Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 204

**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** · 06-10-2020, 10:56 PM

I'd forgotten that Rocket Lab is now trying to recover their boosters by catching it under parachute with a helicopter. That's kind of fun.

jd1020 · 06-11-2020, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

I'd forgotten that Rocket Lab is now trying to recover their boosters by catching it under parachute with a helicopter. That's kind of fun.

There's the SpaceX way and then the ghetto way.

GloryDayz · 06-11-2020, 06:47 AM

Damn high winds!

**DaFace** · 06-11-2020, 03:57 PM

Not that anyone is surprised...

It's official, the James Webb Space Telescope will be delayed again.https://t.co/iNt3vojCaj
— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) June 10, 2020

**DaFace** · 06-12-2020, 01:08 PM

I won't be getting up for it, but there's yet another Starlink launch tomorrow morning around 5:30am ET.

**DaFace** · 06-12-2020, 11:05 PM

Rocket Lab is giving it a go again in just a few minutes.

**DaFace** · 06-12-2020, 11:18 PM

Go little guy, go!

Scooter LaCanforno · 06-13-2020, 02:57 PM

Everyone missed a spectacular launch this morning. First launch I've ever seen go up and over the horizon. Trail caught the rising sun in the east. Sunrise from the Cape was at 6:38 , launch went up at 5:21. Amazing to watch.

**Donger** · 06-13-2020, 03:05 PM

What were those rings that blew off the second stage nozzle after engine ignition?

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

2:49

allen_kcCard · 06-13-2020, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

What were those rings that blew off the second stage nozzle after engine ignition?

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

2:49

Totally a guess, but I would think it is some sort of a buffer ring to both help seal the connection of 1st stage and 2nd stage, and also perhaps something to help ease the separation. Looked like once the 2nd stage lit up the ring pops off from the heat or vibration and is under enough tension that is snaps.

**DaFace** · 06-13-2020, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

Totally a guess, but I would think it is some sort of a buffer ring to both help seal the connection of 1st stage and 2nd stage, and also perhaps something to help ease the separation. Looked like once the 2nd stage lit up the ring pops off from the heat or vibration and is under enough tension that is snaps.

Yep. It's a cork ring for stability on launch.

**DaFace** · 06-13-2020, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooter LaCanforno

Everyone missed a spectacular launch this morning. First launch I've ever seen go up and over the horizon. Trail caught the rising sun in the east. Sunrise from the Cape was at 6:38 , launch went up at 5:21. Amazing to watch.

I didn't watch, but the pics look super cool.

**Donger** · 06-15-2020, 01:16 PM

Interview with Bob and Doug regarding the launch:

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/06/1...space-shuttle/

**Donger** · 06-15-2020, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

Totally a guess, but I would think it is some sort of a buffer ring to both help seal the connection of 1st stage and 2nd stage, and also perhaps something to help ease the separation. Looked like once the 2nd stage lit up the ring pops off from the heat or vibration and is under enough tension that is snaps.

But you can see it fly off the engine nozzle. It isn't attached to the the rocket body.

**ptlyon** · 06-15-2020, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Interview with Bob and Doug regarding the launch:

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/06/1...space-shuttle/

Like MacKenzie, A?

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $86899	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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06-10-2020, 10:56 PM	#3046
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $86899	I'd forgotten that Rocket Lab is now trying to recover their boosters by catching it under parachute with a helicopter. That's kind of fun.
Posts: 52,542

06-11-2020, 06:47 AM	#3048
GloryDayz (Sir/Yes Sir/Aye Aye Sir) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Diving Casino cash: $2195380	Damn high winds! __________________ . #Like 45, 47 Is Going To Be AWESOME! #I still don't have COVID
Posts: 119,507

06-11-2020, 03:57 PM	#3049
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $86899	Not that anyone is surprised... It's official, the James Webb Space Telescope will be delayed again.https://t.co/iNt3vojCaj — Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) June 10, 2020
Posts: 52,542

06-12-2020, 01:08 PM	#3050
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $86899	I won't be getting up for it, but there's yet another Starlink launch tomorrow morning around 5:30am ET.
Posts: 52,542

06-12-2020, 11:05 PM	#3051
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $86899	Rocket Lab is giving it a go again in just a few minutes.
Posts: 52,542	1 0

06-12-2020, 11:18 PM	#3052
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $86899	Go little guy, go!
Posts: 52,542

06-13-2020, 02:57 PM	#3053
Scooter LaCanforno Starter Join Date: Nov 2013 Casino cash: $5536947	Everyone missed a spectacular launch this morning. First launch I've ever seen go up and over the horizon. Trail caught the rising sun in the east. Sunrise from the Cape was at 6:38 , launch went up at 5:21. Amazing to watch.
Posts: 930	1 0

06-13-2020, 03:05 PM	#3054
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8529900 VARSITY	What were those rings that blew off the second stage nozzle after engine ignition? https://www.spacex.com/launches/ 2:49 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,177

06-15-2020, 01:16 PM	#3058
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8529900 VARSITY	Interview with Bob and Doug regarding the launch: https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/06/1...space-shuttle/ __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,177