Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 163

**DaFace** · 03:36 PM

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** · 12-20-2019, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Software bug.

It's baffling to me that that can happen. Don't they run dozens of simulations to make sure all that stuff is worked out?

Hydrae · 12-20-2019, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Software bug.

Same problem with the MAX too. Boeing needs better developers or better QA testers or something!

**Donger** · 12-20-2019, 11:01 AM

Officials blamed the failure of the Starliner capsule on a possible software problem that made the autonomously commanded spacecraft misperceive where it was in the flight and miss the moment when thrusters were supposed to fire and push the craft into the correct orbit.

**Donger** · 12-20-2019, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hydrae

Same problem with the MAX too. Boeing needs better developers or better QA testers or something!

Well, at least they didn't kill a bunch of people this time...

GloryDayz · 12-20-2019, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hydrae

Same problem with the MAX too. Boeing needs better developers or better QA testers or something!

Agreed. But like they said at the press conference, a lot went right too.

**DaFace** · 12-22-2019, 11:55 AM

Looks like they got it on the ground without incident, so that's promising. Hopefully they can get their software figured out and be flying again soon.

Today, @BoeingSpace’s #Starliner spacecraft safely returned to Earth with a bullseye landing. Although the spacecraft didn’t reach its intended orbit and dock to the @Space_Station, it did complete many test objectives for our @Commercial_Crew program: https://t.co/1jWkMI5oA6 pic.twitter.com/SEm2iKUviR
— NASA (@NASA) December 22, 2019

**Donger** · 12-23-2019, 04:18 PM

SpaceX is closing out the year with an achievement that should help it keep on track to fly astronauts on board one of its spacecraft next year. The Elon Musk-led space company finished its 10th successful parachute system test in a row yesterday, an important safety system milestone that should be a good indication that the latest design is just about ready for use with astronauts on board.

The parachute system is what’s used to slow the descent of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon commercial astronaut spacecraft on its return trip to Earth, once it enters the atmosphere. The current design is the third major iteration of SpaceX’s parachute for Crew Dragon, featuring upgraded materials and improved stitching for the best possible reliability and durability during flight.

Earlier this year, at an event hosted at SpaceX HQ in Hawthorne, California, Musk told media and fans in attendance that the Mark 3 parachute system would need at least 10 successful tests in a row before the company would feel confident about using it for actual crewed flights. At the time, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine also said he believed SpaceX could achieve all 10 before the year was out, and now it has indeed hit that mark.

Currently, SpaceX plans to fly its next major step towards crewed flight on January 11: That’s the current target for its ‘in-flight abort test,’ a required launch that will test the emergency safeguard system that can be triggered mid-launch to carry the crew away from the launch vehicle and to safety in case of anything going wrong that might potentially put them in danger.

Yesterday the team completed the 10th successful multi-chute test in a row of Crew Dragon’s upgraded Mark 3 parachute design – one step closer to safely launching and landing @NASA astronauts pic.twitter.com/nfFjnKygB4
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 23, 2019

**DaFace** · 01-01-2020, 11:11 PM

Cool little summary video of all that NASA is up to next year. It's easy to overlook how much stuff they're working on all the time.

**Donger** · 01-02-2020, 10:51 AM

**DaFace** · 01-06-2020, 02:32 PM

All systems and weather are go ahead of today’s launch of 60 Starlink satellites; webcast will begin at ~9:05 p.m. EST → https://t.co/gtC39uTdw9 pic.twitter.com/fDkXPFh25O
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 6, 2020

**Easy 6** · 01-06-2020, 02:42 PM

Did they EVER release the findings of the probe that was sent into Jupiter’s atmosphere a couple years ago?

I sure can’t recall seeing anything about it

unlurking · 01-06-2020, 04:03 PM

Do you mean Galileo from '95?

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/in-depth/

Juno doesn't have any descent probes that I know of?

**Easy 6** · 01-06-2020, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unlurking

Do you mean Galileo from '95?

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/in-depth/

Juno doesn't have any descent probes that I know of?

No this was much more recent, like 2017-2018

**DaFace** · 01-06-2020, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easy 6

No this was much more recent, like 2017-2018

Are you sure you aren't thinking of Cassini (which was Saturn)?

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/mission...nale/overview/

Scooter LaCanforno · 01-06-2020, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

All systems and weather are go ahead of today’s launch of 60 Starlink satellites; webcast will begin at ~9:05 p.m. EST → https://t.co/gtC39uTdw9 pic.twitter.com/fDkXPFh25O
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 6, 2020

Cool, I'll watch from my balcony tonight. I'll also be looking for UFO's.

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1946899	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.youtube.com/user/spacexchannel 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; 12-10-2020 at 03:36 PM..
Posts: 51,823

12-20-2019, 11:01 AM	#2433
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10269900 VARSITY	Officials blamed the failure of the Starliner capsule on a possible software problem that made the autonomously commanded spacecraft misperceive where it was in the flight and miss the moment when thrusters were supposed to fire and push the craft into the correct orbit. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,895

12-22-2019, 11:55 AM	#2436
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1946899	Looks like they got it on the ground without incident, so that's promising. Hopefully they can get their software figured out and be flying again soon. Today, @BoeingSpace’s #Starliner spacecraft safely returned to Earth with a bullseye landing. Although the spacecraft didn’t reach its intended orbit and dock to the @Space_Station, it did complete many test objectives for our @Commercial_Crew program: https://t.co/1jWkMI5oA6 pic.twitter.com/SEm2iKUviR — NASA (@NASA) December 22, 2019
Posts: 51,823

12-23-2019, 04:18 PM	#2437
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10269900 VARSITY	SpaceX is closing out the year with an achievement that should help it keep on track to fly astronauts on board one of its spacecraft next year. The Elon Musk-led space company finished its 10th successful parachute system test in a row yesterday, an important safety system milestone that should be a good indication that the latest design is just about ready for use with astronauts on board. The parachute system is what’s used to slow the descent of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon commercial astronaut spacecraft on its return trip to Earth, once it enters the atmosphere. The current design is the third major iteration of SpaceX’s parachute for Crew Dragon, featuring upgraded materials and improved stitching for the best possible reliability and durability during flight. Earlier this year, at an event hosted at SpaceX HQ in Hawthorne, California, Musk told media and fans in attendance that the Mark 3 parachute system would need at least 10 successful tests in a row before the company would feel confident about using it for actual crewed flights. At the time, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine also said he believed SpaceX could achieve all 10 before the year was out, and now it has indeed hit that mark. Currently, SpaceX plans to fly its next major step towards crewed flight on January 11: That’s the current target for its ‘in-flight abort test,’ a required launch that will test the emergency safeguard system that can be triggered mid-launch to carry the crew away from the launch vehicle and to safety in case of anything going wrong that might potentially put them in danger. Yesterday the team completed the 10th successful multi-chute test in a row of Crew Dragon’s upgraded Mark 3 parachute design – one step closer to safely launching and landing @NASA astronauts pic.twitter.com/nfFjnKygB4 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 23, 2019 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,895	1 0

01-01-2020, 11:11 PM	#2438
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1946899	Cool little summary video of all that NASA is up to next year. It's easy to overlook how much stuff they're working on all the time.
Posts: 51,823

01-02-2020, 10:51 AM	#2439
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10269900 VARSITY	__________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,895

01-06-2020, 02:32 PM	#2440
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1946899	All systems and weather are go ahead of today’s launch of 60 Starlink satellites; webcast will begin at ~9:05 p.m. EST → https://t.co/gtC39uTdw9 pic.twitter.com/fDkXPFh25O — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 6, 2020
Posts: 51,823

01-06-2020, 02:42 PM	#2441
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $3647775	Did they EVER release the findings of the probe that was sent into Jupiter’s atmosphere a couple years ago? I sure can’t recall seeing anything about it
Posts: 91,767

01-06-2020, 04:03 PM	#2442
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	Do you mean Galileo from '95? https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/in-depth/ Juno doesn't have any descent probes that I know of? __________________
Posts: 10,620