SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches

Re:SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches by LewYard on Tuesday February 06, 2018 @04:34PM (#16320034)

>> [...] the rocket’s payload [...] will pass through the Van Allen belt — a zone of charged particles and extreme radiation surrounding Earth. Assuming it makes it through that radioactive beatdown [...]

What can happen ? Did a payload already exploded passing through the Van Allen belt ? Are batteries a problem ?

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Re:SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches by alkonaut on Tuesday February 06, 2018 @04:40PM (#16320092)

I guess the worse that can happen is that computer chips and similar (camera sensors etc) are damaged?

Can’t see what would make it not “make it through” but I could see how we might never I find out.

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Re:SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches by LewYard on Tuesday February 06, 2018 @04:52PM (#16320217)

Oh okay. And last Elon's tweet says that the last stage still has a burn to do after the belt. So if the chips are damage it may be impossible to do the burn.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/960988527159795712

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Re:SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches by soneil on Tuesday February 06, 2018 @05:22PM (#16320496)

As I understand it, this is the whole reason for this coasting. They're chilling out in the van allen belt specifically to tick off that box.

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Re:SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy successfully launches by alkonaut on Tuesday February 06, 2018 @04:55PM (#16320255)

If they need it to work through the radiation belts then they have proper radiation hardened stuff on it I’m sure.

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