The day space geeks and even casual science enthusiasts have been waiting for is almost here: SpaceX will finally launch its Falcon Heavy rocket into orbit on Tuesday.
But Phil Plait, author at “The Bad Astronomer”, told Cheddar that all the stars have to be aligned for Elon Musk’s company to give the go-ahead.
“There’s a lot going on, and a lot can go wrong,” he said. “The two side boosters are going to detach, they’ll land back on land at Cape Canaveral. The other booster will then push the payload up into orbit, and it will land on a floating drone ship in the Atlantic. Then the upper stage will boost the car and its passenger out into interplanetary space.”
“Elon Musk has been downplaying the odds of this thing working. And he said this will be spectacular, one way or another”
SpaceX’s CEO introduced the concept for the Falcon Heavy back in 2011, calling it the most powerful rocket in the world by a factor of two. But multiple delays pushed back the original 2013 launch target by five years. Now the rocket, comprised of three Falcon 9 vessels strapped together, may be ready for prime time.
The Falcon Heavy will carry Musk’s original red Tesla Roadster and “Starman,” a pressure suit sitting in as a driver, for its first mission.
Ultimately SpaceX hopes the Heavy will drastically cut the cost of space travel, making it possible to eventually send people to Mars, though Plait acknowledges that is far in the future.
The rocket costs about $95 million per flight, compared to $350 million for other missions.
Walmart is expanding its HIV treatments, planning to add over 80 specialty facilities across nearly a dozen states by the end of the year.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel met to discuss regulatory approval for the Alzheimer's drug, Leqembi.
Air quality on the East Coast has improved to at least a moderate level and will continue getting better by the weekend.
A new study from Columbia University has found that taurina, a type of amino acid known mostly as an ingredient in energy drinks, extended the life of worms, mice and monkeys.
Artechouse, a digital art studio in New York City, has a new exhibition that lets visitors experience never-before-seen images that the James Webb space telescope captured. Cheddar News takes a peek inside the newest immersive experience.
A report said that cancer centers are dealing with shortages of carboplatin and cisplatin, drugs that are used to treat cancers.
On air quality maps, purple signifies the worst of it. In reality, it's a thick, hazardous haze that’s disrupting daily life for millions of people across the U.S. and Canada, blotting out skylines and turning skies orange.
With large swaths of the East Coast blanketed with smog, many are worried about their health. Mangala Narasimhan, director of critical care services at Northwell Health, offers some peace of mind with a handful of expert tips for coping with poor air quality.
Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, began erupting on Wednesday after a three-month pause, displaying spectacular fountains of mesmerizing, glowing lava that's a safe distance from people and structures in a national park on the Big Island.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has reached New York and New Jersey which prompted officials to declare the area as currently having some of the worst air quality in the world.
