red750 Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 So Elon Musk and Spacex have successfully launched Musk's Tesla sports car, complete with space suited crash test dummy, into orbit.
onetrack Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 What a waste of a new Tesla!! He could've at least donated it to me! (Well, I presume it was new? Or was it one of the Tesla "lemons", that they don't want us mere mortals to know about?) Scenario in a few years time ...... Martians examining new Tesla that crashed into their backyard in a cloud of dust. "Bloody Earthlings!!? What are we going to have to do, to let them know we don't want any more of their primitive crap dropped on us??" "Just look at the thing! Primitive electric technology, only two stones throw from lighting fires, using two sticks rubbed together! They haven't even figured out warp drive yet! Let's hope they never turn up here in person! The neighbours from Hell!!" 1
w3stie Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 It's Musk's personal Tesla Roadster apparently. So it appears the Lotus Elise is officially the fastest car in the universe! ;)
red750 Posted February 7, 2018 Author Posted February 7, 2018 It apparently is intended to go much further: The Tesla Roadster is supposed to be sent into a virtually indefinite solar orbit, on a path taking it as far from Earth as Mars. Adding to the whimsy, SpaceX has planted a space-suited mannequin in the driver’s seat of the convertible. Whether the car makes it onto its planned trajectory will not be known before late on Tuesday, SpaceX said. To read he full report: http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2132341/tesla-orbit-bizarre-twist-falcon-heavy-worlds-most
Marty_d Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Good on him. The cost of the Tesla itself pales in comparison to the cost of launching it to Mars, but it's a symbolic act that'll catch the world's attention. And given that the "Heavy" which launched it is one tenth of the cost of NASA's equivalent, I reckon he'll get some business from this. 1
pmccarthy Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Just imagine - we get an arrival from another planet - the greatest event in human history - and it's a dummy in a road vehicle. We would spend the next thousand years trying to figure out what it meant, and we would have a half dozen new religions based on it. 7 5
nomadpete Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Yes Marty. You nailed it. It's just a sales gimmick.
red750 Posted February 7, 2018 Author Posted February 7, 2018 Yes Marty. You nailed it.It's just a sales gimmick. Bl**dy expensive one!
turboplanner Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Bl**dy expensive one! He's almost reached the point of throwing the last dice, with his car production (or lack of production) becoming an ugly mess of broken promises. Good to see this launch come off.
dsam Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 I proudly have a distant family member (AKA Rocket Scientist) that works for SpaceX. Elon also had him on the team doing the initial technical proposal for the “hyperlink” ultra high speed passenger transporter from LA to San Fran (approx. 90 minutes, I think). One of the major limitations to the hyperlink proposal wasn’t technical, but more about the maximum g force a typical passenger would tolerate as a paying passenger. That lead to a need for wide radius corners covering lots of real estate, so that pushes up costs for either land acquisition, or extensive tunneling. My family member says Elon is both inspiring and terrifying all at the same time, as he isn’t afraid to throw down ambitious engineering challenges at short notice, expect results, but embrace “constructive” failure. He is truly an inspiring entrepreneur from direct evidence. 1 2 1
Marty_d Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Bl**dy expensive one! A news report I heard said that the Falcon Heavy needed a test cargo - "ballast" if you will. Given that it's a test, you probably wouldn't have communications companies rushing to have it launch their multi-million dollar satellites. So bunging his used car in it probably makes a bit more sense. 3
Kyle Communications Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 I think the Heavy can launch 64 tonne into orbit..the Tesla was bugger all. I think the main aim was to just test the system. 2 out of 3 worked. The main core crashed due to 2 of the 3 engines didnt ignite on the landing burn so it crashed at 300mph...but it most likely would have landed on the barge. Whatever you think of him...he must be given kudos for effort and results for what he has done already. 7
old man emu Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 It is an ironic coincidence that we should mention the 'hyperlink' train ( Elon Musk claims approval for 30-minute Hyperloop between New York and Washington DC ) the day after a similar ultra-high-speed transported was an element in the Murdoch detective mystery "F.L.A.S.H.!" ("Murdoch Mysteries" F.L.A.S.H.! (TV Episode 2018) - IMDb ) was broadcast on Foxtel. In the TV show the transported operates on electromagnetic repulsion, but calculations show that electromagnetic flux would set up oscillations in the levitation system that would throw the transporter off its path. An operational transported was hoped to go from Toronto, Canada to London, through a seabed tunnel of pipe, in 4 hours (3560 miles/4 = 890 mph; 3093 NM/4 = 770 kts) Speed of sound between 0 and 20C at MSL is between 740 and 765 mph. 890 mph/750 mph ~ 1.2 Mach.
dsam Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 No doubt the hyperlink engineering designs have moved on since the initial plans. I can’t pretend to be across all the technicalities, but I understood the transport tube was suggested to be at 1/4 atmosphere to reduce the leading shockwave. Propulsion was to be some form of jet engine aligned down the centre of the passenger compartment! I hope it was designed to be well shrouded!
red750 Posted February 7, 2018 Author Posted February 7, 2018 It is an ironic coincidence that we should mention the 'hyperlink' train ( Elon Musk claims approval for 30-minute Hyperloop between New York and Washington DC ) the day after a similar ultra-high-speed transported was an element in the Murdoch detective mystery "F.L.A.S.H.!" ("Murdoch Mysteries" F.L.A.S.H.! (TV Episode 2018) - IMDb ) was broadcast on Foxtel. OME, I think that should be "transporter".
old man emu Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 OME, I think that should be "transporter". I let my fingers do the talking, and they mumbled. 1 3
bexrbetter Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Canada to London, through a seabed tunnel of pipe, in 4 hours (3560 miles/4 = 890 mph; 3093 NM/4 = 770 kts) Speed of sound between 0 and 20C at MSL is between 740 and 765 mph. 890 mph/750 mph ~ 1.2 Mach. and meanwhile in my real world in my city ... 3 1
onetrack Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 The Portuguese high speed Alfa Pendular trains look nothing exciting - but I recall zipping along the line from Porto to Lisbon 5 years ago, and regularly sighting 220kmh on the LCD readout in the carriage ... 2
bexrbetter Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 sighting 220kmh on the LCD readout in the carriage Ours get to 300 occasionally, often around 280. I don't know why it was going only around 250 that day. Was a bit misty, might have been a visual distance issue. Funniest thing was the 2nd time I rode the Shanghai Maglev, it accelerated all the way up to 399 and wavered between there and 395, but never actually touched 400. What was funny was half the carriage, including me, had their cameras and phones aimed anxiously waiting for it to turn over to 400! I swear the driver did it on purpose! 2
Neil_S Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Just imagine - we get an arrival from another planet - the greatest event in human history - and it's a dummy in a road vehicle. ...total non-event - we already have thousands of dummies in road vehicles..... 4 2
kgwilson Posted February 8, 2018 Posted February 8, 2018 There's another piece of space junk sent up by the CEO of Rocket Lab Peter Beck in NZ. I's called the Humanity star & is a geodesic reflective sphere spinning in a low orbit & when visible appears as a twinkling star. You can check when it will be over your location HERE. It will re-enter the atmosphere in about 9 months & burn up.
cscotthendry Posted February 8, 2018 Posted February 8, 2018 I can just imagine the service bill for the Tesla: Dealer: How many miles since your last service sir? Owner: A bit over 300 million. Dealer: The estimate for the service will be ... 1
bexrbetter Posted February 8, 2018 Posted February 8, 2018 I can just imagine the service bill for the Tesla:. There is no servicing on a Tesla, it's got no engine, but after spending the weekend driving around the back mountains 500kms from home always with 'where the next charge station will be' hanging in the back of your mind, I reckon the dummy will shite himself when the computer shows no chargers within a million miles and the charge bars are on red.... 1
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