Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 201

**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.

**srvy** · 05-31-2020, 01:56 PM

Interesting a Navy Seal astronaut that looks like a Trident on the left shoulder of his light blue jumpsuit. He is probably there to keep an eye on the Ruskies. Can't have them poking holes in the ISS or sabotaging the Dragon.

**srvy** · 05-31-2020, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Yep:

Bobs blood floating around in zero gravity

Fish · 06-01-2020, 09:32 AM

GloryDayz · 06-01-2020, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

Like the new space suits that look like white riding leathers with rubber boots, the 2002 cockpit looks a lot cooler (to me).

unlurking · 06-01-2020, 11:10 AM

Just wait until you see the Blue Origin lander cockpit. Zero controls at all. Just a microphone.

Dave: "Alexa, please don't crash."

Halexa: "Please call me Hal, Dave."

**BigRedChief** · 06-02-2020, 04:57 PM

Florida from the space station

unlurking · 06-02-2020, 06:16 PM

JRTI is finally back in service tomorrow night for Starlink 7, fresh from the upgrade docks!

https://www.spacexfleet.com/just-read-the-instructions

Fish · 06-02-2020, 08:09 PM

Amazing footage of Earth during a spacewalk on ISS from r/SweatyPalms

**DaFace** · 06-02-2020, 11:14 PM

Cool to see one of these come back with the NASA logo on it.

**srvy** · 06-03-2020, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

Amazing footage of Earth during a spacewalk on ISS from r/SweatyPalms

Ubeja is not here to see the world's fastest human.

GloryDayz · 06-03-2020, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Cool to see one of these come back with the NASA logo on it.

Yes it is.

**Donger** · 06-03-2020, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Cool to see one of these come back with the NASA logo on it.

Yes, very cool. And you can see the octagrabber.

**chefsos** · 06-03-2020, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Cool to see one of these come back with the NASA logo on it.

The humans at the base of it add a scale that I sometimes forget when watching these things gently set down. They just don't appear that big.

**DaFace** · 06-03-2020, 10:39 AM

Unlurking mentioned it, but there's a Starlink launch tonight at 9:25pm EST if anyone's interested. Not quite as exciting as manned launches, but rockets are always fun.

Scooter LaCanforno · 06-03-2020, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Unlurking mentioned it, but there's a Starlink launch tonight at 9:25pm EST if anyone's interested. Not quite as exciting as manned launches, but rockets are always fun.

Very Cloudy with 40% rain. Hope it clears up. Night launches are always worth watching. If you have good eyesight you can actually see the moment it reaches space.

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-53101	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..
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05-31-2020, 01:56 PM	#3001
srvy Fight, build, win! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: KC Casino cash: $-408750	Interesting a Navy Seal astronaut that looks like a Trident on the left shoulder of his light blue jumpsuit. He is probably there to keep an eye on the Ruskies. Can't have them poking holes in the ISS or sabotaging the Dragon. __________________ "The victim stance is a powerful one. The victim is always morally right, neither responsible nor accountable, and forever entitled to sympathy."
Posts: 25,310

06-01-2020, 09:32 AM	#3003
Fish Ain't no relax! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $228919	__________________
Posts: 48,461

06-01-2020, 11:10 AM	#3005
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	Just wait until you see the Blue Origin lander cockpit. Zero controls at all. Just a microphone. Dave: "Alexa, please don't crash." Halexa: "Please call me Hal, Dave." __________________
Posts: 10,620	2 0

06-02-2020, 04:57 PM	#3006
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $1008962 VARSITY	Florida from the space station Attached Thumbnails __________________ Mind you own damn business
Posts: 80,273

06-02-2020, 06:16 PM	#3007
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	JRTI is finally back in service tomorrow night for Starlink 7, fresh from the upgrade docks! https://www.spacexfleet.com/just-read-the-instructions __________________
Posts: 10,620	1 0

06-02-2020, 08:09 PM	#3008
Fish Ain't no relax! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $228919	Amazing footage of Earth during a spacewalk on ISS from r/SweatyPalms __________________
Posts: 48,461	1 0

06-02-2020, 11:14 PM	#3009
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-53101	Cool to see one of these come back with the NASA logo on it.
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06-03-2020, 10:39 AM	#3014
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-53101	Unlurking mentioned it, but there's a Starlink launch tonight at 9:25pm EST if anyone's interested. Not quite as exciting as manned launches, but rockets are always fun.
Posts: 52,577