Space Exploration megathread

[DaFace]

Since a number of cool things are happening in space exploration these days, we'll widen the scope of this thread a smidge. Conversation about all things space exploration are welcome, whether it be from NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin, or anyone else. Chances are most of the discussion will still be about SpaceX since they love to make things public and fun, but nothing's off limits. I'll eventually get around to modifying the OP to include resources for other companies too, but in the meantime, feel free to post any cool stuff you run across.

Lists of Upcoming Missions

Spoiler!

General lists:
https://nextspaceflight.com/
http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

SpaceX specific list:
https://spacexnow.com/upcoming.php

How to Watch a Live Launch

Spoiler!

SpaceX:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/

ULA:
https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance

RocketLab:
https://www.youtube.com/user/RocketLabNZ

NASATV will also cover some launches (primarily ISS resupply missions):
https://www.youtube.com/user/NASAtelevision

Where to Learn More

Spoiler!

Some cool pics...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/
https://www.instagram.com/spacex/?hl=en

Twitter feed is usually interesing...

https://twitter.com/SpaceX
https://twitter.com/elonmusk

The SpaceX sub is a great source of info...

https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex
https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/wiki/index

And for a more forum-style discussion board...

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php#c17

And there are plenty of YouTube channels with great content...

• Joe Scott - Lost of "future" discussion. Some about rockets and space. Much that goes beyond.
• Scott Manley - Super smart dude (engineer) who reviews a lot of major events in space exploration.
• Frazer Cain (Universe Today) - Podcast-style videos that go in-depth into space topics.
• Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut) - A "random dude" who got really into space (particularly SpaceX). He's a great resource for simple explanations of this stuff, as well as live hosting launches.
• USLaunchReport - Lost of videos of the more mundane stuff (e.g., booster recovery operations). Not a ton of commentary.
• NASASpaceFlight - Live hosting of most launches including a ton of video of Starlink operations.

Glossary

Spoiler!

Space discussions tend to get a little bogged down in jargon, so here's a list of terms you might encounter. (Others, please let me know of others that should be added.)

• ASDS - Autonomous Spaceport Droneship - The "barges" that they sometimes land rockets on.
• Dragon - The cone-shaped capsule that sits at the top of the rocket for ISS-bound launches that holds the cargo (or, in the future, humans).
• F9 - Falcon 9, the name of the rocket itself.
• FH - Falcon Heavy, the three-booster version.
• GTO - Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, a type of orbit that will eventually result in the satellite orbiting the earth as it turns so that it seems to be in the same spot from the ground (such as DirecTV or Dish satellites). These types of launches are particularly challenging because they require a lot of power to get them into the right orbit, leaving very little fuel left for landing.
• HIF - Horizontal Integration Facility - the building near the launch pad where they put all of the pieces of the rocket together before rolling it out to the pad.
• ISS - The International Space Station
• JRTI - Just Read The Instructions, the name of the "barge" that they land on for west-coast launches.
• LEO - Low Earth Orbit, a fairly low orbit shared by many satellites and ISS. These launches usually require less power to achieve the proper orbit, so the first stage can often be landed back on land rather than on a drone ship.
• LZ1 - Landing Zone 1, basically a big open slab of concrete at Cape Canaveral where the first stage will attempt to land (for some launches).
• NET - No Earlier Than, basically the date they're hoping to launch, but rocket launches have a tendency of getting delayed.
• OCISLY - Of Course I Still Love You, the name of the "barge" that they land on for east-coast launches.
• RTLS - Return to Landing Site, a mission where the first stage comes back and lands at LZ1.
• Starship - SpaceX's next-generation rocket (and spacecraft) that will hopefully one day take us to Mars. Starship is the "second stage" that will carry cargo or people, but also refers to the whole system. (It's confusing, but think of it like the Space Shuttle, which was both the shuttle itself and the entire launch system.)
• Super Heavy - The giant booster that will carry Starship to space.

[GeorgeZimZam]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Probes are explorers. People on the ISS are workers.

Originally Posted by DaFace

That seems extremely myopic to me. At worst, these kinds of tests are aimed at ENABLING exploration even if you want to be pedantic about what "exploration" entails.

Careful, or we're in for a sperg out.



"SpAcex DoeSN't ExplORe, GuiSE! DORa DOes!"

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by DaFace

That seems extremely myopic to me. At worst, these kinds of tests are aimed at ENABLING exploration even if you want to be pedantic about what "exploration" entails.

Originally Posted by GeorgeZimZam

Rain Man being autistic. The only part of this back and forth that adds up.

So the person who designs a hydraulic valve in upstate New York that helps to open an ISS solar panel is an explorer?

Of course not. Enabling exploration is not exploration. Queen Isabella was not an explorer. The merchants who sold supplies to Jim Bridger were not explorers. Explorers are the tip of the spear. They're the ones who see new places with their own eyes and bring back stories of Bigfoot and giants, and no one can question them because no one else has been there.

The ISS workers are just workers whose jobs require them to be in an unusual workplace.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

So the person who designs a hydraulic valve in upstate New York that helps to open an ISS solar panel is an explorer?

Of course not. Enabling exploration is not exploration. Queen Isabella was not an explorer. The merchants who sold supplies to Jim Bridger were not explorers. Explorers are the tip of the spear. They're the ones who see new places with their own eyes and bring back stories of Bigfoot and giants, and no one can question them because no one else has been there.

The ISS workers are just workers whose jobs require them to be in an unusual workplace.

By your definition, there hasn't been a space explorer since Neil Armstrong. Again, that's fine if your goal is to be pedantic, but that's a pretty gross misrepresentation of everything we've accomplished since.

[GeorgeZimZam]

It is telling how your argument is changing along the way. First, singling out the entire private sector space industry, without any consideration for the fact there is virtually NO public sector space industry to speak of in the United States. You were basically saying, "SpaceX (short for SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES INC.) doesn't explore space." Now you are trying to drag Queen Isabella into it. It was over the moment you committed to the Submit Reply button on your original post:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I feel like this thread should be renamed as the space exploitation thread. None of these private sector actions are exploring.

Also, "I feel like..." should never be uttered by a man. It is best reserved for some dumb broad, just before she says the dumbest shit ever.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by DaFace

By your definition, there hasn't been a space explorer since Neil Armstrong. Again, that's fine if your goal is to be pedantic, but that's a pretty gross misrepresentation of everything we've accomplished since.

No, no, no. It doesn't have to just be the first person in a category.

The 12 guys who landed on the moon are all clearly explorers. I could potentially call the first people who identified explanets explorers, though obviously their physical risk is low. I could call the first space walkers explorers. If I really stretched it, maybe I could think of a few other space things like the people who spend a year in space to see what it's like, though that's coming pretty close to being a worker.

Exploration is becoming less common as we learn more about the world, but it can still occur. A person doing experiments with spider webs and low-gravity manufacturing isn't an explorer. They're an innovation worker at best.

[MagicHef]

I loved the white-hot flap actuating. Incredible.

[GeorgeZimZam]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

I loved the white-hot flap actuating. Incredible.

What a video of Starship Flap getting roasted by plasma, thanks to amazing broadcasting by Starlink @elonmusk #starship #IFT4pic.twitter.com/ru6lMQjifU

— Science Simplified (@SciSimpAAG) June 6, 2024

Ship 29 makes it through re-entry, minus part of a flap, and does a bellyflop!

And...............no way! It looked like a flip and burn and soft splashdown?! pic.twitter.com/9akZzG3V6M

— Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) June 6, 2024

[Donger]

The night before #Starship's 4th flight, @elonmusk described one of the main concerns about Starship's heat shield. He turned out to be right as it was the exact spot that burned through. More video to come! pic.twitter.com/NTfw9Cw944

— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) June 6, 2024

[GeorgeZimZam]

Starship IFT4 afterparty…but NDA obligated ahhhhhhh!



Any further posts from me tonight: pls delete mods thank you.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by GeorgeZimZam

Starship IFT4 afterparty…but NDA obligated ahhhhhhh!







Any further posts from me tonight: pls delete mods thank you.

Ha, have fun, man. I'm jealous.

[Delano]

Originally Posted by GeorgeZimZam

Ship 29 makes it through re-entry, minus part of a flap, and does a bellyflop!

And...............no way! It looked like a flip and burn and soft splashdown?! pic.twitter.com/9akZzG3V6M

— Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) June 6, 2024

Speaking of dumb broads, these reaction videos are incredibly cringe.

[GeorgeZimZam]

Originally Posted by Delano

Speaking of dumb broads, these reaction videos are incredibly cringe.

It’s the Space Exploration Megathread, wtf do you want? Some hookers from Matamoros, Mexico? Give me a couple hours. I got my passport card. I’m on it, @Joe****ingCool.

[seamonster]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

No, no, no. It doesn't have to just be the first person in a category.

The 12 guys who landed on the moon are all clearly explorers. I could potentially call the first people who identified explanets explorers, though obviously their physical risk is low. I could call the first space walkers explorers. If I really stretched it, maybe I could think of a few other space things like the people who spend a year in space to see what it's like, though that's coming pretty close to being a worker.

Exploration is becoming less common as we learn more about the world, but it can still occur. A person doing experiments with spider webs and low-gravity manufacturing isn't an explorer. They're an innovation worker at best.

I don't think you're really grasping what just happened with SpaceX...Based on what I'm seeing they flew a structure the size of a football field into space and then rapidly flung it back towards the ocean at a rate of descent that was 8 kilometers to 1 kilometer in under 20 seconds and then hovered it above the ****ing ocean. That's impressive.

[seamonster]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

No, no, no. It doesn't have to just be the first person in a category.

The 12 guys who landed on the moon are all clearly explorers. I could potentially call the first people who identified explanets explorers, though obviously their physical risk is low. I could call the first space walkers explorers. If I really stretched it, maybe I could think of a few other space things like the people who spend a year in space to see what it's like, though that's coming pretty close to being a worker.

Exploration is becoming less common as we learn more about the world, but it can still occur. A person doing experiments with spider webs and low-gravity manufacturing isn't an explorer. They're an innovation worker at best.

I don't think you're really grasping what just happened with SpaceX...Based on what I'm seeing they flew a structure the size of a football field into space and then rapidly flung it back towards the ocean at a rate of descent that was 8 kilometers to 1 kilometer in under 20 seconds and then hovered it above the ****ing ocean. That's impressive.

[DaFace]

Pretty good debrief with Elon. Key things that stood out to me: the booster landing was "precise" while Starship was about 6km off target. He thinks there's a chance they'll try to catch it for IFT-5.

[GeorgeZimZam]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Ha, have fun, man. I'm jealous.

Met a SpaceX employee from Kansas City. Pitched on the Blue Valley Northwest HS baseball team. Big Chiefs and Royals fan.

Most of the employees are likely sports agnostic. But they do have enough Chiefs fans throughout the company for a ChiefsX group chat on Microsoft Teams.

There is a company plane that flies free and direct between Brownsville and Los Angeles (which is a godsend: the Valley sucks for flights). Gives the Mrs. and me little excuse to miss the Chiefs-Chargers game this year at SoFi.