Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 242

**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.

**Donger** · 11-24-2020, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Can't say I've ever seen the rocket rocking before...

I thought I was seeing things. Was it moving?

**Donger** · 11-24-2020, 08:22 PM

Un****ingbelievable.

GloryDayz · 11-24-2020, 08:23 PM

Just another perfect job by SpaceX. Never gets old...

**DaFace** · 11-24-2020, 08:23 PM

I feel like they need to give boosters names. This one at least deserves a moniker better than B1049.7.

Also 100th launch of the Falcon 9.

2bikemike · 11-24-2020, 08:28 PM

We just watched the launch from the top of my sister's condo in Tampa. Pretty cool!

unlurking · 11-24-2020, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

I feel like they need to give boosters names. This one at least deserves a moniker better than B1049.7.

Also 100th launch of the Falcon 9.

I was glad to see NASA astronauts naming their crew dragons.

unlurking · 11-24-2020, 08:42 PM

That's also 22 launches on the year, with up to 5 more in December (but probably just 1 or 2 more). 24 launches scheduled for 21 (2 heavy launches!), and that's not including Starlink. I would not be surprised to see SpaceX hit 2 launches per month just for Starlink next year. We may see them hit 50.

unlurking · 11-24-2020, 08:51 PM

Some cool stats at https://www.spacexstats.xyz.

**DaFace** · 11-24-2020, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unlurking

Some cool stats at https://www.spacexstats.xyz.

Kind of crazy that they have only built 5 boosters this year for like 25 launches. I know that's the whole idea, but it's easy to miss how much money they're saving from all this.

**DaFace** · 11-30-2020, 10:56 AM

Heads-up that the 15km Starship hop could happen this week (Wednesday at the earliest).

Just a static fire tomorrow. Flight no earlier than Wednesday.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2020

It's always tough to watch these things, as they don't really publish set times, so you just end up watching streams of a rocket sitting on a pad for hours. But it'll be fun if you can catch it.

Also, just to set expectations, I think it's highly likely that this results in a big boom. There's a shit ton of new stuff they're trying on this launch, so the likelihood of it actually flying, falling, and landing itself on the first try is pretty low.

**Donger** · 11-30-2020, 11:02 AM

Another static fire? Interesting.

Are they actually going to try to land it on the pad at the complex? If so, I hope they have some contingency if things go wrong to keep it away from the complex and the village.

**DaFace** · 11-30-2020, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Another static fire? Interesting.

Are they actually going to try to land it on the pad at the complex? If so, I hope they have some contingency if things go wrong to keep it away from the complex and the village.

Yes, the plan is to try and land it back at the complex. Like the F9 landings, it'll be over the water until the very end to try and prevent damage to the facility.

But that said, they've set a five-mile-radius exclusion zone for this (which goes beyond the village), so they clearly think there's a chance that things could get ugly. I don't think damage to the facility or village is out of the question.

GloryDayz · 11-30-2020, 11:12 AM

I'll wait for the post-event video this time. Last time we waited forever just to watch the rocket fart.

**Donger** · 11-30-2020, 11:18 AM

I haven't seen any updated simulations, so here's what this flight should look like for those unaware:

**Donger** · 11-30-2020, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Yes, the plan is to try and land it back at the complex. Like the F9 landings, it'll be over the water until the very end to try and prevent damage to the facility.

But that said, they've set a five-mile-radius exclusion zone for this (which goes beyond the village), so they clearly think there's a chance that things could get ugly. I don't think damage to the facility or village is out of the question.

Thanks. Fingers crossed.

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $76899	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: 52,542	1 0

11-24-2020, 08:22 PM	#3617
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8529900 VARSITY	Un***ingbelievable. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?*
Posts: 187,185

11-24-2020, 08:23 PM	#3618
GloryDayz (Sir/Yes Sir/Aye Aye Sir) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Diving Casino cash: $2185380	Just another perfect job by SpaceX. Never gets old... __________________ . #Like 45, 47 Is Going To Be AWESOME! #I still don't have COVID
Posts: 119,508

11-24-2020, 08:23 PM	#3619
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $76899	I feel like they need to give boosters names. This one at least deserves a moniker better than B1049.7. Also 100th launch of the Falcon 9.
Posts: 52,542

11-24-2020, 08:28 PM	#3620
2bikemike Born to Ride Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NWA Casino cash: $665377	We just watched the launch from the top of my sister's condo in Tampa. Pretty cool!
Posts: 16,379	2 0

11-24-2020, 08:42 PM	#3622
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	That's also 22 launches on the year, with up to 5 more in December (but probably just 1 or 2 more). 24 launches scheduled for 21 (2 heavy launches!), and that's not including Starlink. I would not be surprised to see SpaceX hit 2 launches per month just for Starlink next year. We may see them hit 50. __________________
Posts: 10,620

11-24-2020, 08:51 PM	#3623
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	Some cool stats at https://www.spacexstats.xyz. Attached Thumbnails __________________
Posts: 10,620

11-30-2020, 10:56 AM	#3625
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $76899	Heads-up that the 15km Starship hop could happen this week (Wednesday at the earliest). Just a static fire tomorrow. Flight no earlier than Wednesday. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2020 It's always tough to watch these things, as they don't really publish set times, so you just end up watching streams of a rocket sitting on a pad for hours. But it'll be fun if you can catch it. Also, just to set expectations, I think it's highly likely that this results in a big boom. There's a shit ton of new stuff they're trying on this launch, so the likelihood of it actually flying, falling, and landing itself on the first try is pretty low.
Posts: 52,542

11-30-2020, 11:02 AM	#3626
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8529900 VARSITY	Another static fire? Interesting. Are they actually going to try to land it on the pad at the complex? If so, I hope they have some contingency if things go wrong to keep it away from the complex and the village. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,185

11-30-2020, 11:12 AM	#3628
GloryDayz (Sir/Yes Sir/Aye Aye Sir) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Diving Casino cash: $2185380	I'll wait for the post-event video this time. Last time we waited forever just to watch the rocket fart. __________________ . #Like 45, 47 Is Going To Be AWESOME! #I still don't have COVID
Posts: 119,508

11-30-2020, 11:18 AM	#3629
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8529900 VARSITY	I haven't seen any updated simulations, so here's what this flight should look like for those unaware: __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,185