Falcon Heavy to Launch Next Month, Musk Says He's Sending His Roadster to Mars

[macpacheco]

Isn't the synod sync more of a time to travel issue rather than actual Delta V ? For instance SpaceX would like to take under 6 months each way. What if this mission puts the Roadster on a multi year long trajectory until it gets there.

Oh, I'm assuming they will give the roadster some solar panels to keep those huge Lithium batteries charged and keep the whole thing working until it dies from being too cold or getting too much radiation.

But actually playing a music only makes sense within an atmosphere. Sound cannot propagate through vacuum.

I'm far more interested in having some solar panels, some telemetry equipment, reaction wheels and at least radio transmit equipment to keep us up to date of whats going on there, maybe even give it some cameras and something else to make it into a poor man's SpaceX first Mars satellite.

 

[TMC Staff]

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy will make its maiden voyage in January and CEO Elon Musk said the rocket will carry his personal Tesla Roadster into space. Falcon Heavy is the vehicle SpaceX hopes to use for missions to the Moon and Mars. The rocket has around three-times the power of the company’s current Falcon 9 Rocket....
[WPURI="https://teslamotorsclub.com/blog/2017/12/02/falcon-heavy-to-launch-next-month-musk-says-hes-sending-his-roadster-to-mars/"]READ FULL ARTICLE[/WPURI]

 

[Grendal]

To all the battery experts out there, how long with the radio play on a single battery charge. Would be awesome if it could make to Mars while still playing Space Oddity.

Since there is no air in space, having the speaker system playing the song wouldn't make much sense. They'd need to install a transmitter and have the car transmitting the song. Then how much energy is used would depend on how strong a signal they'd want it to send. If I were Elon, I'd want the signal to run for 15 to 20 years minimum. I'd want it to be an inspiration to get to Mars which should happen within that time frame.

Edit: Macpacheco beat me to the point.

 

[Subhuman]

I love the Idea of a SpaceX Space Oddity radio station beamed to all Teslas from Mars!

 

[dpeilow]

At least he'll have finally delivered on 400 miles range...

 

[e-FTW]

A camera positioned at a driver's POV sending back images once in a while would be great. A shot of Mars through the windshield, think about it!

 

[PV-EV]

A camera positioned at a driver's POV sending back images once in a while would be great. A shot of Mars through the windshield, think about it!

The Roadster’s antenna is going to need an upgrade

 

[nsxpert]

ok, so who has dibs on the PEM?

 

[mspohr]

Musk now says he "made it up".
Elon Musk told us he was sending a car to space, then said he totally made it up
Elon Musk told us he was sending a car to space, then said he totally made it up

 

[bonnie]

I would prefer it if Elon had picked a pointless gas guzzling SUV like the Merc G65 and sent it on a one way collision course with the sun.

A Roadster in orbit around Mars does not preclude shooting gas guzzlers at the sun.

 

[Nikxice]

Musk now says he "made it up".
Elon Musk told us he was sending a car to space, then said he totally made it up
Elon Musk told us he was sending a car to space, then said he totally made it up

Well if the story was all made then how is Elon going to explain it to this guy?

 

[mspohr]

Well if the story was all made then how is Elon going to explain it to this guy?

View attachment 264181

He looks pissed that he isn't going to get his Roadster.

 

[TEG]

So they track orbiting objects around earth to avoid running into things up there. Are they going to start a "Martian debris tracker" with the Roadster being the first hazardous object there? You don't want to run into the Roadster when trying to get to Mars !

 

[deonb]

Do you guys really think this is true? Or are you just playing along with his rouse? ("Can't tell if joking or serious").

If true, it seems like a colossal waste of fuel to launch that much weight into deep space, as well as removing a rare Tesla Roadster from earthbound existence, where it belongs (despite it being red for a red planet). And as Elon says, if it doesn't blow up on ascent.

I think EM had a few drinks and is just winding everyone up with that tweet.

Apparently, I'm not alone: Next Spaceflight on Twitter

They have to send something that's around that size and weight for the test. So... what do you propose they send instead?

 

[TEG]

To all the battery experts out there, how long with the radio play on a single battery charge. Would be awesome if it could make to Mars while still playing Space Oddity.

Since the Roadster ESS (battery pack) makes up ~1/3 the weight of the car, I am going to speculate that they may opt to send it without the pack, and have some special "space radio" device to transmit the song.

 

[TEG]

The articles that have been published seem to think Elon meant the new Roadster that was displayed at the reveal two weeks ago, at least that is the photo that they're all using. Hey, @TEG, is there a photo somewhere of the actual Roadster in question?

See here:
Joke? Musk says his Roadster is going to be the cargo for first Falcon Heavy

 

[shrink]

I’m going against the grain here. I think this is just silly and a bit vain.

Would rather see that Roadster up for auction with proceeds going to a worthy charity.

Payload could be 2700 lbs of sand (or other inexpensive heavy material) packed into Tesla branded luggage or something if he really wants to launch something Tesla branded around Mars.

This seems like such a waste for a company with a mission of sustainable transportation.

 

[HankLloydRight]

They have to send something that's around that size and weight for the test. So... what do you propose they send instead?

Something that's not as valuable and collectible as Elon Musk's Roadster.

How about a Hummer 2?

 

[doug]

There's another thread in the SpaceX forum. Falcon Heavy to Launch Next Month, Musk Says He's Sending His Roadster to Mars

Supposedly, Musk told the Verge he "made it up."

 

[ggr]

He looks pissed that he isn't going to get his Roadster.

It's just late...