Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 227

**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** · 10-05-2020, 02:03 PM

It's not much, but I'm here for FH news any day.

A Falcon Heavy side booster that will support the USSF-44 mission for the @SpaceForceDoD next year completed a full-duration static fire test last week at SpaceX’s rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas pic.twitter.com/jZACfDtMxG
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 5, 2020

**Donger** · 10-05-2020, 02:26 PM

Sounds like they are going to try Starlink 12 again tomorrow at 7:29am EDT

**Donger** · 10-06-2020, 08:15 AM

Fifth time was the charm!

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

**DaFace** · 10-06-2020, 08:40 AM

Caught another fairing half, too. It's not nearly as cool as the booster, but pretty nifty that they're starting to figure this out a bit.

Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions! pic.twitter.com/p61bdBrdRP
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 6, 2020

GloryDayz · 10-06-2020, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Fifth time was the charm!

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

I loved how, just prior to deploying the payload, the earth's horizon started to become visible like a thumbnail. Perfect timing for that effect...

MagicHef · 10-08-2020, 12:09 PM

I think that once the two stages separate, they should have telemetry for both stages. I'd like to see the altitude and speed for the first stage coming down.

**DaFace** · 10-08-2020, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicHef

I think that once the two stages separate, they should have telemetry for both stages. I'd like to see the altitude and speed for the first stage coming down.

Its imperfect, but Tim Dodd's streams have started adding simulated trajectory for the first stage (from FlightClub.io). It's a nice touch, even though it's just based on their rough modeling.

**Donger** · 10-08-2020, 01:26 PM

Starman, last seen leaving Earth, made its first close approach with Mars today—within 0.05 astronomical units, or under 5 million miles, of the Red Planet pic.twitter.com/gV8barFTm7
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 7, 2020

**DaFace** · 10-10-2020, 05:22 PM

Slight delay to Crew-1. Sounds like whatever caused the abort for the GPS-III launch has them a little nervous, so they're thoroughly checking it out.

We’re now targeting NET early-to-mid November for launch of @NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the @Space_Station. The extra time will allow SpaceX to resolve an unexpected observation during a recent non-NASA launch attempt. More: https://t.co/sheWOD74m6 pic.twitter.com/YLq1Tb4LfN
— Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) October 10, 2020

GloryDayz · 10-11-2020, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Slight delay to Crew-1. Sounds like whatever caused the abort for the GPS-III launch has them a little nervous, so they're thoroughly checking it out.

We’re now targeting NET early-to-mid November for launch of @NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the @Space_Station. The extra time will allow SpaceX to resolve an unexpected observation during a recent non-NASA launch attempt. More: https://t.co/sheWOD74m6 pic.twitter.com/YLq1Tb4LfN
— Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) October 10, 2020

Awesome...

MagicHef · 10-11-2020, 04:41 PM

The military wants to use the starship for point to point deliveries on Earth:

https://www.businessinsider.com/musk...ockets-2020-10

**Donger** · 10-12-2020, 09:40 AM

**Donger** · 10-13-2020, 09:56 AM

GloryDayz · 10-13-2020, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

That was awesome. Thank you for starting the video just before the launch...

**Donger** · 10-13-2020, 11:02 AM

That drone footage was incredible. Hey Musk!? Bezos has you beat!!

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	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: 52,520	1 0

10-05-2020, 02:03 PM	#3391
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	It's not much, but I'm here for FH news any day. A Falcon Heavy side booster that will support the USSF-44 mission for the @SpaceForceDoD next year completed a full-duration static fire test last week at SpaceX’s rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas pic.twitter.com/jZACfDtMxG — SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 5, 2020
Posts: 52,520	1 0

10-05-2020, 02:26 PM	#3392
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	Sounds like they are going to try Starlink 12 again tomorrow at 7:29am EDT __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,013

10-06-2020, 08:15 AM	#3393
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	Fifth time was the charm! https://www.spacex.com/launches/ __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,013

10-06-2020, 08:40 AM	#3394
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	Caught another fairing half, too. It's not nearly as cool as the booster, but pretty nifty that they're starting to figure this out a bit. Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions! pic.twitter.com/p61bdBrdRP — SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 6, 2020
Posts: 52,520

10-08-2020, 12:09 PM	#3396
MagicHef The Seated Villain Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle Casino cash: $1080247	I think that once the two stages separate, they should have telemetry for both stages. I'd like to see the altitude and speed for the first stage coming down. __________________ With a sack in 61% of his games, SB MVP Von Miller is the most consistent pass rusher in NFL history.
Posts: 10,711

10-08-2020, 01:26 PM	#3398
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	Starman, last seen leaving Earth, made its first close approach with Mars today—within 0.05 astronomical units, or under 5 million miles, of the Red Planet pic.twitter.com/gV8barFTm7 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 7, 2020 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,013	1 0

10-10-2020, 05:22 PM	#3399
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	Slight delay to Crew-1. Sounds like whatever caused the abort for the GPS-III launch has them a little nervous, so they're thoroughly checking it out. We’re now targeting NET early-to-mid November for launch of @NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the @Space_Station. The extra time will allow SpaceX to resolve an unexpected observation during a recent non-NASA launch attempt. More: https://t.co/sheWOD74m6 pic.twitter.com/YLq1Tb4LfN — Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) October 10, 2020
Posts: 52,520	1 0

10-11-2020, 04:41 PM	#3401
MagicHef The Seated Villain Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle Casino cash: $1080247	The military wants to use the starship for point to point deliveries on Earth: https://www.businessinsider.com/musk...ockets-2020-10 __________________ With a sack in 61% of his games, SB MVP Von Miller is the most consistent pass rusher in NFL history.
Posts: 10,711

10-12-2020, 09:40 AM	#3402
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	__________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,013

10-13-2020, 09:56 AM	#3403
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	__________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,013

10-13-2020, 11:02 AM	#3405
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	That drone footage was incredible. Hey Musk!? Bezos has you beat!! __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,013