Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 24 July 2017

SpaceX chief says 1st launch of big new rocket will be risky

moon late next year, using that vehicle does not
a Falcon Heavy. make it to orbit,” he said.
While the moon may not “Major pucker factor, re-
be in Musk’s personal ally, is like the only way to
travel plans, he said in re- describe it.”
sponse to a question that Building the Falcon Heavy
he’d like to ride one of his has proven harder than
smaller Falcon rockets to SpaceX envisioned, ac-
the International Space cording to Musk. But it will
Station in maybe three or be capable of lifting more
four years. SpaceX plans than double the amount of
to start ferrying NASA astro- payload into orbit than the
nauts to the orbiting out- current Falcon 9, and also
post, using Falcon 9 rock- hoisting a SpaceX Drag-
ets and enhanced Dragon on capsule into a loop
capsules, by the middle around the moon. As for
of next year. SpaceX now Mars, Musk said he favored
uses the Dragon capsule friendly competition for
to deliver supplies to the getting astronauts to the
space station. “All right, red planet. NASA for years
we’ll put you on the mani- has supported an interna-
fest,” said NASA’s space tional effort. Musk said it
SpaceX founder Elon Musk speaks in Guadalajara, Mexico. Musk said last week the first launch of station program manager would be better to have at
its big new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, is risky and stands “a real good chance” of failure. Kirk Shireman. Speaking for least two or three-country
(AP Photo/Refugio Ruiz) over an hour at the Wash- coalitions striving to get
ington conference, Musk there first and making the
By MARCIA DUNN a space station research must ignite simultaneously. encouraged people to go most progress. He praised
AP Aerospace Writer conference that he wants No one will be aboard the to Cape Canaveral for the the model used by NASA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) to set realistic expectations initial flights. When it comes Falcon Heavy launch. “It’s in the commercial crew
— SpaceX’s chief said last for the flight later this year time to add people, Musk guaranteed to be excit- program, in which both
week that the first launch from Cape Canaveral. The said, “no question, who- ing,” he promised, getting SpaceX and Boeing are
of its big new rocket is risky Falcon Heavy will have ever’s on the first flight, a big laugh. developing capsules for
and stands “a real good three boosters instead of brave.” “There’s a lot of risk associ- flying space station astro-
chance” of failure. one, and 27 engines in- SpaceX plans to fly two ated with Falcon Heavy, nauts. Americans have not
Founder Elon Musk told stead of nine, all of which paying customers to the real good chance that launched from home soil
since the last shuttle flight in
NASA communications satellite damaged before launch 2011, instead forced to use
Russian rockets. The crew
Dragons will parachute
By MARCIA DUNN one of the antennas on the launch. and flight schedule. into the ocean just like the
AP Aerospace Writer Tracking and Data Relay Officials are providing no TDRS-M is the third-gener- cargo Dragons; land land-
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Satellite, or TDRS-M (T-driss- details. But the mishap ation in this satellite series. ings were scrapped be-
— NASA’s newest, slick- M), was damaged. could delay what was sup- The orbiting network links cause of the work needed
est communications satel- The accident occurred in- posed to be an Aug. 3 lift- ground controllers with the to make everything safe.
lite has been damaged, side a payload processing off aboard an Atlas V (five) International Space Sta- Musk said he’s updated his
just three weeks before its building near Cape Ca- rocket. In a brief statement, tion, the Hubble Space long-term plan for coloniz-
planned August launch. naveral, Florida, as the sat- NASA says the mission team Telescope and other ing Mars to make it more
NASA said last week that ellite was being packed for is assessing the damage spacecraft.q economically feasible. q