Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 331

**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.

GloryDayz · 10-05-2022, 10:02 AM

Here we go...

MagicHef · 10-05-2022, 12:04 PM

I liked when they had the speed and altitude shown for the first stage during landing as well as the second, not sure why they got rid of it.

**Donger** · 10-05-2022, 12:10 PM

Is it an illusion or is it rocking? Or is the camera?

**DaFace** · 10-05-2022, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Is it an illusion or is it rocking? Or is the camera?

I think it rocks a tiny bit. It's part of why the strongback is there and why they have max wind speeds. It's obviously able to handle a little movement though.

**Donger** · 10-05-2022, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

I think it rocks a tiny bit. It's part of why the strongback is there and why they have max wind speeds. It's obviously able to handle a little movement though.

I'd just never seen it before today. Not as cool as the shuttle twang, but pretty neat to see it move like that.

**DaFace** · 10-05-2022, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

I'd just never seen it before today. Not as cool as the shuttle twang, but pretty neat to see it move like that.

The movement is pretty obvious when it's sped up:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLoung...wobble_wobble/

**Donger** · 10-05-2022, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

The movement is pretty obvious when it's sped up:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLoung...wobble_wobble/

Awesome thanks. It almost looks like the strongback caused it watching that, like it got hung up a little or something. The wobble is greatest right after release and in the direction of the strongback.

**DaFace** · 10-05-2022, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Awesome thanks. It almost looks like the strongback caused it watching that, like it got hung up a little or something. The wobble is greatest right after release and in the direction of the strongback.

Yeah, it definitely seems a LITTLE odd, though I want to say I've noticed it a little bit in the past. Wonder if the wind was blowing in the direction of the strongback or something.

**DaFace** · 10-08-2022, 05:20 PM

Hell of a view from the droneship tonight.

Wow! What a view of the jellyfish from the drone ship! pic.twitter.com/ioo9AG2Hq5
— Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) October 8, 2022

GloryDayz · 10-09-2022, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Hell of a view from the droneship tonight.

Wow! What a view of the jellyfish from the drone ship! pic.twitter.com/ioo9AG2Hq5
— Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) October 8, 2022

OK, THAT is way cool..

Pitt Gorilla · 10-09-2022, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Is it an illusion or is it rocking? Or is the camera?

That's just incredibly badass. So cool.

**DaFace** · 10-14-2022, 12:17 PM

Crew-4 is on their way back and will splash down a little before 5pm ET today. If any of you are in eastern Missouri, you might have a shot of picking it up on its way down, though it'll obviously be a bit difficult in the daylight.

#Crew4 will pass over the United States shortly before @SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft splashes down around 4:55pm ET this afternoon.

Though Dragon Freedom will be less visible during a daytime splashdown, here's where and when you may be able to spot it: pic.twitter.com/zBTrHoKtEe
— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2022

htismaqe · 10-14-2022, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Crew-4 is on their way back and will splash down a little before 5pm ET today. If any of you are in eastern Missouri, you might have a shot of picking it up on its way down, though it'll obviously be a bit difficult in the daylight.

#Crew4 will pass over the United States shortly before @SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft splashes down around 4:55pm ET this afternoon.

Though Dragon Freedom will be less visible during a daytime splashdown, here's where and when you may be able to spot it: pic.twitter.com/zBTrHoKtEe
— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2022

I guess there were some weather spotters out in SW Iowa today to see if they could see it.

**Donger** · 10-20-2022, 08:44 AM

SpaceX is targeting Thursday, October 20 for a Falcon 9 launch of 54 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 10:50 a.m. ET (14:50 UTC), and a backup opportunity is available on Friday, October 21 at 10:29 a.m. ET (14:29 UTC).

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, and four Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff.

MagicHef · 10-20-2022, 09:53 AM

Perfect, as is the norm now

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..
Posts: 52,577	1 0

10-05-2022, 10:02 AM	#4951
GloryDayz (Sir/Yes Sir/Aye Aye Sir) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Diving Casino cash: $2065380	Here we go... __________________ . #Like 45, 47 Is Going To Be AWESOME! #I still don't have COVID
Posts: 120,035

10-05-2022, 12:04 PM	#4952
MagicHef The Seated Villain Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle Casino cash: $920247	I liked when they had the speed and altitude shown for the first stage during landing as well as the second, not sure why they got rid of it. __________________ With a sack in 61% of his games, SB MVP Von Miller is the most consistent pass rusher in NFL history.
Posts: 10,720

10-05-2022, 12:10 PM	#4953
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8419900 VARSITY	Is it an illusion or is it rocking? Or is the camera? __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,539

10-08-2022, 05:20 PM	#4959
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-53101	Hell of a view from the droneship tonight. Wow! What a view of the jellyfish from the drone ship! pic.twitter.com/ioo9AG2Hq5 — Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) October 8, 2022
Posts: 52,577	2 0

10-14-2022, 12:17 PM	#4962
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-53101	Crew-4 is on their way back and will splash down a little before 5pm ET today. If any of you are in eastern Missouri, you might have a shot of picking it up on its way down, though it'll obviously be a bit difficult in the daylight. #Crew4 will pass over the United States shortly before @SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft splashes down around 4:55pm ET this afternoon. Though Dragon Freedom will be less visible during a daytime splashdown, here's where and when you may be able to spot it: pic.twitter.com/zBTrHoKtEe — NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2022
Posts: 52,577	1 0

10-20-2022, 08:44 AM	#4964
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8419900 VARSITY	SpaceX is targeting Thursday, October 20 for a Falcon 9 launch of 54 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 10:50 a.m. ET (14:50 UTC), and a backup opportunity is available on Friday, October 21 at 10:29 a.m. ET (14:29 UTC). The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, and four Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,539

10-20-2022, 09:53 AM	#4965
MagicHef The Seated Villain Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle Casino cash: $920247	Perfect, as is the norm now __________________ With a sack in 61% of his games, SB MVP Von Miller is the most consistent pass rusher in NFL history.
Posts: 10,720