Picture Shows Elon Musk’s Roadster Prepared for Mission to Mars

Earlier this month, Elon Musk tweeted that Falcon Heavy’s “payload will be my midnight cherry Tesla Roadster playing Space Oddity,” referring to a song by David Bowie. “Destination is Mars orbit. Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent.”

Now, a photo suggests he wasn’t joking.

[Updated: Musk has shared official photos to Instagram]

Musk’s Roadster is perched on Falcon Heavy’s “payload attach fitting” (PAF).

Musk recently commented on Twitter that pictures would becoming soon.

https://twitter.com/x/status/943699548169388032

Details of Falcon Heavy’s maiden launch are murky, but it’s expected to take place next month.

The Falcon 9 rocket currently used by SpaceX consists of a core first stage booster and a second stage. Falcon Heavy is expected to be the most powerful rocket in the world, leveraging two additional Falcon 9 first stages.

 

[e-FTW]

Man, that is one bad, warped picture. Can barely make our any details. But I guess you cannot just pop in to the cleanrooom with just any camera in your civvies!
I love this!

 

[PhantomX]

This is interesting. I really thought he was joking because I didn't realize SpaceX has an upper stage capable of trans-Mars Injection with this kind of payload?

 

[DragonWatch]

Well this gives a whole new meaning to putting your money where your mouth is I hope he is using this contribution to science as a tax write off this year
While for me that is a perfect waste of a good Tesla roadster; I am getting a “charge” out of it

 

[ecarfan]

This is interesting. I really thought he was joking because I didn't realize SpaceX has an upper stage capable of trans-Mars Injection with this kind of payload?

He was never joking.

It’s relatively light compared to the maximum payload that an FH can lift. So apparently it is capable of putting the Roadster into the “a precessing Earth-Mars elliptical orbit around the sun.”

A good article about this is at Elon Musk says SpaceX will try to launch his Tesla Roadster on new heavy-lift rocket – Spaceflight Now

 

[Grendal]

Official from Elon:

Instagram post by Elon Musk • Dec 22, 2017 at 6:47pm UTC

 

[dhanson865]

This is interesting. I really thought he was joking because I didn't realize SpaceX has an upper stage capable of trans-Mars Injection with this kind of payload?

Just to be clear it isn't going to insert into mars orbit, it will stay in a heliocentric orbit (orbiting the sun) with an apogee near the orbit of Mars and a perigee near the orbit of Earth. That doesn't take much deltaV to achieve.

But Theoretically you could sent cargo to Mars surface using Falcon Heavy. Just not much, Wikipedia says Payload to Mars 16,800 kg (37,000 lb). And that is gross, so whatever landing system you use eats into the cargo amount.

 

[PhantomX]

Just to be clear it isn't going to insert into mars orbit, it will stay in a heliocentric orbit (orbiting the sun) with an apogee near the orbit of Mars and a perigee near the orbit of Earth. That doesn't take much deltaV to achieve.

But Theoretically you could sent cargo to Mars surface using Falcon Heavy. Just not much, Wikipedia says Payload to Mars 16,800 kg (37,000 lb). And that is gross, so whatever landing system you use eats into the cargo amount.

Thanks, that makes a lots more sense

 

[jkn]

Just to be clear it isn't going to insert into mars orbit, it will stay in a heliocentric orbit (orbiting the sun) with an apogee near the orbit of Mars and a perigee near the orbit of Earth. That doesn't take much deltaV to achieve.

But Theoretically you could sent cargo to Mars surface using Falcon Heavy. Just not much, Wikipedia says Payload to Mars 16,800 kg (37,000 lb). And that is gross, so whatever landing system you use eats into the cargo amount.

To get from transfer orbit (planned for the Roadster) to Mars surface, space ship needs heat shield for aerobraking in atmosphere and rockets for landing. Mars atmosphere is so thin that rockets are needed after parachutes.