Blog Falcon Heavy Launch a Success, Musk’s Roadster Sent Into Orbit

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Elon Musk’s showmanship reached new heights Tuesday. Stunning livestream images showed his personal Tesla Roadster carried into space by SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, which is now the most powerful rocket in operation.

The midnight cherry Roadster is one of Elon Musk’s privately owned vehicles, believed to be a 2010 model with VIN #686. The Roadster is now on a trajectory towards Mars with a mannequin dressed in a SpaceX-designed astronaut suit behind the wheel.

The car will float through space for six months to cover the 200-million-mile journey into Mars orbit.

Musk told journalists in a conference call Monday that the Roadster is now equipped with “a bunch of sensors” to send data back to Earth. And, there are three cameras now mounted to the Roadster that Musk said should provide some “epic views.”

Watch the launch livestream below.

[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBr2kKAHN6M&feature=youtu.be” video_title=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

 

[shrspeedblade]

I was looking at the live feed of Starman, and all I could think was:

"sheesh, look at the panel gaps in the roadster!"

 

[Bobfitz1]

You have have to wonder if all this cool publicity will give more future value to the roadster as a collector car?

I like the way you think @Stewie26! I've been on the fence about whether the Roadster would be a valuable collector car one day. Now with those amazing images forever in the world's collective mind, I think it's a forgone conclusion it will in a few years.

If one day Tesla stock makes me stupid rich (not that unlikely. I'm halfway there already!) I could imagine building a mock up of the cherry red Roadster base that you could drive up onto, lock down and then hydraulically move to the launch position for display. Some LED stars on the ceiling, Bowie playing on the car's stereo and you'd be all set!

 

[dpeilow]

What was the highest speed seen on the speedo in the corner of the webcast?

Right now I have a bit of paper in the dash with 2018-107A on it. Waiting to see if any colleagues spot it. I might make that into a sticker.

 

[Adrian Cockcroft]

What was the highest speed seen on the speedo in the corner of the webcast?

Right now I have a bit of paper in the dash with 2018-107A on it. Waiting to see if any colleagues spot it. I might make that into a sticker.

At the point where the side boosters shut off, 2.5minutes in, it was about 6666km/h and 60km (easy to remember).
0-4142mph in 150s

 

[dpeilow]

At the point where the side boosters shut off, 2.5minutes in, it was about 6666km/h and 60km (easy to remember).
0-4142mph in 150s

There was definitely a speed over 10,000 km/h at one point, but as they were going to 40,000 km/h I wondered if there is one much higher.

 

[gregd]

Right now I have a bit of paper in the dash with 2018-107A on it. Waiting to see if any colleagues spot it. I might make that into a sticker.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but now that they've done the 3rd burn and the car is on its way towards the Asteroid Belt, 2018-107A no longer works. In fact, as of this writing, those Keps put it 3612 miles altitude over Mexico, and dropping.

EDIT: Er, wait... 2018-107A? Not found. 2018-017A is there, but that's something else... Still, Keps don't work for things not in Earth orbit.

 

[chadcristi]

Awesome accomplishment! I liked the "Don't Panic!" message on the nav screen of Elon's roadster and decided to make one for the other Tesla owners to celebrate. Type in "http://teslagrin.com/dp" on your Tesla's browser and hang on!

 

[Robwoodruff]

3rd burn was successful, so no longer in an Earth-centric orbit (can't use 2-line elements). Looks like it's headed for the Asteroid Belt! Perhaps Starman can drive around on Ceres?

The orbital tracking page still shows the Tesla circling the earth, fairly close. He must have been joking about sending it out toward Mars.

 

[dpeilow]

EDIT: Er, wait... 2018-107A? Not found. 2018-017A is there, but that's something else... Still, Keps don't work for things not in Earth orbit.

Yeah typo.

Technical details for satellite FALCON HEAVY/TESLA

 

[Robwoodruff]

The tracking page definitely says it is the Falcon Heavy/Tesla in an elliptical orbit around the earth. Musk said, "Third burn successful. Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt." Obviously that could not be possible since it would take several months for the car to get past Mars orbit. I think he was joking.

 

[gregd]

The tracking page definitely says it is the Falcon Heavy/Tesla in an elliptical orbit around the earth. Musk said, "Third burn successful. Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt." Obviously that could not be possible since it would take several months for the car to get past Mars orbit. I think he was joking.

No, I do not believe he was joking. As I said, the tracking elements only work for objects in Earth orbit, so that became invalid after the 3rd burn. The track will now take it past Mars, not that it's already gotten there. From Elon's Twitter feed, there's this. Looks like it won't quite make it to Ceres...

 

[FlyF4]

Well Elon, I guess you realize you forgot to put a supercharger on Mars

 

[Acho]

Well Elon, I guess you realize you forgot to put a supercharger on Mars

It is downhill so don't worry

 

[NigelM]

Am I the only person who really wants a Starman SpaceX suit to wear next time I drive my Roadster at an event?

 

[bobinfla]

Am I the only person who really wants a Starman SpaceX suit to wear next time I drive my Roadster at an event?

Nope, already asked my wife to work on one for me!

 

[Acho]

Can someone tell me the measurements of the nav screen in Roadster?

I want to make "Non't Panic!" Sticker

 

[Jonathanm]

Yeah...I'd like 1 that looks good to go on the rear bumper....radio is cool but it would not make the radio any more practical...

 

[Don TLR]

DTPANIK would be a good plate for the car..

 

[dpeilow]

 

[gregd]

View attachment 278952

Looks like object 2018-017A has been removed from the Keps feed from Celestrak, which is appropriate since it's no longer in Earth orbit. I do the Earth orbit stuff all the time for ham radio, as well as deep sky stuff with a "goto" telescope, but how does one track a new object in solar orbit?