Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early next year

Re:Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early n... by unspecified on Thursday November 30, 2017 @06:19PM (#15820566)

There's still hope that they will make their first static test fire in December, though! This will be their first time lighting all 27 engines, so it could be very exciting.

A FH static fire can only be done on the pad: there is no test stand big enough to do it.

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Re:Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early n... by SEJeff on Thursday November 30, 2017 @06:32PM (#15820636)

And by exciting, do you mean a high probability of a RUD?

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Re:Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early n... by unspecified on Thursday November 30, 2017 @07:04PM (#15820814)

I don't know about "high", but there's at least two new things happening that jump out:

* staggered start, the engines are started in pairs on the order of 100s milliseconds apart, so 13 chances for an unbalanced engine start

* vastly increased acoustic and vibration shock, I really wish I could hear the noise in person (from a long way away)

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Re:Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early n... by stcredzero on Thursday November 30, 2017 @07:07PM (#15820837)

http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Disaster_Area

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