very next day.

I'm interested to see if the financial structure of all this is viable. Since many multi-nationals are now wealthier than nation-states, those projects which once fell to the state because of size (from the pyramids to more modern structures) have, since the C18th been financed by private investment as well. And though almost all of the big projects ultimately succeeded, the original investors were often bankrupted by the process, and the receivers managed the subsequent profits. (I think of examples like the Suez canal, the Railway companies, and the history of private investment in large projects in general here; allied to the bubbles which accumulate around such large projects and innovations.)

I hope this time the pathfinders don't all come a cropper in the marketplace, but we shall see.

[mikeyxw]

Don't forget the initial investors who built the backbone for the internet. Most went bankrupt, but we have them to thank for the cheap networks we're currently enjoying.

Anyhow, I'd guess that space travel is a ways from being a bubble. It's more of a hobby for really rich nerds, which isn't all bad really.

[johnny9fingers]

Sometimes even the ridiculously rich can overestimate their abilities to meet increasing costs.

OCD ridiculously rich folk even more so.

[mikeyxw]

We've got tech billionaires to spare... and there will always be more. If a few spend their fortunes down to where they're worth merely tens or hundreds of millions, I can't say I see it as a huge deal. Even better if they do it with as much geekiness as Elon seems to be doing.

[johnny9fingers]

True.

[jazzyjj]

A neighbor and I were talking about this just a couple of days ago, because he had seen it on TV and wanted to fill me in. For some reason I cannot open this in Safari or Google Chrome. But this is so cool. Oddly enough, my brother tweeted me an audio clip yesterday of a spaceship launch but it was a different time and place.

[fridi]

Perfect publicity for Tesla Inc, plus all the nerdery involved. Me likey.

[mikeyxw]

Thanks for the links, I really enjoyed them.

[luzribeiro]

No one has managed to get rid of a dead corpse so well until now. Well done, Elon! :-D

[johnny9fingers]

OMG someone went there!

I’m sure there’s a Science Fiction short story that this comment resembles, but I can’t put my finger on its title or author.

[garote]

Does Heavy Metal count?

[johnny9fingers]

Weirdly enough the abstracted plot device is similar to the one in a Lord Peter Wimsey short story: "The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers" from the collection "Lord Peter Views the Body", wherein the victim is remade as a work of art.

[abomvubuso]

Heavy Metal always counts. \m/

[garote]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwkLyw7VKrE One of my favorites, appropriate for the moment

[abomvubuso]

O boy. Should I even begin :)

[luzribeiro]

Happy to serve!