Falcon Heavy on the pad!

There it is.. finally. Construction on that pad began in 2015 with this day in mind. Once upon a time it was just a hole in the ground.

Sweet picture! I assume you took that one?

Man, I wanted to catch this one, but the stars just didn't align.
Spent 2 weeks down there back in 2015, went for bike week.
Found this little hole in the wall, just south of Rockledge on Rt 1.
Bummed up and down the coast, St Augustine to Vero Beach.
$60 a night, kinda became base camp. Great time.
Got to talking to the owner one day, told me he had been there since the 70s,
and of all of em, the shuttles were the wildest.

Since then, been kinda wanting to catch a big Launch.

I took the family down for a Shuttle launch and a tour of KSC back in '01. It was incredible.

Yes sir, eventually it became less of a hole in the ground. Especially after 40 became a bomb crater. It was an exciting project to work on but I'm glad my time is done. It was very literally a sweat shop to build that pad in the Florida heat. The KSC visitor center is probably the best thing to see in Florida. They've added a lot even since I've been here.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/12/falcon-heavy-maiden-static-fire-test/

I bet this stuff looks familiar to Shawn:

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/01/spacex-static-fire-falcon-heavy-1/

Okay that photo is laugh out loud funny. But it's more or less accurate. That is actually the tooling tent those things (compression bridges) are sitting in front of. That was my home for 2 years, 12 hours a day. It is wild actually seeing the Falcon there. The photos I posted earlier really give you some perspective on the scale. Those hold downs are roughly 9 feet tall from the deck of the launch mount. Look at the size of the rocket in comparison.

The F150 parked in front of the pad also gives it some scale.

It's been a long time since I've been this excited about what we're doing in space.

XXVoid MainXX wrote:

It's been a long time since I've been this excited about what we're doing in space.

We are at the beginning of something really special I think. Technology and industry have finally caught up our ambitions for space exploration, especially manned flight. Between SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and planned BFR, the NASA SLS, Blue Origin's New Glenn, and Orbital ATK's now-in-development heavy lift system the space industry in America is stronger than ever. Add in China, India, Euro space agency and their new Ariane 6 heavy lift vehicle, and of course Russia the new space race is on. First it'll be humans back on the moon to stay, then the mining of near Earth objects, and outward from there.

When do the potato farmers all head out to Mars?

Good stuff the accompanying advancements associated with space exploration benefit everybody. Kids should be looking up to these engineers and not some moron on YouTube or instgram.

el moto diablo wrote:

Good stuff the accompanying advancements associated with space exploration benefit everybody. Kids should be looking up to these engineers and not some moron on YouTube or instgram.

This. Although there is really good nasa/space x content on youtube/instagram/twitter.

Uh-oh Shawn. You might be getting a phone call.....

https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-first-static-fire-test-cape-canaveral-scrubbed/

In the meantime, BFR’s precursor Falcon Heavy has effectively completed its first wet dress rehearsal, although the static fire attempt was scrubbed for the day. This is understandable for such a complex and untested vehicle, especially after SpaceX’s exceptionally quick modifications to Pad 39A. While unofficial, word is that an issue with one of the Transport/Erector/Launcher’s (TEL) eight separate launch clamps caused the scrub. Those launch clamps ensure that the massive vehicle would stay put during a static fire, and the status of those clamps would be especially important during such an unusually long static fire of such a powerful rocket.

Stay tuned for updates on SpaceX’s upcoming launches and Falcon Heavy’s next static fire attempt, likely within the next several days. The vehicle’s inaugural launch date is effectively up in the air until the static fire has been successfully completed, but as of yesterday SpaceX was understood to be targeting January 26th. Delays are to be expected.

ULA is having a hard time getting this bird off the pad but sounds like they are close to having the bugs worked out and will be trying again here shortly. Live video here:

https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2018/01/11/Watch-live-ULA-set-for-second-attempt-at-spy-satellite-launch/6971515677612/

Scrubbed for today!

Yep. Try again tomorrow.

To give you some idea of how accurate those hold downs need to be for all 3 cores to actually sit down in the clamps, we had a position tolerance of +-.030 max deviation from the model. Each rocket core has 4 pins that fit down into the slot on the hold downs. If they weren't within that tolerance window the pin wouldn't fully seat. Amazingly those massive pieces of structure had fine thread adjustment screws for movement along all 3 axis and it took a big freaking wrench to move it. And sometimes 2 people to turn that big ass 6 foot wrench.

But all up and down that TE are precision bores, spot mills that had to be done in place, all kinds of crazy shit. We worked on it for 2 solid years.

I was an aircrafter for General Dynamics for 10 years. I can show you what .03 looks like between my finger and thumb just like an old mechanic.

Now +/-.001 now it's time to work.

Managed to see the Falcon launch and 1st stage return from the St. Petersburg side - cool to see but obviously not on par with being right there.

We may check out the ULA launch next Friday just because we already have KSC tickets. Doing my best to keep my girl entertained here in FL so I have a chance at seeing FH - we were supposed to be gone already.
We'll see how this static test goes and if they put a date down in January.

Looks like they're planning a test fire for tomorrow afternoon:

http://www.wftv.com/news/local/spacex-set-to-test-falcon-heavy-rocket-at-kennedy-space-center-monday/683713848

Well they finally lit her up!

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/24/16841580/spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-static-fire-first-launch

Aiming for first flight of Falcon Heavy on Feb 6 from Apollo launchpad 39A at Cape Kennedy. Easy viewing from the public causeway.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2018

Pre-sale ticktet email came in last night... the 'feel the heat' seats were sold out when I went on this morning (at $195) a pop.

We watched the last ULA launch from the causeway - planning to do the same from this one too. Anyone else checking it out?

I was thinking about buying those $195 seats myself. Guess I can't now. My parents are renting a house about an hour from there for a few months (they've been doing that the last few years) so I was thinking about paying them a visit and going over to watch the launch. The problem is I believe there is a high probability that they won't make the 6th or 7th dates and that would be the only reason I would go down there. I might just stay here and watch it on the webcast. Hope you get to see it launch!

Looks like it's still a go for a launch tomorrow. My parents are staying about an hour from there so they might drive over and take in the spectacle.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/5/16973212/elon-musk-tesla-roadster-starman-spacesuit-falcon-heavy-spacex

Wow!

https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/5/16974842/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-tesla-roadster-animation

Mom and dad made the trip over there before the sun came up. Wish I was there with them:

Webcast will likely start shortly after noon central:

http://www.spacex.com/webcast

Apparently Channel 2 out of Orlando interviewed my dad. That would probably take up a whole segment if they don't edit it down.