/sci/ - Science & Math

Good space journalists to follow:
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/with_replies
https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/with_replies
https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/with_replies

SpaceX related sites:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex
https://www.instagram.com/spacex/?hl=en

~~~~~~ News from Elon’s press conference ~~~~~~~~
- doing a six-hour coast before final second-stage burn; going through Van Allen Belts. Also fuel could freeze or oxygen lost.
- Tesla will be placed into a heliocentric orbit and become a Earth-Mars cycler; only extremely tiny chance of hitting Mars in foreseeable future.
- one area of concern is relative interactions of the three booster cores; could be resonance or shockwave impingement. Once second stage separates, we’re in much more known territory other than long-duration coast.
- looks like development of BFR is moving quickly, and won’t be necessary to qualify Falcon Heavy for crewed spaceflight.
- if we’re successful, offer near super-heavy-lift for little more than Falcon 9. “Game over” for all other heavy-lift rockets.
- if successful with this test launch, we’ll be ready to put a satellite on the next Falcon Heavy launch.
- if successful should be able to d another FH in three to six months. Can produce them at a pretty rapid rate.
- if we wanted to, we could add to more side boosters, make it Falcon Super Heavy.
- we kind of tabled Crew Dragon on Falcon Heavy (including the cislunar mission announced last Feb.) and focus our energies on BFR.
- it would be a “real huge downer” if Falcon Heavy blows up, but hope to learn a lot. It’s a win if it just clears the pad.
- main reason for the six-hour coast is to demonstrate direct GEO insertion (for national security customers).
- will be three cameras mounted on the Roadster, should provide “epic views” if all goes well.
- it should be an exciting day tomorrow. We’ll have a good time whatever happens.

Other stuff -

Good space journalists to follow:
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/with_replies
https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/with_replies

articles to read to pass the time:
http://planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2018/20180201-falcon-heavy-demo-preview.html
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/02/forget-the-falcon-heavys-payload-and-focus-on-where-the-rocket-will-go/
https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-gears-up-to-finally-actually-launch-the-falcon-heavy/

SpaceX related sites:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex
https://www.instagram.com/spacex/?hl=en