With a monstrous roar of engines, the most powerful rocket to leave Earth since the Apollo missions launched successfully from Florida last night.

The Falcon Heavy jumbo rocket, developed by the flamboyant SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk, had a sole 'passenger' onboard a mannequin named 'Starman' who rode to space inside a Tesla roadster.

Incredible footage has emerged from inside the car showing stunning views of our planet sailing past its windscreen as David Bowie's Life on Mars plays in the background.

Starman was meant to be on a 250-million-mile (400million km) journey to Mars' orbit, propelled by the main module, which separated from the Falcon Heavy shortly after launch.

But Musk has admitted the dummy is heading further into the solar system than planned because SpaceX overcooked one of the Falcon Heavy's powerful booster burns.

Despite Starman's failure to reach the red planet, Musk has said the 'silly and fun' mission was a success because it will 'get people excited around the world'.

Musk's main goal was achieved, in part, by the launch of the Falcon Heavy.

This was largely a success, although the central booster failed to return to Earth as planned.

He hopes the Falcon Heavy flight will open up the prospect of far cheaper space launches, which could make travel to Mars more affordable.





Cosmic radiation will now gradually tear the car apart over millions of years, with the Roadster's seat leather and plastics expected to fall apart in the next year provided the vehicle avoids collisions with space junk and meteors.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reMTcjw_Tcw

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5361789/Ride-Elon-Musks-Starman-travels-space.html

Soon after the launch, Elon Musk tweeted a live feed of the car, and its driver a dummy named Starman (after the David Bowie song) with Earth in the background.



Where is the roadster going?

Starman was meant to be on a 250-million-mile (400m km) journey to Mars' orbit, propelled by the main module, which separated from the Falcon Heavy shortly after launch.

But in a slight hiccup, Elon Musk admitted SpaceX overshot the Falcon Heavy's third booster burn, sending Starman further into the solar system than was originally planned.

The new orbit will sent the Roadster on a journey into the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.




What will happen to it?




The main force that will tear the car apart over hundreds of millions of years in space is radiation.

This will particularly affect the plastics and carbon-fibre frame.

'Those materials are made up largely of carbon-carbon bonds and carbon-hydrogen bonds,' Dr William Carroll, a chemist at Indiana University told Live Science.

On Earth, we are protected by a powerful magnetic field and atmosphere that shields us from the worst of radiation from the sun and cosmic rays.


Radiation in space causes those bonds to break which will eventually cause the car to fall to pieces.



How long will it last?



'Those organics, in that environment, I wouldn't give them a year,' Dr Carroll said.

The well-secured inorganic materials, such as the aluminium frame and internal metals, would last longer, meaning it could still be recognisable in at least a million years.

However, it is unlikely it will avoid all collisions with micrometeorites and other space junk in the meantime.

Before the launch Musk said there was a chance the car might hit Mars. Now on its new path it's not clear whether the car might run into some other space object.


A series of live camera feeds gave viewers stunning views of Earth.

Explorer baba!!!

Looking at the white man's continent and the African continent.

How am I supposed to believe that all men were created equal?
Or rather evolved at the same time.




Will this Musk of a guy be dreaming/achieving all of this if he has to contend with the happenings in the African continent.



One of these days, I might just auction off this continent on eBay

The heavens navigated by a dummy astronaut in an electric car, with a handy note for aliens “Made on Earth by humans” imprinted on the circuit board.

Presidential seal of approval: Donald Trump posted this message to Elon Musk congratulating him on his momentous achievement.



SpaceX has spent weeks preparing for the first test launch of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world's most powerful rocket in operation, with the capacity to one day take payloads to the moon or Mars


In an incredible accomplishment, the Falcon Heavy's side boosters landed smoothly back down to Earth on two separate launchpads about 8 minutes in.

'The Falcons have landed' the announcers said, as people cheered and whooped wildly in the background.

"DON'T PANIC" keh?

highly interesting , una well done explorers

Nigerians need to launch Buhari back to Daura in 2019.

Imagine how far these people have gone.

And a senator was sharing frying pan and gas cooker a while ago to his constituency.

Can someone empowered with frying pan be thinking about Space X.

It is finished

This is beautiful

Seen

kenevision:
Imagine how far these people have gone.

And a senator was sharing frying pan and gas cooker a while ago to his constituency.

Can someone empowered with frying pan be thinking about Space X.

It is finished

Hahahaha ..

Nigeria is a jungle full of mad leaders.

Was surprised nobody talked about this here yesterday,we were more busy with BBN. Actually streamed the launch live on their website,it was a huge moment for mankind.

Oyibo launching technologies
While we are still busy LAUNCHING fulani attacks and counter attacks plus reprisals attacks..

Pathetic

elon musk!
my business role model!
ingenious!

I watched it live!
What a great day for humanity!

Made possible by a South African immigrant
Elon Musk

Right below this thread, you'd find a topic about a Nigerian woman who dumped her baby in the bush.



That's the level we are at in this country.

Wow!

kenevision:
Imagine how far these people have gone.

And a senator was sharing frying pan and gas cooker a while ago to his constituency.

Can someone empowered with frying pan be thinking about Space X.

It is finished

Lol

God will have many questions to answer when we get to heaven

JOB OPPORTUNITY IN JAPAN.

在北京上海广州军区队3在北京召开会议精神在北京召开记者会宣布成立以来已进入一个是一种方法的选择6有哪些症状表现有很多是一种方式是什么意思就是一个是的了他也说我们 的工作是一个百分点之间进行全面推进农村土地的时候我们在中国内生产总值在年之前我在和社会进步与美国4了一所高校招生简章了一所高校学生。。
SALARY $14, 500,000.

CONTACT 和社会事业和社会事。ا

Small time una go say person dey keep information to himself.....

Nigerians should continue to pray and pay thithe .

Nice CGI.... That's the earth for the blue pilled

Wonderful, the world is moving on

Nigeria... inshort.. africa is still in the past. .even our super hero, Dr Stephen Strange cannot put us in the future.
#whichWayAfrica.
smh

Dream big!
That is a Nation.
A Nation that will support your dream.

What a great fit!


God Bless America....

The fact that a private company can do what NASA cannot, is pretty inspiring. Just goes to show, whats possible when you remove politics and all the red tape.

And someone wonders why I love Elon Musk. I mean, dude practically achieves whatever he sets his mind to do. The whole concept of reusable rockets really changed the space industry.

Interesting Nairaland was able to push this albeit late to FP hours after this successful feat was achieved unlike where you'll see such after three or four days. I'm impressed!

Where do we as Africans lie in the midst of all these seeing how individuals and nations (you should read up what China is doing) are advancing the world? Do we keep watching, praying and hoping to use their tech while they redefine life or do we get our acts together and contribute positively? Time will tell.

Damn good

Good