Tesla Roadster (Elon′s Roadster)

Launch data: Designation  43205 / 18017A Launch date  06 Feb 2018 - 20:45 UTC Launch site  CCK, LC-39A Launch vehicle  Falcon-Heavy Mission  Test Perigee / Apogee  717 x -79898 km Eccentricity   Inclination  28.9° Period   min

The StarMan, in its SpaceX designed spacesuit, leaves Earth Orbit on its way to the Asteroid belt.

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• FALCON HEAVY/TESLA is a dummy payload (Tesla Roadster and a mannequin in a spacesuit nicknamed Starman) successfully launched by the Falcon Heavy on February 6, 2018. Falcon Heavy is a reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX. The Falcon Heavy (previously known as the Falcon 9 Heavy) is a variant of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and consists of a strengthened Falcon 9 rocket core with two additional Falcon 9 first stages as strap-on boosters. The Falcon Heavy is the world′s highest capacity rocket in operation, superseding the Delta IV Heavy payload to LEO by over a factor of two. Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space, including the Moon and Mars, although as of February 5, 2018, there are no longer plans to use Falcon Heavy for crewed missions; it shall instead focus on payloads such as large satellites.

Mission details:

• The first Falcon Heavy launch was successfully carried out on Feb 6, 2018 at 2045 UTC.
  The vehicle used center core stage B1033, with two side cores made from reused Falcon 9 first stages: B1023 and B1025. The side cores landed back simultaneously at landing zones LZ-1 and LZ-2, located on the site of the Cape′s old Pad 13. The center core aimed for the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, but missed it by 100 metres when two of the three engines to be used for the landing burn failed to restart. Stage 2 fired to enter a low parking orbit, probably around 185 x 185 km x 29.0 deg, at 2053 UTC. After a coast to the equator, stage 2 made its second burn at 2113 UTC to place itself in a 184 x 6953 km x 29.0 deg orbit, taking it into the Van Allen belts. Falcon spent two orbits of the Earth in this elliptical path. On approach to second perigee, at 0230 UTC Feb 7, the stage was passing over Los Angeles when it reignited for the third burn, placing it on an escape trajectory.
• Attached to the second stage payload adapter was Elon Musk′s Tesla Roadster car, together with a SpaceX prototype spacesuit containing a mannequin named Starman, and several cameras. The Roadster probably remains attached to the second stage and has not separated, but this has not been confirmed.
  The escape orbit is 717 x -79898 km x 28.9 deg with a C3 of 12.0 km**2/s**2.
• Roadster passes the orbit of the moon 04:19 UTC Feb 8, 2018; it leaves the Earth-Moon system (Hill sphere) 18:00 UTC Feb 11 to enter a 0.99 x 1.71 AU x 1.1 deg heliocentric orbit. Roadster passes the orbit of Mars in Jul 2018, reaching aphelion on Nov 19.

External links:

• Satellite tracking (n2ya.com): Real time satellite tracking

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Kennedy Space Center. Credit: #402