This article was originally published on February 8, 2018
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On February 6, 2018, Eastern Time, and February 7, 2018, Beijing time, SpaceX successfully flew the strongest rocket Heavy Falcon FH for the first time, brushing up various screens.
After the tsunami swept through, I specifically found N interesting and informative, but easy to miss N points to make up.
- If you don't blow up the launch pad, you can succeed
No one doubts that SpaceX made history today, but Musk has been cautious before.
First, he said, "As long as the Heavy Eagle rocket doesn't blow up the famous launch pad, it's successful."
Later, two days before the launch, he said: "The ratio of success to failure of this launch is 50% vs 50%." The result was successful, beyond imagination.
The rocket not only sent Musk's personal car, the Tesla Roadster, to a predetermined orbit, but also, three recovery rockets, with arrows on both sides landing perfectly, only the central one was missing.
So, the launch target: 100% complete, rocket recovery: 2/3 of the standard. But all hard indicators have far exceeded expectations.
- A unique golden launch position
SpaceX's choice of rocket launch position is famous and unique.
Located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the most famous LC-39A launch site is the Apollo moon landing era: the launch site of Saturn 5, where 11 manned space launch missions were launched; and the space shuttle era: the launch site of most space shuttles. The superposition of historical honor and the glory of today.
——The first interstellar commercial brand
This successful launch is not only a major event in the history of spaceflight, but also an unprecedented brand marketing event in the history of business.
Think about it, Tesla electric vehicles are the first commercial brand spacecraft to break into the deep space of the universe, and the first interstellar car brand. And this huge idea actually came from Musk's fan group, but this Mr. Ma listened and did it.
- Interstellar travels 1 billion years
At present, the Tesla coupe is gradually shedding off the Earth's orbit at a speed of 11 kilometers per second, and is expected to intersect 400 million kilometers away in 6 months, and then cross the asteroid belt.
What's even more divine is that "as long as this coupe doesn't blow up at launch, it will fly over 1 billion years in deep space" - this is Musk's original words.
He said that there is a basis for this: NASA space experts who were responsible for the voyager 1 probe at the time believe that the probe that first flew human out of the solar system would travel through the Milky Way for 1 billion years, as long as it was not intercepted by aliens or captured by massive objects.
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This first automotive version of the spacecraft in human history, sitting in it is a simulated astronaut, wearing SpaceX's first space suit, listening to David Bowie's famous work "Space Monster Coffee", all the way to the stars, all the way live.
The car also contains a supposedly indestructible disk that stores Asimov's sci-fi masterpieces, the names of SpaceX6,000 employees... It seems to be making science fiction giants and technology giants, famous in the universe.
- Only 15 minutes away, the launch window was missed
This launch can be described as a series of twists and turns, and it has been changed again and again.
Originally scheduled to be launched at 2:30 a.m. Beijing time on February 7, it was first postponed to 3:20 a.m. due to the increase in high-altitude winds. It was then changed to 4:05. Less than 1 hour before launch, the final lock is 4:45.
However, once the weather is abnormal, the launch plan can only be cancelled, because the launch window on this day is only 2.5 hours: that is, 2:30 to 5:00. Missing the launch window period, it is no longer suitable for rocket launch, which is mainly determined by factors such as rocket flight trajectory and orbit change target, and can only postpone launch.
Fortunately, grasp the timing, although there is only a quarter of an hour, the space cowboy, which represents the most exploratory spirit of mankind, finally shakes the earth, spews out of thin air, rides the dust, embraces the sea of stars, the heavy falcon flies in the sky, and the Tesla coupe runs bravely!