Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 382

**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 · 11-06-2024, 12:48 PM

Starship’s fifth flight test was a seminal moment in iterating towards a fully and rapidly reusable launch system.

Next up: the sixth flight test of Starship is targeted to launch as early as Monday, November 18 → https://t.co/oIFc3u9laE pic.twitter.com/5496ApNHkA
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 6, 2024

**Donger** · 11-15-2024, 01:41 PM

The sixth flight test of Starship is targeted to launch as early as Monday, November 18.

A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app. The 30-minute launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. CT. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates.

Starship’s fifth flight test was a seminal moment in iterating towards a fully and rapidly reusable launch system. On the first attempt, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch site and was caught by the chopstick arms of the launch and catch tower at Starbase. Starship’s upper stage went on to demonstrate several improvements, resulting in a controlled entry and high accuracy splashdown at the targeted area in the Indian Ocean.

The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online. Objectives include the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, and testing a suite of heatshield experiments and maneuvering changes for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean.

The success of the first catch attempt demonstrated the design feasibility while providing valuable data to continue improving hardware and software performance. Hardware upgrades for this flight add additional redundancy to booster propulsion systems, increase structural strength at key areas, and shorten the timeline to offload propellants from the booster following a successful catch. Mission designers also updated software controls and commit criteria for the booster’s launch and return.

Analogous to the fifth flight test, distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch of the Super Heavy booster, which will require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a final manual command from the mission’s Flight Director. If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only take place if conditions are right.

The returning booster will slow down from supersonic speeds, resulting in audible sonic booms in the area around the landing zone. Generally, the only impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief thunder-like noise with variables like weather and distance from the return site determining the magnitude experienced by observers.

Starship’s upper stage will fly the same suborbital trajectory as the previous flight test, with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean. An additional objective for this flight will be attempting an in-space burn using a single Raptor engine, further demonstrating the capabilities required to conduct a ship deorbit burn prior to orbital missions.

Several thermal protection experiments and operational changes will test the limits of Starship’s capabilities and generate flight data to inform plans for ship catch and reuse. The flight test will assess new secondary thermal protection materials and will have entire sections of heat shield tiles removed on either side of the ship in locations being studied for catch-enabling hardware on future vehicles. The ship also will intentionally fly at a higher angle of attack in the final phase of descent, purposefully stressing the limits of flap control to gain data on future landing profiles. Finally, adjusting the flight’s launch window to the late afternoon at Starbase will enable the ship to reenter over the Indian Ocean in daylight, providing better conditions for visual observations.

Future ships, starting with the vehicle planned for the seventh flight test, will fly with significant upgrades including redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant tanks, and the latest generation tiles and secondary thermal protection layers as we continue to iterate towards a fully reusable heat shield. Learnings from this and subsequent flight tests will continue to make the entire Starship system more reliable as we close in on full and rapid reusability.

GeorgeZimZam · 11-15-2024, 08:59 PM

Stopped by the Orbital Launch Mount a few minutes ago to see the full stack of Flight 6 Starship, after dinner and Old Fashioneds at Starbase.

GeorgeZimZam · 11-15-2024, 09:50 PM

Targeting Tuesday, November 19 for Starship’s sixth flight test. A 30-minute launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. CT → https://t.co/oIFc3u9laE pic.twitter.com/s3Rk8TWfen
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 16, 2024

GeorgeZimZam · 11-16-2024, 02:48 PM

Volunteered at the Laguna Madre Humane Society this morning. Located right next to the Lighthouse in Port Isabel. Beautiful, clear day—perfect for some distance views of the Flight 6 full stack across the bay (and the Rocket Garden/Production Site), from atop the lighthouse.

GeorgeZimZam · 11-16-2024, 02:49 PM

Watch Starship's sixth flight test → https://t.co/oIFc3u9laE https://t.co/acpdO2brbP
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 16, 2024

GeorgeZimZam · 11-16-2024, 08:23 PM

Here is the full talk from @Gwynne_Shotwell at the Baron Capitol conference from yesterday!

03:50 - Mechazilla
08:54 - Regulatory struggles
11:51 - Starshield
18:00 - Why we need to make life multiplanetary
22:23 - SpaceX management
26:39 - Starlink
38:43 - Starlink on Mars… pic.twitter.com/EzaacTMc4S
— Robin (@xdNiBoR) November 16, 2024

GloryDayz · 11-16-2024, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeZimZam

Volunteered at the Laguna Madre Humane Society this morning. Located right next to the Lighthouse in Port Isabel. Beautiful, clear day—perfect for some distance views of the Flight 6 full stack across the bay (and the Rocket Garden/Production Site), from atop the lighthouse.

Freaking OUTSTANDING!

GeorgeZimZam · 11-19-2024, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeZimZam

My younger sister is visiting my wife and I here in Deep South Texas. Before taking the SpaceX hovercraft from Starbase over to South Padre Island yesterday evening, we got to venture up to the top level of Megabay 2. Awesome 360º views of South Bay, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, Boca Chica Village, fully stacked Flight 5 Starship at the Orbital Launch Integration Tower, Gulf of Mexico, and the Rio Grande. Top level nearing completion for special event space and bar. Sadly, no photos permitted.

This is the top of Megabay at Starbase https://t.co/oLnH9oIqMS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 19, 2024

Breathtaking view at SpaceX Starbase pic.twitter.com/ZRJeu6xH8Q
— Dima Zeniuk (@DimaZeniuk) November 19, 2024

**DaFace** · 11-19-2024, 09:19 AM

Nice of them to do this one in the middle of the day this time. I was getting tired of getting up at 5am.

GeorgeZimZam · 11-19-2024, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Nice of them to do this one in the middle of the day this time. I was getting tired of getting up at 5am.

After watching 1 through 5 from South Padre Island, Port Isabel, South Bay, and Starbase, Flight 6 will be my first I won’t be getting out for. But hope to catch it while taking my afternoon lunch hour at home. Will see how visible and audible it is from about 15ish miles away in town. Also, no more post-launch ragers at Starbase. Although there feels like a lot of excitement for this one (and the VIP attendee), feels like transition to routine Starship launches as the status quo is underway.

All systems and weather are looking good for today's flight test of Starship.

The live launch webcast on @X will go live ~40 minutes before liftoff, which is targeted for 4:00 p.m. CT → https://t.co/1xyLhQKE2N pic.twitter.com/lqy2CsL4vz
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 19, 2024

GeorgeZimZam · 11-19-2024, 04:22 PM

Bummer—no booster catch this time!

**Donger** · 11-19-2024, 05:33 PM

Wonder why the called off the catch?

**DaFace** · 11-19-2024, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Wonder why the called off the catch?

Yeah, I'll be curious if they say anything about it. They said that the tower was good earlier, so presumably some sort of sensor on the booster said no.

MagicHef · 11-19-2024, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Yeah, I'll be curious if they say anything about it. They said that the tower was good earlier, so presumably some sort of sensor on the booster said no.

I’m assuming we will find out fairly soon, SpaceX is very open with their information. By contrast, Blue Origin’s New Shepard failure causes still are not public.

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-303101	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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11-06-2024, 12:48 PM	#5716
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2880400	Starship’s fifth flight test was a seminal moment in iterating towards a fully and rapidly reusable launch system. Next up: the sixth flight test of Starship is targeted to launch as early as Monday, November 18 → https://t.co/oIFc3u9laE pic.twitter.com/5496ApNHkA — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 6, 2024
Posts: 1,698

11-15-2024, 01:41 PM	#5717
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8179900 VARSITY	The sixth flight test of Starship is targeted to launch as early as Monday, November 18. A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app. The 30-minute launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. CT. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates. Starship’s fifth flight test was a seminal moment in iterating towards a fully and rapidly reusable launch system. On the first attempt, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch site and was caught by the chopstick arms of the launch and catch tower at Starbase. Starship’s upper stage went on to demonstrate several improvements, resulting in a controlled entry and high accuracy splashdown at the targeted area in the Indian Ocean. The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online. Objectives include the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, and testing a suite of heatshield experiments and maneuvering changes for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean. The success of the first catch attempt demonstrated the design feasibility while providing valuable data to continue improving hardware and software performance. Hardware upgrades for this flight add additional redundancy to booster propulsion systems, increase structural strength at key areas, and shorten the timeline to offload propellants from the booster following a successful catch. Mission designers also updated software controls and commit criteria for the booster’s launch and return. Analogous to the fifth flight test, distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch of the Super Heavy booster, which will require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a final manual command from the mission’s Flight Director. If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only take place if conditions are right. The returning booster will slow down from supersonic speeds, resulting in audible sonic booms in the area around the landing zone. Generally, the only impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief thunder-like noise with variables like weather and distance from the return site determining the magnitude experienced by observers. Starship’s upper stage will fly the same suborbital trajectory as the previous flight test, with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean. An additional objective for this flight will be attempting an in-space burn using a single Raptor engine, further demonstrating the capabilities required to conduct a ship deorbit burn prior to orbital missions. Several thermal protection experiments and operational changes will test the limits of Starship’s capabilities and generate flight data to inform plans for ship catch and reuse. The flight test will assess new secondary thermal protection materials and will have entire sections of heat shield tiles removed on either side of the ship in locations being studied for catch-enabling hardware on future vehicles. The ship also will intentionally fly at a higher angle of attack in the final phase of descent, purposefully stressing the limits of flap control to gain data on future landing profiles. Finally, adjusting the flight’s launch window to the late afternoon at Starbase will enable the ship to reenter over the Indian Ocean in daylight, providing better conditions for visual observations. Future ships, starting with the vehicle planned for the seventh flight test, will fly with significant upgrades including redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant tanks, and the latest generation tiles and secondary thermal protection layers as we continue to iterate towards a fully reusable heat shield. Learnings from this and subsequent flight tests will continue to make the entire Starship system more reliable as we close in on full and rapid reusability. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,995	1 0

11-15-2024, 08:59 PM	#5718
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2880400	Stopped by the Orbital Launch Mount a few minutes ago to see the full stack of Flight 6 Starship, after dinner and Old Fashioneds at Starbase.
Posts: 1,698	1 0

11-15-2024, 09:50 PM	#5719
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2880400	Targeting Tuesday, November 19 for Starship’s sixth flight test. A 30-minute launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. CT → https://t.co/oIFc3u9laE pic.twitter.com/s3Rk8TWfen — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 16, 2024
Posts: 1,698

11-16-2024, 02:48 PM	#5720
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2880400	Volunteered at the Laguna Madre Humane Society this morning. Located right next to the Lighthouse in Port Isabel. Beautiful, clear day—perfect for some distance views of the Flight 6 full stack across the bay (and the Rocket Garden/Production Site), from atop the lighthouse.
Posts: 1,698	4 0

11-16-2024, 02:49 PM	#5721
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2880400	Watch Starship's sixth flight test → https://t.co/oIFc3u9laE https://t.co/acpdO2brbP — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 16, 2024 Watch Starship's sixth flight test → https://t.co/oIFc3u9laE https://t.co/acpdO2brbP — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 16, 2024
Posts: 1,698

11-16-2024, 08:23 PM	#5722
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2880400	Here is the full talk from @Gwynne_Shotwell at the Baron Capitol conference from yesterday! 03:50 - Mechazilla 08:54 - Regulatory struggles 11:51 - Starshield 18:00 - Why we need to make life multiplanetary 22:23 - SpaceX management 26:39 - Starlink 38:43 - Starlink on Mars… pic.twitter.com/EzaacTMc4S — Robin (@xdNiBoR) November 16, 2024 Here is the full talk from @Gwynne_Shotwell at the Baron Capitol conference from yesterday! 03:50 - Mechazilla 08:54 - Regulatory struggles 11:51 - Starshield 18:00 - Why we need to make life multiplanetary 22:23 - SpaceX management 26:39 - Starlink 38:43 - Starlink on Mars… pic.twitter.com/EzaacTMc4S — Robin (@xdNiBoR) November 16, 2024
Posts: 1,698	1 0

11-19-2024, 09:19 AM	#5725
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $-303101	Nice of them to do this one in the middle of the day this time. I was getting tired of getting up at 5am.
Posts: 52,665	1 0

11-19-2024, 04:22 PM	#5727
GeorgeZimZam Repeal the 19th Amendment Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KC > ATX > RGV Casino cash: $2880400	Bummer—no booster catch this time!
Posts: 1,698

11-19-2024, 05:33 PM	#5728
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $8179900 VARSITY	Wonder why the called off the catch? __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 187,995