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nwdiver
Well-Known Member
Space X got permission to launch a rocket from there... can't even begin to imagine the FAA hoops they had to jump through to fly a drone
Nikxice
Active Member
While the area is considered Restricted airspace, air traffic control can temporarily waive the restriction for a flyover. Getting permission for a SpaceX drone is likely even easier.
Reminds me of a funny flight/airspace story I experienced in the 90's. We were flying down the Potomac for a visual approach to runway 15 at National. After taxiing to the gate, a uniformed military officer sticks his head in the cockpit to admonish us that we had just flown over the Pentagon. He declared that it was Prohibited airspace and we were in trouble! I advised him of ATC's expectations of this routine approach procedure and also that the airspace over the Pentagon was not Prohibited. He deplaned unconvinced. Oh well.
Didn't think it was impossible, they obviously did it. I suspect they have a much easier time obtaining permission to fly the drone than I would, but there is an Air Force Base there in addition to the fact that it's a rocket launch facility, so obtaining permission might be a little more involved than it would be elsewhere. Still, it is restricted area.
Anyway I'm banging on a bit, I'm really just curious what they have to do. I don't expect I would be able to get permission, myself.
N5329K
Active Member
And that is why he was riding in the back.
Robin
Twitter user @Luindriel posted a photo of the FH horizontal on the TEL being moved towards the launch pad. See Twitter
MacGreiner
5YJ
Wonder if they could put a little bit of John Young on board. Probably too late to make any payload changes, but it would be kind of cool to give him a Roadster ride to Mars orbit. It would also give him a seat on the 3rd first-flight of new hardware (Gemini and Shuttle previously). Hell of an astronaut.
MacGreiner
5YJ
It looks like the static fire may happen tomorrow:
Chris G - NSF on Twitter
Falcon Heavy to static fire tomorrow between 1p-7p EST. Get ready for the big event with my latest article, detailing what will happen tomorrow and all the work that went into getting Pad-A ready for this!
Chris G - NSF on Twitter
Falcon Heavy to static fire tomorrow between 1p-7p EST. Get ready for the big event with my latest article, detailing what will happen tomorrow and all the work that went into getting Pad-A ready for this!
e-FTW
New electron smell
So... they are doing the static fire with the payload up top? I understand the value of it is not at issue here (still, a Roadster! The cool ones! ;-) but I'd assume they want to test all processes just like a real launch.
And maybe save a fairing and an epic car...
It's getting close. Here is the latest update and very likely to change:
Launch Date: NET January 15th, Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Launch window: 10 am EST
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing type: RTLS for Side Boosters, ASDS for Center Core
Static Fire: 1pm to 7pm EST on January 10th, Wednesday
Launch Date: NET January 15th, Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Launch window: 10 am EST
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing type: RTLS for Side Boosters, ASDS for Center Core
Static Fire: 1pm to 7pm EST on January 10th, Wednesday
Logistical question for our travel: isn't the 15th the original window start from late November before the static fire / Zuma timing slip? KSC is reporting NET Jan 25.
If it really could be Monday, we need to start packing....
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