Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 351

**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.

GeorgeZimZam · 08-25-2023, 11:10 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

**Donger** · 08-25-2023, 01:36 PM

**Donger** · 08-25-2023, 01:40 PM

Better than the first one, but still had two Raptors shut down before full duration:

Super Heavy Booster 9 static fire successfully lit all 33 Raptor engines, with all but two running for the full duration. Congratulations to the SpaceX team on this exciting milestone! pic.twitter.com/1hzs768vHg
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2023

**DaFace** · 08-25-2023, 01:41 PM

So weird that they continue to lose engines. Hope that's a surmountable problem.

GeorgeZimZam · 08-25-2023, 11:04 PM

Watch LIVE as #Crew7 launches to the @Space_Station on the @SpaceX Dragon Endurance!

Liftoff from @NASAKennedy is set for 3:27am ET (0727 UTC). #AskNASA your questions, and they may be answered on air. https://t.co/WyGyA6G4cv
— NASA (@NASA) August 26, 2023

**DaFace** · 09-05-2023, 10:04 PM

Gearing up for the next Starship test!

Fully stacked Starship on the launch pad at Starbase pic.twitter.com/cebFZEVrJZ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 6, 2023

GeorgeZimZam · 09-06-2023, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Gearing up for the next Starship test!

Fully stacked Starship on the launch pad at Starbase pic.twitter.com/cebFZEVrJZ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 6, 2023

Seems like the only loose end now is FAA approval. Hopefully test flight go for launch next week. Perhaps a wet dress rehearsal Monday, and flight on Wednesday/Thursday.

GeorgeZimZam · 09-08-2023, 08:45 AM

Had a look at fully stacked Starship this morning.

Sounds like 2nd integrated test flight now a few weeks out.

**Donger** · 10-11-2023, 12:27 PM

FH launch scheduled for tomorrow but weather sounds iffy:

SpaceX and NASA are targeting Thursday, October 12 at 10:16 a.m. ET for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the Psyche mission to an interplanetary transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on Friday, October 13 at 10:19 a.m. ET.

The Psyche spacecraft will travel to a metal-rich asteroid of the same name orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Mars in pursuit of studying the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet, one of the building blocks of our solar system. The mission will also demonstrate NASA’s first deep space test of the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) system – high-bandwidth optical communications through space and back to Earth – from distances far exceeding the Moon – using a near-infrared laser.

This will be the fourth launch for the side boosters, both of which previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67, and Hughes JUPTER 3. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on NASA TV about 45 minutes prior to liftoff.

**Donger** · 10-13-2023, 08:01 AM

T-20:00 maybe:

**Donger** · 10-13-2023, 08:06 AM

Not finding an actual SpaceX YouTube feed, just Twitter which is shit. So, here's NASA:

**DaFace** · 10-13-2023, 02:19 PM

SpaceX is only streaming on TwiX these days because Elon is a man child. I missed the launch, but glad to see it went well. Looks like we'll have pretty regular FH launches in the next couple of years, which is exciting as well!

MagicHef · 10-13-2023, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

SpaceX is only streaming on TwiX these days because Elon is a man child. I missed the launch, but glad to see it went well. Looks like we'll have pretty regular FH launches in the next couple of years, which is exciting as well!

I watched one of the other YouTube streams and was surprised when they cut to the watching area that it looked like there were maybe 5 people there. That area used to be packed for launches.

GeorgeZimZam · 10-26-2023, 07:39 AM

Vehicle is ready for the second test flight of a fully integrated Starship, pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/9tC4yKecmw
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 25, 2023

Could be...."soon"...

A Notice to Mariners has been published advising of a possible launch opportunity November 6th.https://t.co/dh8PFCZZqf pic.twitter.com/y9q6IbaNwj
— Boca Chica Road Closures (@BocaRoad) October 25, 2023

And a few weeks back, Cybertruck was around Starbase and the launchpad, hauling Raptor engines.

Here's a worthwhile watch from the International Astronautical Congress conference earlier this month, discussion with Elon Musk regarding Starship and Starbase development:

GeorgeZimZam · 11-04-2023, 07:39 PM

The second flight test of a fully integrated Starship could launch as soon as mid-November, pending regulatory approval → https://t.co/pxgvgUeIFF pic.twitter.com/P40vOCaFaZ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 3, 2023

Do the thing. pic.twitter.com/ZlofWOT5HZ
— Max Evans (@_mgde_) November 4, 2023

SpaceX's Mechazilla System stacking ops comparison, by NSF's Elisar (@enneps).

Booster 4 and Ship 20.
Booster 7 and Ship 24
Booster 9 and Ship 25.https://t.co/e3xbqPnwZ5 pic.twitter.com/NCEvdIgjga
— Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) November 4, 2023

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

08-25-2023, 11:10 AM	#5251
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $3300400	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: 1,662	1 0

08-25-2023, 01:36 PM	#5252
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: 187,037

08-25-2023, 01:40 PM	#5253
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	Better than the first one, but still had two Raptors shut down before full duration: Super Heavy Booster 9 static fire successfully lit all 33 Raptor engines, with all but two running for the full duration. Congratulations to the SpaceX team on this exciting milestone! pic.twitter.com/1hzs768vHg — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2023 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,037

08-25-2023, 01:41 PM	#5254
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	So weird that they continue to lose engines. Hope that's a surmountable problem.
Posts: 52,520

08-25-2023, 11:04 PM	#5255
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $3300400	Watch LIVE as #Crew7 launches to the @Space_Station on the @SpaceX Dragon Endurance! Liftoff from @NASAKennedy is set for 3:27am ET (0727 UTC). #AskNASA your questions, and they may be answered on air. https://t.co/WyGyA6G4cv — NASA (@NASA) August 26, 2023 <div><small><a href="https://youtubeembedcode.com/pl/">youtubeembedcode pl</a></small></div><div><small><a href="https://snabblån5000.com/">snabblån5000.com</a></small></div>
Posts: 1,662

09-05-2023, 10:04 PM	#5256
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	Gearing up for the next Starship test! Fully stacked Starship on the launch pad at Starbase pic.twitter.com/cebFZEVrJZ — SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 6, 2023
Posts: 52,520	2 0

09-08-2023, 08:45 AM	#5258
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $3300400	Had a look at fully stacked Starship this morning. Sounds like 2nd integrated test flight now a few weeks out.
Posts: 1,662	1 0

10-11-2023, 12:27 PM	#5259
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	FH launch scheduled for tomorrow but weather sounds iffy: SpaceX and NASA are targeting Thursday, October 12 at 10:16 a.m. ET for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the Psyche mission to an interplanetary transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on Friday, October 13 at 10:19 a.m. ET. The Psyche spacecraft will travel to a metal-rich asteroid of the same name orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Mars in pursuit of studying the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet, one of the building blocks of our solar system. The mission will also demonstrate NASA’s first deep space test of the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) system – high-bandwidth optical communications through space and back to Earth – from distances far exceeding the Moon – using a near-infrared laser. This will be the fourth launch for the side boosters, both of which previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67, and Hughes JUPTER 3. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A live webcast of this mission will begin on NASA TV about 45 minutes prior to liftoff. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,037	1 0

10-13-2023, 08:01 AM	#5260
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	T-20:00 maybe: __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,037	1 0

10-13-2023, 08:06 AM	#5261
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8589900 VARSITY	Not finding an actual SpaceX YouTube feed, just Twitter which is shit. So, here's NASA: __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,037	1 0

10-13-2023, 02:19 PM	#5262
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $146899	SpaceX is only streaming on TwiX these days because Elon is a man child. I missed the launch, but glad to see it went well. Looks like we'll have pretty regular FH launches in the next couple of years, which is exciting as well!
Posts: 52,520

10-26-2023, 07:39 AM	#5264
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $3300400	Vehicle is ready for the second test flight of a fully integrated Starship, pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/9tC4yKecmw — SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 25, 2023 Could be...."soon"... A Notice to Mariners has been published advising of a possible launch opportunity November 6th.https://t.co/dh8PFCZZqf pic.twitter.com/y9q6IbaNwj — Boca Chica Road Closures (@BocaRoad) October 25, 2023 And a few weeks back, Cybertruck was around Starbase and the launchpad, hauling Raptor engines. Here's a worthwhile watch from the International Astronautical Congress conference earlier this month, discussion with Elon Musk regarding Starship and Starbase development:
Posts: 1,662

11-04-2023, 07:39 PM	#5265
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $3300400	The second flight test of a fully integrated Starship could launch as soon as mid-November, pending regulatory approval → https://t.co/pxgvgUeIFF pic.twitter.com/P40vOCaFaZ — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 3, 2023 Do the thing. pic.twitter.com/ZlofWOT5HZ — Max Evans (@_mgde_) November 4, 2023 SpaceX's Mechazilla System stacking ops comparison, by NSF's Elisar (@enneps). Booster 4 and Ship 20. Booster 7 and Ship 24 Booster 9 and Ship 25.https://t.co/e3xbqPnwZ5 pic.twitter.com/NCEvdIgjga — Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) November 4, 2023
Posts: 1,662