Starman

[Scot_Lover 1,876]

What are your thoughts on Elon Musk's Starman?

 

[glad1 2,832]

Totally awesome! Hope we get a chance to see him again. But, I think it will be a long, long time.  

(oops, wrong song. That was Rocket Man.)

[Scot_Lover 1,876]

Lol.

Last reported location was 430,000 miles (693,000 km) from home, and heading away. 

Petrol stations are a bit sparse out there hope he can hold it, rofl.

 

[Sophie 24,410]

33 minutes ago, Scot_Lover said:

Lol.

Last reported location was 430,000 miles (693,000 km) from home, and heading away. 

Petrol stations are a bit sparse out there hope he can hold it, rofl.

 

It's electric so doesn't need any petrol

[glad1 2,832]

1 hour ago, Sophie said:

It's electric so doesn't need any petrol

But the poor guy is going to need a few bathroom breaks, unless Musk has solved THAT problem as well.  

[WantonLee 861]

It's probably the most excessive way to distract people from the fact that Tesla quintupled their losses - so it's basically a giant marketing-campaign.

However, it's the most awesome marketing-campaign I've ever heard off, and I am rather excited when it comes to humanities space-adventures, and space as a whole - because, in the end, space is where we live (on earth, but in space).

 

On that note, I stumbled upon this video on youtube (it's on the channel "The Sound Traveler", which shows a lot of videos recorded with binaural sound - just use a headphone and you will see (rather: hear), which is a secondary channel from "SmarterEveryDay").

It's this one, from the launch of the Falcon 9 (and the landing of the two boosters): Extended Cut - The Incredible Sounds of the Falcon Heavy Launch - (BINAURAL AUDIO IMMERSION) )I set the time-mark to about 10 seconds before the actual launch)

Also pay attention to the multiple sonic booms before the boosters land and are still supersonic. 

 

Also: yes, SpaceX exceeds NASA's achievements, but as Neil DeGrasse Tyson also explained: when humanity is exploring, private companies always come in AFTER the state (i.e. we all, the taxpayers, paying for NASA or in Europe, ESA) has scouted the terrain first.

 

 

 

[Scot_Lover 1,876]

He's gone, cameras failed at about 1 million km. 

David Bowie's Sapce Oddity said it all .....

 

"Ground Control to Major Tom"

"Your circuits dead, there's something wrong"

"Can you hear me Major Tom"

"Can you hear me Major Tom"

 

 

 

[Sophie 24,410]

3 hours ago, Scot_Lover said:

He's gone, cameras failed at about 1 million km. 

David Bowie's Sapce Oddity said it all .....

 

"Ground Control to Major Tom"

"Your circuits dead, there's something wrong"

"Can you hear me Major Tom"

"Can you hear me Major Tom"

 

 

 

How long did it take to reach 1 million km? I remember Elon Musk saying the batteries were expected to last only 12 hours after launch and I'm guessing the cameras were powered by said battery. 

[glad1 2,832]

1 hour ago, Sophie said:

How long did it take to reach 1 million km? I remember Elon Musk saying the batteries were expected to last only 12 hours after launch and I'm guessing the cameras were powered by said battery. 

If I were to venture a guess, I'd say a little over 24 hours. Escape velocity from earth's gravity is a bit more than 40,000 km/h and Spaceman is now traveling at speeds in the 50,000 km/h range. Add in the 5 to 6 hours before the upper stage gave its final burst to the 21 or so to reach the million mark gets you to a rough number.

[Scot_Lover 1,876]

I was out a fair bit, bit I did use Kerbal Space Program  to try and determine the orbit, lol.

Camera died at about 750,000 km, you can get the distance from here:

http://www.whereisroadster.com

Click the update button and you can get an idea how fast he's going.