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SpaceX performs static fire test on Falcon Heavy

102 points| LeonM | 8 years ago |twitter.com

31 comments

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[+] Implicated|8 years ago|reply
I wish I lived closer - I'd love to hear/feel this in person.

The feeling of top fuel dragsters coming off the line (https://youtu.be/W9L3bllEbm4?t=11) is intoxicating - I can only imagine what the Falcon Heavy would feel like!

[+] coldstone|8 years ago|reply
I live a couple miles down the river and it was rattling my windows.

Paddle boarding out to watch one of their launches should be a bucket list item for anyone living in Central Florida.

[+] greglindahl|8 years ago|reply
Ha ha for irony! A drag-racing Tesla is pretty soundless off the line.
[+] pavel_lishin|8 years ago|reply
> "Five million pounds of thrust being held to the ground by SpaceX's systems"

So, what happens if those systems fail?

edit: nice, apparently I commented on Reddit today.

[+] SAI_Peregrinus|8 years ago|reply
Most of the thrust is simply to counter the weight of the rocket & fuel. The hold-down clamps only have to withstand a fraction of that.
[+] asteli|8 years ago|reply
making something stay on the ground is far less challenging than making something go to space

i think they've got this

[+] JshWright|8 years ago|reply
SpaceX lists the Falcon Heavy as weighing 3,125,735 lbs (presumably that's the "wet" weight).

So, the hold down clamps 'only' need to deal with ~2,000,000 lbs of thrust. There are 6 clamps, IIRC, so that's 333k lbs each. Seems reasonable.

[+] Shivetya|8 years ago|reply
How much stress is placed on the components for this test? Do they use a fully fueled rocket or is there only sufficient fuel to complete the burn?
[+] Robotbeat|8 years ago|reply
Fully fueled, as that reduces the upward strain on the hold-down clamps.

Also: "Test like you fly."

[+] natch|8 years ago|reply
Awesome. Really glad there was someone live streaming.

However, I wish the guy didn't yell into the microphone repeatedly over the sound of the firing. I understand there are going to be people nearby yelling, but if anyone can suppress the urge to yell at that moment, it should be the person running the livestream camera.

Anyway other than that, well done. Nice to have some commentary as well going along with it.

[+] LeonM|8 years ago|reply
Engine ignition is around the 16 minute mark
[+] valuearb|8 years ago|reply
Doesn't anybody edit their videos anymore?
[+] coldcode|8 years ago|reply
Whoa thats a big exhaust. Hopefully someday we will see it go up. Saturn V launches were awesome.
[+] ChuckMcM|8 years ago|reply
Next week according to Musk.
[+] simik|8 years ago|reply
But why was it so short?
[+] greglindahl|8 years ago|reply
That was long. Static fires of Falcon 9 rockets at the Cape and VAFB are normally 3 seconds.