The test launch of a Falcon 9 rocket a few days ago, which was also the last launch in 2017, was wonderful. Additionally, from it has arisen many questions from sky-watchers in California, who thought that the launch on Friday night had to do with UFOs and aliens. The CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk didn’t miss an opportunity to joke about the SpaceX launch and had several reactions regarding the Falcon 9 rocket alien-craft, but also mentioned the Falcon Heavy launch coming up in January.
https://twitter.com/CristatoLive/status/944381404158111745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/CristatoLive/status/944381404158111745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Nuclear alien UFO from North Korea pic.twitter.com/GUIHpKkkp5
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2017
According to the Tweets by the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, he was surprised by so many people thinking that the flight of the Falcon 9 rocket had to do with aliens, connecting it to a UFO sighting. His later tweets explain it was not so funny anymore. Aside from the jokes concerning UFOs and aliens, Musk shared a post which hypes the first flight of the Falcon Heavy, which will occur in January. This is supposed to be the most powerful rocket yet. The Falcon Heavy consists of three Falcon 9 cores and has three times the thrust.
So strange that people often believe things inversely proportionate to the evidence. Given a set of possible explanations, why pick the extremely unlikely one!?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 24, 2017
Having a sinking feeling that most people actually do think it was aliens …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 24, 2017
The Falcon Heavy launch was originally scheduled for the third quarter of 2015. However, multiple delays scheduled it for 2016, then 2017, with the eventual December date, and now we are anticipating the launch this January. The date hasn’t yet been specified and could even be delayed again. However, if that happens, that won’t be too much of a surprise. The rocket has been moved to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it is supposed to launch and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared the first photographs of the rocket from the space center. With that in mind, the company looks more confident and enthusiastic about the Falcon Heavy launch.
If you liked tonight’s launch, you will really like Falcon Heavy next month: 3 rocket cores & 3X thrust. 2 cores return to base doing synchronized aerobatics. 3rd lands on droneship.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2017
The rocket’s first mission should deliver a payload – Musk’s midnight cherry Tesla Roadster – which plays David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” to an orbit around Mars. Before the Falcon Heavy launches, SpaceX could launch a Falcon 9 earlier in January in order to deliver the secret Zuma payload for the U.S. government. It has been delayed from November, and the new launch window is between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST on Jan. 4. The Falcon 9 rocket also has two more launches near the end of January, however, they could spill over into February. Additionally, SpaceX will launch the next set of Iridium satellites during the first quarter of 2018. The launch last Friday carried Iridium satellites as well, and also another communication satellite for SES.
Other SpaceX launches are expected to occur by March 2018 and include two more communications satellites. One is for Spain’s Hispasat, while the other is for the Bangladesh government. Another trip has been scheduled for the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, which is SpaceX’s fourteenth resupply mission for NASA.
