SpaceX launches a Tesla

[tfcrew]

 
Then what? Drive it to Mars?
Delayed for awhile, the flight was awesome. The successful landing of the missiles were incredible!

 

[msmob]

Great vids, thanks ... but they were NOT missiles as they were not carrying warheads ! )  Well unless a Tesla is a 'warhead'

[calmissile]

Great vids, thanks ... but they were NOT missiles as they were not carrying warheads ! )  Well unless a Tesla is a 'warhead'

You are wrong!   I was a Missile which is made up of booster(S), Guidance and Control, and Payload.  It does not matter if the payload is a warhead or cargo.  The whole thing is a MISSILE.

[SANDRO43]

Msmob you are wrong and Cal is right, although some might maintain it's a rocket - both carrying or not a warhead.

Latin missile (“that may be sent/thrown”) from Latin mittere (to send), while ballistic missile is a mixture of Latin and Greek βάλλειν (ballein=to cast), so it's actually something of an oxymoron .

[BillyB]

some might maintain it's a rocket

It's a rocket propelled missile. How about that? Definitely more powerful than a hand propelled missile.

[SANDRO43]

It's a rocket propelled missile. How about that?

Correct. However, languages tend to simplify over time, so multi-word terms are eventually reduced to smaller bits - or abbreviations, like RPG . Maybe "rocket-propelled missile" could have become RPM, but that was already taken .

[tfcrew]

 ... more powerful than a hand propelled missile.

I just had to snicker over that one.

[calmissile]

Not that it matters a lot, here is a little history....
The term rocket was widely used following WWWII with respect to the V-1, V-2, etc.  Over the past 50 years, the term rocket evolved to primarily be used for smaller rockets/missiles.  The term rocket is still used for amateur rocket launches and sounding rockets, etc.

In the past 30 years I don't recall anyone or any briefing using the term rocket except occasionally referring to a specific Rocket Engine.  Actually, it would be normally termed a Booster Engine in those cases.

All in all, it is probably proper to use either rocket or missile.  It's just that the meaning and definition has evolved over many years and the term rocket has fallen out of favor except for smaller boosters and those that have kept their name since their inception such as sounding rockets.

Peace.

[msmob]

Ah well, the Cambridge English Dictionary must be 'wrong' 

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/missile

a flying weapon that has its own engine so that it can travel a long distance before exploding at the place that it has been aimed at

So the Tesla is a 'weapon' ?

[tfcrew]

OK the news stations called them 'rocket boosters'.
So now let's get over all the analization <<<<----------[not a real word]

[msmob]

OK the news stations called them 'rocket boosters'.

Nope

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42973449

"Tuesday's launch of the world's most powerful rocket - the Falcon Heavy - has garnered plenty of reaction, from awe to some gentle ribbing."

So now let's get over all the analization <<<<----------[not a real word]

...and ignore English ... Nope ..that's what YOU guys do on the left hand side of the pond ! ( analiSed version in the really real pedant world )

[tfcrew]

  it.

[tfcrew]

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