Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 345

**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** · 04-30-2023, 06:14 PM

Webcast is live. I won't be able to watch, unfortunately...

**DaFace** · 05-02-2023, 08:52 PM

Neat.

Fairing reentry on the ViaSat-3 mission was the hottest and fastest we've ever attempted. The fairings re-entered the atmosphere greater than 15x the speed of sound, creating a large trail of plasma in its wake pic.twitter.com/VgdlH6r3yR
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 2, 2023

crayzkirk · 05-03-2023, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Sounds interesting, do you have a link to an article or something about it?

Not a link; there's various snippets on youtube.

**DaFace** · 05-21-2023, 07:58 AM

Manned launch this afternoon at 5:37pm ET.

All systems and weather are looking good for today’s Falcon 9 launch of the @Axiom_Space Ax-2 mission to the @space_station. Webcast will go live at ~2:10 p.m. ET → https://t.co/gkJqIgzTh5 pic.twitter.com/2tS9fN72rV
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 21, 2023

**Donger** · 05-21-2023, 03:07 PM

T-30:00

**DaFace** · 05-21-2023, 03:26 PM

Would be hilariously sad if they have to scrub for one single cloud.

**Donger** · 05-21-2023, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Would be hilariously sad if they have to scrub for one single cloud.

**DaFace** · 05-21-2023, 03:44 PM

Cool that they're doing RTLS with the booster. I think that's new for crewed launches.

**Donger** · 05-21-2023, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Cool that they're doing RTLS with the booster. I think that's new for crewed launches.

Yep, that's what they said. I wasn't even nervous on this one. Crazy.

**DaFace** · 05-21-2023, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Yep, that's what they said. I wasn't even nervous on this one. Crazy.

Yeah, I saw the other day that the Falcon family has hit 200 successful launches in a row. It's incredible how reliable the system has become.

Hydrae · 05-25-2023, 09:38 AM

This is pretty cool. You can watch a supernova unfold in real time starting tonight:

https://www.space.com/new-supernova-...tream-may-2023

Actual site for the feed:

https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2023...n-25-may-2023/

**Donger** · 05-26-2023, 10:55 AM

Starlink Group 2-10

By SpaceX
F9 B5
VSFB, SLC-4E

05:27:00, May 31 2023 (UTC)

Just so happens that I'll be in Pismo Beach on business next week!! Can't wait.

GloryDayz · 05-26-2023, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Starlink Group 2-10

By SpaceX
F9 B5
VSFB, SLC-4E

05:27:00, May 31 2023 (UTC)

Just so happens that I'll be in Pismo Beach on business next week!! Can't wait.

Vista Steak and Seafood, you won't regret it..

https://www.vistapismobeach.com/

**Donger** · 05-30-2023, 08:07 PM

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, May 30 at 11:02 p.m. PT (06:02 UTC on May 31) for a Falcon 9 launch of 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Wednesday, May 31 at 10:48 p.m. PT (05:48 UTC on June 1).

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3, and four Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

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

**Donger** · 05-30-2023, 08:11 PM

And AX-2 is coming home tonight as well:

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $16899	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: 52,559	1 0

04-30-2023, 06:14 PM	#5161
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $16899	Webcast is live. I won't be able to watch, unfortunately...
Posts: 52,559

05-02-2023, 08:52 PM	#5162
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $16899	Neat. Fairing reentry on the ViaSat-3 mission was the hottest and fastest we've ever attempted. The fairings re-entered the atmosphere greater than 15x the speed of sound, creating a large trail of plasma in its wake pic.twitter.com/VgdlH6r3yR — SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 2, 2023
Posts: 52,559	1 0

05-21-2023, 07:58 AM	#5164
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $16899	Manned launch this afternoon at 5:37pm ET. All systems and weather are looking good for today’s Falcon 9 launch of the @Axiom_Space Ax-2 mission to the @space_station. Webcast will go live at ~2:10 p.m. ET → https://t.co/gkJqIgzTh5 pic.twitter.com/2tS9fN72rV — SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 21, 2023
Posts: 52,559	1 0

05-21-2023, 03:07 PM	#5165
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8469900 VARSITY	T-30:00 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,443

05-21-2023, 03:26 PM	#5166
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $16899	Would be hilariously sad if they have to scrub for one single cloud.
Posts: 52,559

05-21-2023, 03:44 PM	#5168
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $16899	Cool that they're doing RTLS with the booster. I think that's new for crewed launches.
Posts: 52,559

05-25-2023, 09:38 AM	#5171
Hydrae MVP Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Newport, Or Casino cash: $637000	This is pretty cool. You can watch a supernova unfold in real time starting tonight: https://www.space.com/new-supernova-...tream-may-2023 Actual site for the feed: https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2023...n-25-may-2023/
Posts: 14,762

05-26-2023, 10:55 AM	#5172
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8469900 VARSITY	Starlink Group 2-10 By SpaceX F9 B5 VSFB, SLC-4E 05:27:00, May 31 2023 (UTC) Just so happens that I'll be in Pismo Beach on business next week!! Can't wait. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,443	2 0

05-30-2023, 08:07 PM	#5174
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8469900 VARSITY	SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, May 30 at 11:02 p.m. PT (06:02 UTC on May 31) for a Falcon 9 launch of 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Wednesday, May 31 at 10:48 p.m. PT (05:48 UTC on June 1). The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3, and four Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific 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: 187,443

05-30-2023, 08:11 PM	#5175
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8469900 VARSITY	And AX-2 is coming home tonight as well: __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,443