Folks,
Barring more upper-atmosphere wind issues that postponed yesterday’s launch, between 6:35 and 8:31 pm Eastern today, Space X will launch their first commercial Falcon Heavy Flight. Should be exciting!
Perhaps most exciting is their attempt to land three boosters simultaneously, two on the pad on terra firma and one on a autonomous drone ship. I’m hoping for an exceptional show.
URL is https://www.spacex.com/webcast
This video should go live approx 20 minutes before launch.
This really is a week for space. Yesterday’s amazing release of the first picture of a black hole and today’s earlier crash-landing on the moon by Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft will make this week one for the history books. Let’s hope the launch tonight isn’t postponed and is perfect. Fingers crossed!
Brachiator
Hope they get it done. In honor of a possible three booster landing, a snippet from The Mothership Connection.
If you hear any noise
It’s just me and the boys
Hit me, you gotta hit the band
All right, all right, starchild here
Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip
And come on up to the Mothership
Loose booty, doin’ the bump
Hustle on over here
debbie
Perhaps Beresheet would have landed safely, had it not been preoccupied taking a selfie!
Doug R
WOOT
Brachiator
Pretty goddam cool.
Uncle Cosmo
Well, hot damn, 3 for 3 on booster recovery & the primary mission is nominal. Well played, Musk(rock)eteers!
Marcopolo
Always nice to see technology work the way its designers intended.
And glad to see there are still fans of our having a presence in space.
eemom
When I see these “launch” headlines I keep thinking you mean the new website.
Uncle Cosmo
@debbie: Next try Israel could do the planet a mitzvah & stuff that motherfucker NuttinYahoo into the payload section
Mart
Amazing show. Should have made some popcorn.
cope
OK, not a great image but I caught the launch from the back yard with mrs. cope encouraging me to “TAKE MORE PICTURES!”. Today’s launch is down toward the bottom of this page from my website. The other images have been taken over the past few years.
http://copelandscienceonline.weebly.com/astro-pics.html
J R in WV
@cope:
Thanks for all those photos!! Still amazed by actual launches, even after seeing the Apollo guys land on the Moon.
I guess we just gotta go to FLA someday when launches are scheduled.
The Dangerman
No other word than amazing.
Hoodie
Yeah, but no one will remember Musk because he doesn’t have his name plastered all over those rockets.
Mike J
I keep reading that as the laucnch of the AirBnBSat and I think they’re getting away with too much.
Amir Khalid
@Hoodie:
Musk tried to plaster his name all over a Royal Thai Navy rescue operation that was doing fine without him and his tech. He came out looking like an arsehole. Everyone remembers that.
Ohio Mom
@debbie: I can’t help but wonder if the universe wasn’t sending Bibi and the rest of Israel a message in Beresheet’s crash.
Emerald
Even more for space! Our Curiosity rover finally fulfilled her dream and drilled into Martian clay! It was so soft that when she removed her drill, the whole area around the drill moved a bit.
Science about that to come!
Ben Cisco
@Brachiator: I’m down for any and all Parliament references. Well done.