Two side boosters make land in Florida!
Credit: SpaceX/screen grab.
February 6, 2018: For this test flight, Falcon Heavy’s two side cores are both flight-proven. One launched the Thaicom 8 satellite in May 2016 and the other supported the CRS-9 mission in July 2016.
SpaceX attempted to land all three of Falcon Heavy’s first stage cores during this test. Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side cores reached land at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Falcon Heavy’s center core was set to land on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Following launch, Falcon Heavy’s second stage was on track to hurl the Tesla Roadster payload into a precessing Earth-Mars elliptical orbit around the sun.
Also onboard a tribute to Issac Asimov and a plaque carrying 6,000 SpaceX employee signatures.
“This is a revolution”
Explains Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society:
“Today SpaceX achieved a spectacular and historic success. Seven years ago, the Augustine commission said that NASA’s Moon program had to be cancelled, because the development of the necessary heavy lift booster would take 12 years and 36 billion dollars. SpaceX has now done that, on its own dime, in half the time and a twentieth of the cost. And not only that, but the launch vehicle is three quarters reusable. This is a revolution. The naysayers have been completely refuted. The Moon is now within reach. Mars is now within reach. The moment is at hand to open the space frontier. America should seize the time,” Zubrin said.
Space salute
Zubrin added: “And to the SpaceX team, let us offer this salute: You did it. They said it couldn’t be done, but you did it. You made it look easy, but we know it wasn’t. You took your knocks. You took your failures. But you fought it through. Fortune favors the brave. Fortune favors the smart. But most of all, Fortune favors the tough. Talk about the right stuff. You guys are great.
Hats off!”
Momentous milestone
Notes Commercial Space Federation (CSF) leader, Eric Stallmer:
“Today’s successful Falcon Heavy launch represents a momentous milestone for SpaceX and the commercial space industry, as the first heavy lift launch vehicle developed and launched with fully private funding. It serves as another example of how U.S. commercial companies continue to drive innovation and American leadership in space” said Eric Stallmer, President of CSF. “As we look forward to all that 2018 holds for the U.S. commercial space industry, this is an exciting way to kick off the new year.”
Pave the way
“Today’s launch, particularly the simultaneous booster recovery, was incredible,” said Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning. “Millions of people around the world witnessed the awesome opportunities our industry has to offer, and will inspire students to take STEM classes, pursue careers in aerospace, and have their dreams limited only by their imagination.”
The ultimate success of projects like the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, notes the AIA, “will pave the way for future space exploration, pushing humanity further into the cosmos. Today’s achievement demonstrates American leadership in innovation and ingenuity and is a significant milestone in our reach for the stars.”
Golden age
Explore Mars, Inc. congratulates SpaceX on the successful inaugural launch of its Falcon Heavy launch vehicle earlier today. After years of development, the debut of the Falcon Heavy provides the United States with a new, heavy lift capacity that could help to open the solar system to exploration and development.“This is a tremendous accomplishment by the SpaceX team and a great day for space exploration,” commented Explore Mars CEO Chris Carberry. “With this launch and other heavy lift vehicles slated to be launched in the upcoming years, we are truly on the verge the golden age of space exploration.”
Tesla Car – outward bound!
Credit: SpaceX/Screen grab.
Don’t panic! Tesla Roadster en route and outbound.
Credit: SpaceX/Screen grab.
By 
February 6th, 2018
Posted in Space News
