Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 281

**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** · 04-07-2021, 10:44 AM

Wow! That's the first time they've shown onboard landing video on a drone ship.

**Donger** · 04-08-2021, 11:19 AM

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took a selfie with the Ingenuity helicopter, seen here about 13 feet (3.9 meters) from the rover in this image taken April 6, 2021, the 46th Martian day, or sol, of the mission by the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera on the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument, located at the end of the rover's long robotic arm.

Perseverance’s selfie with Ingenuity is made up of 62 individual images stitched together once they are sent back to Earth; they were taken in sequence while the rover was looking at the helicopter, then again while it was looking at the WATSON camera. The Curiosity rover takes similar selfies using a camera on its robotic arm. Videos explaining how the rovers take their selfies can be found here.

**Donger** · 04-10-2021, 02:32 PM

NASA engineers have decided to delay the Ingenuity helicopter’s debut flight on Mars to at least Wednesday, April 14th, after running into a minor computer glitch during a rotor spin test late Friday night, the agency said on Saturday. The tiny craft is healthy, but engineers need some more time to review telemetry data from the unexpected hiccup before proceeding.

Ingenuity, a mini four-pound helicopter that arrived on Mars February 18th attached to NASA’s Perseverance rover, was initially slated to carry out its first flight test late Sunday night (or, mid-day Mars time). The first bits of data on whether the flight attempt was successful was expected to come early Monday morning, around 4AM ET.

But data from a high-speed rotor test carried out on Friday showed the test sequence “ended early due to a ‘watchdog’ timer expiration,” NASA said. It happened as Ingenuity’s computer was trying to switch from pre-flight mode to flight mode.

Ingenuity’s “watchdog timer” is just that — a software-based watchdog that oversees the helicopter’s test sequences and alerts engineers if anything looks abnormal. “It helps the system stay safe by not proceeding if an issue is observed and worked as planned,” NASA said in a blog post.

NASA emphasized the craft is healthy, and Ingenuity is still in good contact with engineers at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Ingenuity was deployed by Perseverance on the Martian surface on April 4th, kicking off a 31-day clock in which five flight tests are planned. For its first flight demonstration, the helicopter will ascend 10 feet above the surface and hover for about 30 seconds, aiming to achieve the first-ever powered flight on another world. Depending how the first test goes, subsequent tests will involve Ingenuity soaring to higher altitudes and buzzing around within its running track-shaped flight zone at Mars’ Jezero Crater.

**Donger** · 04-13-2021, 11:33 AM

Nothing like buggy code on another planet...

#MarsHelicopter update: Ingenuity is healthy, but it needs a flight software update. While the development of the software is straightforward, validating and uplinking it will take time. We will set a new flight date next week. https://t.co/b0MzMIPGKz pic.twitter.com/R2wYKaCxqY
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 13, 2021

**Donger** · 04-14-2021, 08:58 AM

NS-15 launch in one hour:

**Donger** · 04-14-2021, 10:40 AM

T-9:00

**DaFace** · 04-16-2021, 02:58 PM

Wow. I really thought SpaceX was a long shot for this. But huge news for them. Hope it works.

.@NASA has selected @SpaceX to continue the development of its Human Landing System for the #Artemis program.

The Human Landing System will take astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. Read the full announcement: https://t.co/tkojemwUUr pic.twitter.com/bvOX6DQsXA
— NASA’s Artemis Program (@NASAArtemis) April 16, 2021

unlurking · 04-16-2021, 03:13 PM

Awesome news, although I'm surprised they didn't throw some cash at Dynetics. While small, their solution was pretty cheap and simple. They could have done both. I like what they did with COTS and CCP.

**DaFace** · 04-16-2021, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unlurking

Awesome news, although I'm surprised they didn't throw some cash at Dynetics. While small, their solution was pretty cheap and simple. They could have done both. I like what they did with COTS and CCP.

That's what I expected. And if they picked one, I really didn't think it would be SpaceX. But I guess they're getting a reputation for setting their sights high and delivering.

unlurking · 04-16-2021, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

That's what I expected. And if they picked one, I really didn't think it would be SpaceX. But I guess they're getting a reputation for setting their sights high and delivering.

I'm thinking successfully launching astronauts was probably a huge mark in their favor.

**Donger** · 04-17-2021, 03:04 PM

I guess that's better than the first uncontrolled flight...

�� #MarsHelicopter Update

We're targeting as soon as Monday for the first controlled flight on Mars. Watch with the team as they receive data and find out if they were successful. Meet us in mission control April 19 at 6:15am ET (10:15am UTC): https://t.co/xAdT9tgYr1 pic.twitter.com/8wJEr3CLJa
— NASA (@NASA) April 17, 2021

**Donger** · 04-19-2021, 07:48 AM

You wouldn’t believe what I just saw.

More images and video to come...#MarsHelicopter https://t.co/PLapgbHeZU pic.twitter.com/mbiOGx4tJZ
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 19, 2021

GloryDayz · 04-19-2021, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

You wouldn’t believe what I just saw.

More images and video to come...#MarsHelicopter https://t.co/PLapgbHeZU pic.twitter.com/mbiOGx4tJZ
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 19, 2021

Very cool. Thanks for posting.

**Donger** · 04-19-2021, 12:19 PM

unlurking · 04-19-2021, 12:24 PM

That's pretty ****ing awesome. Anyone know the resolution on Ingenuity's camera offhand? Would love to see some 4k footage of the ground below as it soars over the rocks.

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

04-07-2021, 10:44 AM	#4201
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	Wow! That's the first time they've shown onboard landing video on a drone ship. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028

04-08-2021, 11:19 AM	#4202
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took a selfie with the Ingenuity helicopter, seen here about 13 feet (3.9 meters) from the rover in this image taken April 6, 2021, the 46th Martian day, or sol, of the mission by the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera on the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument, located at the end of the rover's long robotic arm. Perseverance’s selfie with Ingenuity is made up of 62 individual images stitched together once they are sent back to Earth; they were taken in sequence while the rover was looking at the helicopter, then again while it was looking at the WATSON camera. The Curiosity rover takes similar selfies using a camera on its robotic arm. Videos explaining how the rovers take their selfies can be found here. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028

04-10-2021, 02:32 PM	#4203
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	NASA engineers have decided to delay the Ingenuity helicopter’s debut flight on Mars to at least Wednesday, April 14th, after running into a minor computer glitch during a rotor spin test late Friday night, the agency said on Saturday. The tiny craft is healthy, but engineers need some more time to review telemetry data from the unexpected hiccup before proceeding. Ingenuity, a mini four-pound helicopter that arrived on Mars February 18th attached to NASA’s Perseverance rover, was initially slated to carry out its first flight test late Sunday night (or, mid-day Mars time). The first bits of data on whether the flight attempt was successful was expected to come early Monday morning, around 4AM ET. But data from a high-speed rotor test carried out on Friday showed the test sequence “ended early due to a ‘watchdog’ timer expiration,” NASA said. It happened as Ingenuity’s computer was trying to switch from pre-flight mode to flight mode. Ingenuity’s “watchdog timer” is just that — a software-based watchdog that oversees the helicopter’s test sequences and alerts engineers if anything looks abnormal. “It helps the system stay safe by not proceeding if an issue is observed and worked as planned,” NASA said in a blog post. NASA emphasized the craft is healthy, and Ingenuity is still in good contact with engineers at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Ingenuity was deployed by Perseverance on the Martian surface on April 4th, kicking off a 31-day clock in which five flight tests are planned. For its first flight demonstration, the helicopter will ascend 10 feet above the surface and hover for about 30 seconds, aiming to achieve the first-ever powered flight on another world. Depending how the first test goes, subsequent tests will involve Ingenuity soaring to higher altitudes and buzzing around within its running track-shaped flight zone at Mars’ Jezero Crater. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028

04-13-2021, 11:33 AM	#4204
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	Nothing like buggy code on another planet... #MarsHelicopter update: Ingenuity is healthy, but it needs a flight software update. While the development of the software is straightforward, validating and uplinking it will take time. We will set a new flight date next week. https://t.co/b0MzMIPGKz pic.twitter.com/R2wYKaCxqY — NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 13, 2021 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028

04-14-2021, 08:58 AM	#4205
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	NS-15 launch in one hour: __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028

04-14-2021, 10:40 AM	#4206
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	T-9:00 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028

04-16-2021, 02:58 PM	#4207
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	Wow. I really thought SpaceX was a long shot for this. But huge news for them. Hope it works. .@NASA has selected @SpaceX to continue the development of its Human Landing System for the #Artemis program. The Human Landing System will take astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. Read the full announcement: https://t.co/tkojemwUUr pic.twitter.com/bvOX6DQsXA — NASA’s Artemis Program (@NASAArtemis) April 16, 2021
Posts: 52,520

04-16-2021, 03:13 PM	#4208
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	Awesome news, although I'm surprised they didn't throw some cash at Dynetics. While small, their solution was pretty cheap and simple. They could have done both. I like what they did with COTS and CCP. __________________
Posts: 10,620

04-17-2021, 03:04 PM	#4211
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	I guess that's better than the first uncontrolled flight... �� #MarsHelicopter Update We're targeting as soon as Monday for the first controlled flight on Mars. Watch with the team as they receive data and find out if they were successful. Meet us in mission control April 19 at 6:15am ET (10:15am UTC): https://t.co/xAdT9tgYr1 pic.twitter.com/8wJEr3CLJa — NASA (@NASA) April 17, 2021 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028

04-19-2021, 07:48 AM	#4212
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	You wouldn’t believe what I just saw. More images and video to come...#MarsHelicopter https://t.co/PLapgbHeZU pic.twitter.com/mbiOGx4tJZ — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 19, 2021 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,028	2 0

04-19-2021, 12:19 PM	#4214
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: 187,028	3 0

04-19-2021, 12:24 PM	#4215
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	That's pretty ****ing awesome. Anyone know the resolution on Ingenuity's camera offhand? Would love to see some 4k footage of the ground below as it soars over the rocks. __________________
Posts: 10,620