Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 344

**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.

Fish · 04-27-2023, 05:15 PM

SpaceX Starship Grounded Indefinitely By FAA

The spacecraft could be out of operation for months as the FAA investigates the cause of last week's launch explosion.

For all of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s enthusiasm about the orbital test flight of Starship, last week’s launch has sidelined the project for the time being.

Shortly after Thursday’s test flight concluded in a ball of flames, reports emerged that the FAA has grounded Starship as it conducts an investigation into the reason behind the explosion—and as others examine the potential health and safety hazards it created.

The FAA confirmed this in an April 20 statement: “An anomaly occurred during the ascent and prior to stage separation resulting in a loss of the vehicle. No injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship / Super Heavy test mission.”

An FAA spokesperson told FLYING that mishap investigations, which are standard in cases such as this, “might conclude in a matter of weeks,” but more complex investigations “might take several months.”

**DaFace** · 04-27-2023, 07:00 PM

I really hate that framing. It's literally the job of the FAA to investigate mishaps. This is standard operations.

**DaFace** · 04-28-2023, 11:52 AM

I might be forgetting something, but I can't recall them having two launches so close together from the same area. (They've definitely done it with one on the east coast and one on the west coast.) Pretty impressive.

Two Falcons on two SpaceX pads in Florida. If the weather cooperates, launch windows open 2+ hours apart for these two missions → https://t.co/bJFjLCilmc pic.twitter.com/1BrgYRhZ80
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 28, 2023

That said, weather still looks fairly shitty, so I'd be surprised if both of them go today.

**DaFace** · 04-28-2023, 03:50 PM

If the weather in Florida holds this evening, which is no guarantee, SpaceX will attempt to launch a Falcon 9 from one pad, and then a Falcon Heavy from a nearby pad 1 hour and 17 minutes later. https://t.co/VIliZ0oUp5
— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) April 28, 2023

**Donger** · 04-28-2023, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

If the weather in Florida holds this evening, which is no guarantee, SpaceX will attempt to launch a Falcon 9 from one pad, and then a Falcon Heavy from a nearby pad 1 hour and 17 minutes later. https://t.co/VIliZ0oUp5
— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) April 28, 2023

Love it. The F9 launch was fine.

GeorgeZimZam · 04-28-2023, 05:18 PM

Was badass to see in person from Isla Blanca on South Padre. Def made an interesting sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship!

Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months. pic.twitter.com/gswdFut1dK
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023

**Donger** · 04-28-2023, 05:29 PM

Pushed it an hour:

The 57-minute launch window opens at 7:29 p.m. ET

**DaFace** · 04-28-2023, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeZimZam

Was badass to see in person from Isla Blanca on South Padre. Def made an interesting sound.

Jealous. I may make a trip down there just to see the rockets standing there, let alone flying.

**Donger** · 04-28-2023, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeZimZam

Was badass to see in person from Isla Blanca on South Padre. Def made an interesting sound.

Envious!! I've got a trip coming up to San Luis Obispo. Trying to schedule it to see a VSF launch.

**DaFace** · 04-28-2023, 06:16 PM

FH broadcast is live. T-10 minutes

**Donger** · 04-28-2023, 06:26 PM

Abort. Darn.

Hydrae · 04-28-2023, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Abort. Darn.

Sigh

Oh well, at least there is still a draft.

**DaFace** · 04-28-2023, 06:28 PM

Bummer. Hopefully it's something small.

**DaFace** · 04-30-2023, 07:07 AM

Lots of good details from Elon about the Starship launch issues in this thread:

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/...fb3f8024w&s=19

**Donger** · 04-30-2023, 10:11 AM

Going to try the FH launch again today:

SpaceX is targeting Sunday, April 30 for a Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 Americas mission to geostationary orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also on board this mission is Astranis's first MicroGEO satellite and Gravity Space’s GS-1 satellite. The 57-minute launch window opens at 7:29 p.m. ET (23:29 UTC).

One of the side boosters on this mission previously supported Arabsat-6A, STP-2, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM2, KPLO, and three Starlink missions, and the second previously supported launch of Arabsat-6A and STP-2.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	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: 52,546	1 0

04-27-2023, 05:15 PM	#5146
Fish Ain't no relax! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $348919	SpaceX Starship Grounded Indefinitely By FAA The spacecraft could be out of operation for months as the FAA investigates the cause of last week's launch explosion. For all of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s enthusiasm about the orbital test flight of Starship, last week’s launch has sidelined the project for the time being. Shortly after Thursday’s test flight concluded in a ball of flames, reports emerged that the FAA has grounded Starship as it conducts an investigation into the reason behind the explosion—and as others examine the potential health and safety hazards it created. The FAA confirmed this in an April 20 statement: “An anomaly occurred during the ascent and prior to stage separation resulting in a loss of the vehicle. No injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship / Super Heavy test mission.” An FAA spokesperson told FLYING that mishap investigations, which are standard in cases such as this, “might conclude in a matter of weeks,” but more complex investigations “might take several months.” __________________
Posts: 48,442

04-27-2023, 07:00 PM	#5147
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	I really hate that framing. It's literally the job of the FAA to investigate mishaps. This is standard operations.
Posts: 52,546	1 0

04-28-2023, 11:52 AM	#5148
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	I might be forgetting something, but I can't recall them having two launches so close together from the same area. (They've definitely done it with one on the east coast and one on the west coast.) Pretty impressive. Two Falcons on two SpaceX pads in Florida. If the weather cooperates, launch windows open 2+ hours apart for these two missions → https://t.co/bJFjLCilmc pic.twitter.com/1BrgYRhZ80 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 28, 2023 That said, weather still looks fairly shitty, so I'd be surprised if both of them go today.
Posts: 52,546

04-28-2023, 03:50 PM	#5149
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	If the weather in Florida holds this evening, which is no guarantee, SpaceX will attempt to launch a Falcon 9 from one pad, and then a Falcon Heavy from a nearby pad 1 hour and 17 minutes later. https://t.co/VIliZ0oUp5 — Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) April 28, 2023
Posts: 52,546

04-28-2023, 05:29 PM	#5152
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8519900 VARSITY	Pushed it an hour: The 57-minute launch window opens at 7:29 p.m. ET __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,245

04-28-2023, 06:16 PM	#5155
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	FH broadcast is live. T-10 minutes
Posts: 52,546	1 0

04-28-2023, 06:26 PM	#5156
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8519900 VARSITY	Abort. Darn. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,245

04-28-2023, 06:28 PM	#5158
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	Bummer. Hopefully it's something small.
Posts: 52,546

04-30-2023, 07:07 AM	#5159
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	Lots of good details from Elon about the Starship launch issues in this thread: https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/...fb3f8024w&s=19
Posts: 52,546	2 0

04-30-2023, 10:11 AM	#5160
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8519900 VARSITY	Going to try the FH launch again today: SpaceX is targeting Sunday, April 30 for a Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 Americas mission to geostationary orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also on board this mission is Astranis's first MicroGEO satellite and Gravity Space’s GS-1 satellite. The 57-minute launch window opens at 7:29 p.m. ET (23:29 UTC). One of the side boosters on this mission previously supported Arabsat-6A, STP-2, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM2, KPLO, and three Starlink missions, and the second previously supported launch of Arabsat-6A and STP-2. A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,245