Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 350

**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 · 08-06-2023, 01:26 PM

4 engines said "nope"...

**Donger** · 08-06-2023, 03:17 PM

Drone view of Booster 9 static fire test pic.twitter.com/ARv6H6njgu
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 6, 2023

GeorgeZimZam · 08-06-2023, 08:29 PM

Falcon 9 Starlink launch shortly.

Less than one hour until Falcon 9’s launch of 22 @Starlink satellites. Weather is 90% favorable for liftoff → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 7, 2023

GeorgeZimZam · 08-08-2023, 11:43 AM

Additional views from Super Heavy Booster 9 static fire pic.twitter.com/gQt3rzydGN
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 8, 2023

GeorgeZimZam · 08-08-2023, 12:14 PM

Starship Super Heavy Booster pic.twitter.com/3065srPugD
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2023

**Donger** · 08-10-2023, 09:13 AM

GloryDayz · 08-10-2023, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Fun...

GeorgeZimZam · 08-11-2023, 10:41 AM

Falcon 9 looks cute next to Starship and Falcon 1 looks like a high school project
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2023

GeorgeZimZam · 08-16-2023, 08:36 PM

Double header launches tonight, for the late night crowd. First of which is in one hour.

Targeting back-to-back Falcon 9 launches of @Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from both Florida and California starting on Wednesday, August 16 → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK pic.twitter.com/e2JfiqwNFt
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 16, 2023

Wednesday, August 16 at 11:36 p.m. ET (3:36 UTC on August 17):

Thursday, August 17 at 1:42 a.m. PT (8:42 UTC):

GeorgeZimZam · 08-19-2023, 03:17 PM

Testing continues at Starbase, ahead of next Integrated Flight Test.

Suppression system is pretty wild. It almost sounded like a static fire. Bravo, @SpaceX That was one heck of a show. pic.twitter.com/AxRBmY8Hrq
— Anthony Gomez (@AnthonyFGomez) August 19, 2023

Only weeks away from the second attempt--no earlier than August 31st.

NET August 31st with a strong emphasis on NET. But this is a good sign that we’re getting closer to the next integrated flight test! https://t.co/QdYJukjmE7
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) August 16, 2023

We're getting closer to the second Integrated Flight Test of #Starship and I'm seeing people trying to figure out when / how to get down there to catch the flight! Well here's a full rundown for you helping you know when / how / where / where not to be on launch day! pic.twitter.com/3ElN8GUPSz
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) August 16, 2023

GeorgeZimZam · 08-22-2023, 10:29 AM

Upgraded Booster 9 with hot staging ring making the trek from the Starbase production facility over to the launchpad.

IFT2 definitely coming soon.

GeorgeZimZam · 08-24-2023, 01:58 PM

T-12 hours until Falcon 9 launches Dragon and Crew-7 to the @space_station. Weather is 90% favorable for liftoff pic.twitter.com/2VeAcZFUXi
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 24, 2023

**DaFace** · 08-24-2023, 02:39 PM

Crazy that we're already up to mission 7. Don't think I'm gonna stay up for it though...

GeorgeZimZam · 08-24-2023, 09:37 PM

SpaceX and NASA are now targeting no earlier than Saturday, August 26 for Falcon 9 to launch Dragon to the @space_station. The new launch date provides teams additional time to complete and discuss analysis. The vehicles remain healthy and crew is ready to fly →… pic.twitter.com/ojWTwRTS8v
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2023

GeorgeZimZam · 08-25-2023, 11:08 AM

Starbase team preparing for second Booster 9 static fire, live views will begin a few minutes prior to ignition pic.twitter.com/jEcvHRUrZZ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2023

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-913101	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..
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08-06-2023, 01:26 PM	#5236
GloryDayz (Sir/Yes Sir/Aye Aye Sir) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Diving Casino cash: $1425380	4 engines said "nope"... __________________ . #Like 45, 47 Is Going To Be AWESOME! #I still don't have COVID #I'mImmuneToVirtueSignaling
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08-06-2023, 03:17 PM	#5237
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $7669900 VARSITY	Drone view of Booster 9 static fire test pic.twitter.com/ARv6H6njgu — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 6, 2023 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
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08-06-2023, 08:29 PM	#5238
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Falcon 9 Starlink launch shortly. Less than one hour until Falcon 9’s launch of 22 @Starlink satellites. Weather is 90% favorable for liftoff → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 7, 2023
Posts: 1,732

08-08-2023, 11:43 AM	#5239
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Additional views from Super Heavy Booster 9 static fire pic.twitter.com/gQt3rzydGN — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 8, 2023
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08-08-2023, 12:14 PM	#5240
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Starship Super Heavy Booster pic.twitter.com/3065srPugD — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2023
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08-10-2023, 09:13 AM	#5241
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $7669900 VARSITY	__________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 188,881	2 0

08-11-2023, 10:41 AM	#5243
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Falcon 9 looks cute next to Starship and Falcon 1 looks like a high school project — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2023
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08-16-2023, 08:36 PM	#5244
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Double header launches tonight, for the late night crowd. First of which is in one hour. Targeting back-to-back Falcon 9 launches of @Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from both Florida and California starting on Wednesday, August 16 → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK pic.twitter.com/e2JfiqwNFt — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 16, 2023 *Wednesday, August 16 at 11:36 p.m. ET (3:36 UTC on August 17):* <div><small><a href="https://youtubeembedcode.com/es/">youtubeembedcode es</a></small></div><div><small><a href="https://allabeviljas.se/">sms lån som beviljar alla</a></small></div><div><small><a href="https://youtubeembedcode.com/de/">youtubeembedcode.com/de/</a></small></div><div><small><a href="https://sms-lån-utan-uc.nu/">sms-lån-utan-uc.nu</a></small></div><div><small><a href="https://youtubeembedcode.com/nl/">youtubeembedcode.com/nl/</a></small></div><div><small><a href="https://nouc.se/">https://nouc.se/</a></small></div> *Thursday, August 17 at 1:42 a.m. PT (8:42 UTC):* <div><small><a href="https://youtubeembedcode.com/pl/">youtubeembedcode.com/pl/</a></small></div><div><small><a href="https://snabblån-utan-uc.se/">snabblån utan uc direkt utbetalning</a></small></div>
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08-19-2023, 03:17 PM	#5245
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Testing continues at Starbase, ahead of next Integrated Flight Test. Suppression system is pretty wild. It almost sounded like a static fire. Bravo, @SpaceX That was one heck of a show. pic.twitter.com/AxRBmY8Hrq — Anthony Gomez (@AnthonyFGomez) August 19, 2023 Only weeks away from the second attempt--no earlier than August 31st. NET August 31st with a strong emphasis on NET. But this is a good sign that we’re getting closer to the next integrated flight test! https://t.co/QdYJukjmE7 — Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) August 16, 2023 We're getting closer to the second Integrated Flight Test of #Starship and I'm seeing people trying to figure out when / how to get down there to catch the flight! Well here's a full rundown for you helping you know when / how / where / where not to be on launch day! pic.twitter.com/3ElN8GUPSz — Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) August 16, 2023
Posts: 1,732

08-22-2023, 10:29 AM	#5246
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Upgraded Booster 9 with hot staging ring making the trek from the Starbase production facility over to the launchpad. IFT2 definitely coming soon.
Posts: 1,732

08-24-2023, 01:58 PM	#5247
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	T-12 hours until Falcon 9 launches Dragon and Crew-7 to the @space_station. Weather is 90% favorable for liftoff pic.twitter.com/2VeAcZFUXi — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 24, 2023
Posts: 1,732

08-24-2023, 02:39 PM	#5248
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-913101	Crazy that we're already up to mission 7. Don't think I'm gonna stay up for it though...
Posts: 52,996

08-24-2023, 09:37 PM	#5249
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	SpaceX and NASA are now targeting no earlier than Saturday, August 26 for Falcon 9 to launch Dragon to the @space_station. The new launch date provides teams additional time to complete and discuss analysis. The vehicles remain healthy and crew is ready to fly →… pic.twitter.com/ojWTwRTS8v — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2023
Posts: 1,732

08-25-2023, 11:08 AM	#5250
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2370400	Starbase team preparing for second Booster 9 static fire, live views will begin a few minutes prior to ignition pic.twitter.com/jEcvHRUrZZ — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2023
Posts: 1,732