Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 10

**DaFace** · 07:17 AM

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!

How to Watch a Live Launch

Spoiler!

Where to Learn More

Spoiler!

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.

**DaFace** · 12-05-2015, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aturnis

It was my understanding that they were landing at Cape Canaveral, and the reason was to avoid the "moving target" that was the barge. I'd imagine they'd have less turbulent winds also.

This isn't to say they've given up on barge landings, but with the B.O. landing, and the willy nilly nature of public perception, no matter how wrong, the pressure is on.

They'll probably perfect landings on land, then move to the slightly more difficult barges.

You could be right. I'm pretty sure that the long-term hope is that they can basically take off and land from the same place so that they can just roll it off of the landing pad and into a hangar to re-check and re-fuel, but no clue what the constraints are that they're working through between now and then.

I do have to think that landing in a place with lower winds and more room for error has to be easier at least.

**DaFace** · 12-15-2015, 09:49 PM

Not that I think a ton of you are anxiously looking for the webcast tonight, but it was bumped back to the 19th in the evening. I'll bump this an hour or so before because I'm a nerd.

Squalor2 · 12-15-2015, 10:01 PM

did you see see the same launch?

eDave · 12-15-2015, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Not that I think a ton of you are anxiously looking for the webcast tonight, but it was bumped back to the 19th in the evening. I'll bump this an hour or so before because I'm a nerd.

If I may, can you bump it like way before? I would have missed this tonight as this is my goto spot for launch talk and I was busy with the dorks in DC.

**DaFace** · 12-15-2015, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

If I may, can you bump it like way before? I would have missed this tonight as this is my goto spot for launch talk and I was busy with the dorks in DC.

Sure, I'll try to remember to give you a heads-up. Launch window is open for 3 hours (8:25-11:25 p.m. EST) on the 19th (Saturday).

**DaFace** · 12-15-2015, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squalor2

did you see see the same launch?

Huh?

eDave · 12-15-2015, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Sure, I'll try to remember to give you a heads-up. Launch window is open for 3 hours (8:25-11:25 p.m. EST) on the 19th (Saturday).

^ Gentleman and a scholar.

**DaFace** · 12-18-2015, 06:32 PM

I don't really want to bump the thread every time there's some insignificant news to report, so I added a box to the OP that I'll update from time to time with the latest news. If you ever want to know what's up, search for the thread.

But for now, I'm bumping it because eDave wanted to know about the launch scheduled for tomorrow, and now it's NET (no earlier than) Sunday night.

eDave · 12-18-2015, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

I don't really want to bump the thread every time there's some insignificant news to report, so I added a box to the OP that I'll update from time to time with the latest news. If you ever want to know what's up, search for the thread.

But for now, I'm bumping it because eDave wanted to know about the launch scheduled for tomorrow, and now it's NET (no earlier than) Sunday night.

Now that is what I'm talking about! All you other CP ****s should follow DaFace's lead.

Thanks compadre.

Reddit /r/spacex thread

https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comm...update_thread/

GloryDayz · 12-18-2015, 09:11 PM

Thanks DaFace...

eDave · 12-19-2015, 12:15 PM

Currently looking good for a Sunday night (~8pm local) attempted orbital launch and rocket landing at Cape Canaveral
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 19, 2015

**DaFace** · 12-19-2015, 07:37 PM

Kind of cool summary of the sequence of events:

unlurking · 12-21-2015, 05:35 PM

bumping anyway at the 2 hour countdown!

**DaFace** · 12-21-2015, 05:43 PM

New photo of @SpaceX #Falcon9 in advance of tonight's ORBCOMM #OG2 launch. She's a beauty. #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/cUhCgGieiP
— ORBCOMM (@ORBCOMM_Inc) December 20, 2015

eDave · 12-21-2015, 05:48 PM

New Reddit /r/spacex launch thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comm...ficial_launch/

Current weather loop:

https://i.imgur.com/qIDcuT2.webm

https://i.imgur.com/k98RbOf.webm

Summary: sporadic showers with the possibility to be an issue are still around, and probably will remain that way through the attempt. That being said, these clouds remain pretty small / short and it seems like metar continues to report that the cloud deck isn't full overcast, so we definitely have a shot here. A instantaneous window I'd feel better about, but let's see what happens.

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $26899	Space Exploration megathread 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. Last edited by DaFace; 10-13-2024 at 07:17 AM..
Posts: 52,558	1 0

12-15-2015, 09:49 PM	#137
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $26899	Not that I think a ton of you are anxiously looking for the webcast tonight, but it was bumped back to the 19th in the evening. I'll bump this an hour or so before because I'm a nerd.
Posts: 52,558

12-15-2015, 10:01 PM	#138
Squalor2 Banned Join Date: Aug 2015 Casino cash: $10001425	did you see see the same launch?
Posts: 2,502

12-18-2015, 06:32 PM	#143
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $26899	I don't really want to bump the thread every time there's some insignificant news to report, so I added a box to the OP that I'll update from time to time with the latest news. If you ever want to know what's up, search for the thread. But for now, I'm bumping it because eDave wanted to know about the launch scheduled for tomorrow, and now it's NET (no earlier than) Sunday night.
Posts: 52,558

12-18-2015, 09:11 PM	#145
GloryDayz (Sir/Yes Sir/Aye Aye Sir) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Diving Casino cash: $2135380	Thanks DaFace...
Posts: 119,758

12-19-2015, 12:15 PM	#146
eDave Banned Join Date: Jan 2013 Casino cash: $9998560	Currently looking good for a Sunday night (~8pm local) attempted orbital launch and rocket landing at Cape Canaveral — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 19, 2015
Posts: 53,803

12-19-2015, 07:37 PM	#147
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $26899	Kind of cool summary of the sequence of events:
Posts: 52,558

12-21-2015, 05:35 PM	#148
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	bumping anyway at the 2 hour countdown! __________________
Posts: 10,620

12-21-2015, 05:43 PM	#149
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $26899	New photo of @SpaceX #Falcon9 in advance of tonight's ORBCOMM #OG2 launch. She's a beauty. #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/cUhCgGieiP — ORBCOMM (@ORBCOMM_Inc) December 20, 2015
Posts: 52,558

12-21-2015, 05:48 PM	#150
eDave Banned Join Date: Jan 2013 Casino cash: $9998560	New Reddit /r/spacex launch thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comm...ficial_launch/ Current weather loop: https://i.imgur.com/qIDcuT2.webm https://i.imgur.com/k98RbOf.webm Summary: sporadic showers with the possibility to be an issue are still around, and probably will remain that way through the attempt. That being said, these clouds remain pretty small / short and it seems like metar continues to report that the cloud deck isn't full overcast, so we definitely have a shot here. A instantaneous window I'd feel better about, but let's see what happens.
Posts: 53,803