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Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster Is Headed to the Asteroid Belt
Space.com ^ | February 7, 2018 10:55am | Tariq Malik,

Posted on 02/07/2018 4:54:26 PM PST by BenLurkin

In a late-night update, Musk announced that the Falcon Heavy stage did survive its daring slog through the Van Allen belts.

"Third burn successful," Musk wrote on Twitter. "Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt."

Starman and the Roadster are now flying in a long, elliptical orbit around the sun. At its farthest point, that orbit extends nearly 243 million miles (390 million kilometers). That's 2.61 times the average distance between Earth and the sun, which is, on average, about 93 million miles (150 million km).

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
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To: BenLurkin

21 posted on 02/07/2018 5:25:57 PM PST by Ken H (Best election ever!)
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To: Moonman62
SpaceX is a NASA contractor.

SpaceX is a NASA contractor only for deliveries by Falcon 9 and Dragon to the International Space Station and possibly some future satellite launches, but the Falcon 9 Heavy was entirely a SpaceX run development AFAIK. If NASA were funding F9H there would have been a work force twice as large having a lot of meetings and writing reports but the hardware would still be in its infancy.

NASA did support the original F9 development with $500M in Space Act funding but had limited oversight and control, mostly regarding safety aspects.

22 posted on 02/07/2018 5:30:28 PM PST by SFConservative
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To: raiderboy

Yeah. And what do they send into space? A damned car!

“Where we’re going we don’t need...roads.”


23 posted on 02/07/2018 5:36:14 PM PST by onedoug
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To: BenLurkin

Heavy Metal.


24 posted on 02/07/2018 5:37:29 PM PST by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: BenLurkin

Am I the only one who is bothered by the fact that it was put into an earth crossing obit? If he had saved a little fuel and fired motors at aphelion, it would be in a higher orbit and never come near the earth.


25 posted on 02/07/2018 5:38:54 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Psephomancers for Hillary!)
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To: onedoug

As long as they make money and I don’t pay for that— I am ok!! Are you or do you want communism?


26 posted on 02/07/2018 5:39:27 PM PST by raiderboy ( "...if we have to close down our government, weÂ’re building that wall" DJT)
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To: BenLurkin

How much did that cost the taxpayers a line smelly Musks pockets?


27 posted on 02/07/2018 5:40:59 PM PST by cp124 (FUGOPe)
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To: BenLurkin

If you aim at a Mars orbit and end up in the asteroid belt that’s a horrible, horrible failure.


28 posted on 02/07/2018 5:41:40 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: mrsmith

That guy riding in the Tesla is going to be really peeved.


29 posted on 02/07/2018 5:42:48 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Apparently this may be what they are aiming for with a future car launch...

https://youtu.be/t_KXgFpguE0?t=37s


30 posted on 02/07/2018 5:43:03 PM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: GraceG

Your right... Government Employee Insurance COmpany (GEICO) will not cover that expense. But they will be glad to accept payments as long as possible....


31 posted on 02/07/2018 5:44:58 PM PST by NCDave (AKA, "That idiot over there")
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To: BenLurkin

I hate Tesla, but Space X is VERY Cool.

Muck may be fleecing is less than NASA


32 posted on 02/07/2018 5:47:38 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of he Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: BenLurkin

That would make a nice future souvenir.

Me and my spaceship will pick it up 40 years from now if an alien UFO doesn’t get it first.


33 posted on 02/07/2018 5:54:12 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: central_va

There is the rub, but it’s still damn impressive.

A month ago Falcon Heavy lost a spook satellite (so they say)

For all we know Starman works for NSA LOL (the orbit suggests its a diversion from the lost satellite)

Boom! look at this sideshow!


34 posted on 02/07/2018 5:55:52 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of he Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: The_Media_never_lie

Women were not invited to break the glass ceiling /S


35 posted on 02/07/2018 5:57:56 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of he Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: SFConservative

I’m with you - even companies sitting on a ton of cash can’t come close to matching SpaceX, or at least haven’t been able to.

I’m certainly no fan of Musk, as Tesla can go to hell, in my book - but I have to give him credit here, what he’s done is amazing, and much, much, cheaper than anyone else.


36 posted on 02/07/2018 5:59:45 PM PST by BobL (I shop at Walmart...I just don't tell anyone)
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To: onedoug
Uncle Sam's On Mars
37 posted on 02/07/2018 6:01:06 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of he Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Am I the only one who is bothered by the fact that it was put into an earth crossing obit?

Not to worry. The Tesla is tiny enough that if it got pulled into Earth’s gravity well, it would burn up in the atmosphere.


38 posted on 02/07/2018 6:01:37 PM PST by Flick Lives
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To: All

Too bad they can’t launch all of them into space.


39 posted on 02/07/2018 6:03:49 PM PST by Peter ODonnell (The president is a good man -- that's why they are out to get him -- where have we seen this before?)
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To: central_va

Elon Musk’s growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies

...

That makes up about 6% of the market capital of his companies. Even less if you consider your figure from the LATimes includes a $500 million loan that was paid back within weeks.

It’s strange how those with a cognitive bias against Musk only focus on one thing. You’re really missing out on one of the greatest American success stories of all time.


40 posted on 02/07/2018 6:05:07 PM PST by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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