It IS rocket science

[Manky Monkey]

So did anyone see the Space X launch yesterday?
The most powerful rocket available, (I nearly said On Earth, but I guess it isn't anymore), since the demise of the Space Shuttle programme. This raises the real possibility of a return -or first visit, depending on what you believe -to the Moon, especially as Ronald McDonald has decreed that America will also reboot it's space plans.
Space X is headed by Elon Musk, who definitely sounds like the baddie in a sci fi film, but actually owns both the Tesla car company & PayPal -so he's probably got more money to spend on this than the Government.
The test payload onboard the rocket was his old Tesla roadster. It was launched on a trajectory that should've put it into orbit around Mars, but overshot -so there's now a secondhand car, complete with a dummy dressed in a space suit at the wheel, heading into deep space. The car's stereo's playing David  Bowie's "Starman" on a continuous loop & the dashboard display shows the message "Don't Panic" -the words inscribed on the cover of The Hitch Hikers' Guide To The Galaxy. You've got to admit, for an evil genius bent on global domination, he's got a sense of humour, but I do wonder what alien life will think of us when they spot it

[Manky Monkey]

This is a genuine shot from the onboard camera, so you can ride along with the Starman on the ultimate roadtrip.

[Manky Monkey]

Meanwhile, a New Zealand group have announced they've secretly launched a giant glitter ball into space, which will orbit the Earth & be the brightest thing visible in the night sky for a year until it burns up in the atmosphere.
Scientists & astronomers  are furious about the light pollution it'll cause & say it's incredibly irresponsible & selfish. The makers say they did it as an art installation that can be shared by the whole World.

[Manky Monkey]

Talking of pollution - I was watching the huge clouds of smoke billowing from the Tesla rocket & the enormous jets of flame from it's rockets as it headed skywards & wondering what it's emmisions were like? Is that mostly clouds of steam/water vapour? Do flaming exhausts give off huge amounts of carbon? Have they just wiped out all our advances in car emmisions in one go?

[Tony oily bike]

Not only was the launch impressive, so too was the return of the two of the three boost stages that successfully landed!

Heard on the tv that there’s a copy of Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy in the car’s glove compartment............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKs84KjhBAM

[Manky Monkey]

Brilliant!
Yes, I saw a video of the boosters landing side by side, coming down on their tails like every 1950s sci fi film you ever saw. What an age we're living in!

https://youtu.be/u0-pfzKbh2k

[Manky Monkey]

"I had this image of a giant explosion on the pad, with a wheel bouncing down the road and the Tesla logo landing somewhere with a thud," Musk told reporters at Kennedy Space Center after the launch. "But fortunately, that's not what happened. Crazy things can come true".

[JayJay]

It was brilliant. I was so astounded and totally awed by the sight of them arriving back where they were expected, safely and practically in sync so they can be used again. My Brother said it reminded him of Thunderbirds!    I never saw the third booster land on the drone ship as they lost the live picture but I have since read it missed. I have seen a video of a booster landing on a drone ship successfully before and it is mind blowing.

I do keep my eye on what SpaceX is up to on their website plus Elon Musk's (great name) projects. I bought his biography. Very interesting.

As for the smoke/steam that appeared Andy, I wondered if we were going to lose sight of the rocket. I'm not sure about the eco side, I will have to read up on it, but would anyone dare to question that as "Mr Tesla" is behind it (obviously not Nikola - I have his biography too). 

Weird about the New Zealand group. You wouldn't think they could just do that. I know it is hard to stop more zealous nations but NZ are part of the Commonwealth and surely under agreements regarding any type of rocket. Won't stop us looking upwards though! 

[minimutly]

The commonwealth? I don't think that's any more than a collection of nations with a slightly tenuous link to our monarch?

[JayJay]

The commonwealth? I don't think that's any more than a collection of nations with a slightly tenuous link to our monarch?

Badly worded by me. This explanation is a bit longer though!

What I meant was, New Zealand is a respected and responsible country and one I would expect to adhere to a basic tenet of space exploration which is to do it for the benefit of and in the interests of all countries. In other words, NZ is not a country like North Korea, where it seems no one knows what could happen next.

NZ is upsetting other countries by sending up an object that has no clear use other than to be an art installation and which by being in space creates problems for other scientists who would have raised their objections if they had known beforehand. Therefore I can't quite understand why NZ even did this without first sharing this installation information with other countries involved in space exploration.

[stinkey]

So it's ok for Musk to send up a massive great rocket,and North Korea just does whatever ? But a few mates send up a tiny glitter ball to make people gaze in Awe ,and everybody is up in Arms ?
Don't get it ?

[Manky Monkey]

.

[the coppersmith]

 

[morrag]

I LOVE that............. brilliant! but what does it tell you about the "Leader of the Free World?"...Morrag

[JayJay]

On the whole I like Elon Musk (as I said previously, I have his biography) but by no means is he an angel. Plus I am pretty sure all his decisions are well thought out, perhaps even this one.

I would imagine this was a tweet crafted by Donald Trump's team and an error by them in not recognising Elon Musk's origins.  

Musk actually is an American citizen. He obtained American citizenship in 2002. Previously to that he obtained Canadian citizenship in the late 80s (his Mother was Canadian). He went to live in Canada when he was 17 to avoid South Africa's military conscription. Their version of National Service.

As Musk uses NASA facilities and employs many Americans in his companies I suppose it is fair to say American ingenuity is at work.

Whatever Musk's views on Donald Trump, I found his reply rude rather than funny (and feel it reflects badly on him) especially when he had earlier accepted a role on Trump's White House advisory council for various issues and had even stayed on it while the 'Muslim Ban' issue raged in the press saying that attacking Trump would achieve nothing. He did resign though when Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate agreement.

So yes, Musk was born in South Africa but he was not so devoted to the country that he was willing to do National Service and he was happy to renounce his citizenship in order to become American.

That said. I wish Donald Trump would stop Tweeting, especially his own badly worded ones. It doesn't fill most of the World's population with a lot of confidence.