Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 219

**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.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 08-23-2020, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

I' buying TLSA this week just because elon is just so far ahead of everybody on EVERYTHING he does!

eDave · 08-23-2020, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicHef

I love the "without exploding". He almost sounds surprised.

Did you hear him when the big one went up?

"No ****ing way!"

**Donger** · 08-23-2020, 11:37 AM

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule for next NASA astronaut launch arrives in Florida

https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-1-...s-florida.html

SpaceX is forging ahead with preparations for its next NASA astronaut mission, currently slated for a late October launch.

The Crew Dragon capsule that will launch the Crew-1 flight to the International Space Station arrived in Florida on Tuesday (Aug. 18), NASA officials said in an update Friday (Aug. 21).

**Donger** · 08-23-2020, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

Did you hear him when the big one went up?

"No ****ing way!"

The exact quote from the first Falcon Heavy launch was:

"Holy flying ****, that thing took off."

**Donger** · 08-24-2020, 09:59 AM

Starship SN6 is now into the business end of its initial test campaign, with a Static Fire test with her Raptor (SN29) engine conducted on Sunday, ahead of a hop test at the end of the week.

While SN6 is out at the launch site, numerous Starships are being worked on at the Production Facility, with SN5 undergoing post-hop processing, SN7.1 – a test tank – being prepared for an over-pressure test, along with SN8 stacking in the Mid Bay and SN9’s first sections also appearing out in the open.

**Donger** · 08-26-2020, 04:03 PM

As NASASpaceflight.com reported last year, Saocom 1B will take off and fly on a polar trajectory toward the South Pole. After launch, the Falcon 9 will skirt the coast of Florida, making it possible to attempt the ground pad landing. This will mark the first orbital launch from Florida to use this southern polar corridor since 1960.

The SpaceX launch of the companion satellite Saocom 1A in 2018 also featured a ground pad landing, but at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. This Thursday's launch was also initially set to take place from the West Coast, but eventually was moved to Florida and delayed thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Liftoff is currently set for 4:19 p.m. PT Friday, after being pushed back a day from Thursday due to other delays at Kennedy Space Center.

**Donger** · 08-26-2020, 04:06 PM

There's also a ULA Delta IV launch tonight (I think):

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/26/2...-44-watch-live

Hydrae · 08-26-2020, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

There's also a ULA Delta IV launch tonight (I think):

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/26/2...-44-watch-live

3 launches from the Cape between now and Sunday. That is amazing and awesomely cool!

**Donger** · 08-29-2020, 07:04 AM

Pending Range availability, targeting back-to-back Falcon 9 launches from Florida on Sunday, August 30—another flight of Starlink from LC-39A at 10:12 a.m. EDT followed by the SAOCOM 1B mission from SLC-40 at 7:18 p.m. EDT pic.twitter.com/uV9MN2Nq2X
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 28, 2020

**Donger** · 08-30-2020, 07:26 AM

Standing down from today’s launch of Starlink due to inclement weather during pre-flight operations. Next launch opportunity is Tuesday, September 1 at 9:29 a.m. EDT, pending Range acceptance
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 30, 2020

10:18am EDT Starlink mission delayed.

**Donger** · 08-30-2020, 01:16 PM

Maybe we'll get one launch today. Having two in one day would have been epic!

Targeting launch of SAOCOM 1B at 7:18 p.m. EDT tonight. Falcon 9 and SAOCOM 1B are vertical on SLC-40. Weather continues to be 40% favorable for liftoff pic.twitter.com/jCIYnIc8Ju
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 30, 2020

MagicHef · 08-30-2020, 01:55 PM

What needs to happen to make launches as reliable as air travel, where only severe storms delay or cancel flights?

**Donger** · 08-30-2020, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicHef

What needs to happen to make launches as reliable as air travel, where only severe storms delay or cancel flights?

Commercial flights get delayed and canceled all the time over mechanical issues.

MagicHef · 08-30-2020, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Commercial flights get delayed and canceled all the time over mechanical issues.

I haven’t looked up numbers, but it seems that the likelihood of a commercial flight being significantly delayed is much lower than for a launch.

**Donger** · 08-30-2020, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicHef

I haven’t looked up numbers, but it seems that the likelihood of a commercial flight being significantly delayed is much lower than for a launch.

You said "air travel, where only severe storms delay or cancel flights." So, the only isn't accurate. They do have mechanical delays and cancellations.

I'd imagine that on a per flight basis, rockets are much more prone to mechanical delays.

Particularly ULA...

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $2036899	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: 51,768

08-23-2020, 11:37 AM	#3273
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10359900 VARSITY	SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule for next NASA astronaut launch arrives in Florida https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-1-...s-florida.html SpaceX is forging ahead with preparations for its next NASA astronaut mission, currently slated for a late October launch. The Crew Dragon capsule that will launch the Crew-1 flight to the International Space Station arrived in Florida on Tuesday (Aug. 18), NASA officials said in an update Friday (Aug. 21). __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,689	1 0

08-24-2020, 09:59 AM	#3275
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10359900 VARSITY	Starship SN6 is now into the business end of its initial test campaign, with a Static Fire test with her Raptor (SN29) engine conducted on Sunday, ahead of a hop test at the end of the week. While SN6 is out at the launch site, numerous Starships are being worked on at the Production Facility, with SN5 undergoing post-hop processing, SN7.1 – a test tank – being prepared for an over-pressure test, along with SN8 stacking in the Mid Bay and SN9’s first sections also appearing out in the open. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,689	1 0

08-26-2020, 04:03 PM	#3276
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10359900 VARSITY	As NASASpaceflight.com reported last year, Saocom 1B will take off and fly on a polar trajectory toward the South Pole. After launch, the Falcon 9 will skirt the coast of Florida, making it possible to attempt the ground pad landing. This will mark the first orbital launch from Florida to use this southern polar corridor since 1960. The SpaceX launch of the companion satellite Saocom 1A in 2018 also featured a ground pad landing, but at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. This Thursday's launch was also initially set to take place from the West Coast, but eventually was moved to Florida and delayed thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. Liftoff is currently set for 4:19 p.m. PT Friday, after being pushed back a day from Thursday due to other delays at Kennedy Space Center. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,689

08-26-2020, 04:06 PM	#3277
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10359900 VARSITY	There's also a ULA Delta IV launch tonight (I think): https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/26/2...-44-watch-live __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,689

08-29-2020, 07:04 AM	#3279
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10359900 VARSITY	Pending Range availability, targeting back-to-back Falcon 9 launches from Florida on Sunday, August 30—another flight of Starlink from LC-39A at 10:12 a.m. EDT followed by the SAOCOM 1B mission from SLC-40 at 7:18 p.m. EDT pic.twitter.com/uV9MN2Nq2X — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 28, 2020 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,689

08-30-2020, 07:26 AM	#3280
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10359900 VARSITY	Standing down from today’s launch of Starlink due to inclement weather during pre-flight operations. Next launch opportunity is Tuesday, September 1 at 9:29 a.m. EDT, pending Range acceptance — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 30, 2020 10:18am EDT Starlink mission delayed. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,689

08-30-2020, 01:16 PM	#3281
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10359900 VARSITY	Maybe we'll get one launch today. Having two in one day would have been epic! Targeting launch of SAOCOM 1B at 7:18 p.m. EDT tonight. Falcon 9 and SAOCOM 1B are vertical on SLC-40. Weather continues to be 40% favorable for liftoff pic.twitter.com/jCIYnIc8Ju — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 30, 2020 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,689

08-30-2020, 01:55 PM	#3282
MagicHef The Seated Villain Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle Casino cash: $2470247	What needs to happen to make launches as reliable as air travel, where only severe storms delay or cancel flights? __________________ With a sack in 61% of his games, SB MVP Von Miller is the most consistent pass rusher in NFL history.
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