Science Space Exploration megathread - Page 257

**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** · 12-10-2020, 06:59 PM

ULA's webcast is live FWIW.

**Donger** · 12-10-2020, 07:14 PM

I wonder where this bird is heading... that's a long boost phase.

**DaFace** · 12-10-2020, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

I wonder where this bird is heading... that's a long boost phase.

I'm just glad it's finally off the ground!

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 09:33 AM

New T-0 of 12:20 p.m. EST—Falcon 9 and SXM-7 continue to look good for launch
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 11, 2020

Molitoth · 12-11-2020, 10:02 AM

Starship SN#9 fell over this morning. =/

As I understand, they were planning on moving it to the Pad on Monday and possibly launching next week. I'm assuming now they will need some time to properly get it remounted and then inspection for damage.

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molitoth

Starship SN#9 fell over this morning. =/

unlurking · 12-11-2020, 10:42 AM

lol

Uhhhh SN9.... that’s.... not how you’re supposed to be standing!! Loud bang and I’m afraid SN9’s roll out and flight is now delayed. The stand it was on appears to have shifted. Hope everyone is ok. pic.twitter.com/XALMaxPvMw — Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) December 11, 2020

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 10:54 AM

Updated launch time:

SpaceX is now targeting Friday, December 11 at 12:55 p.m. EST, or 16:55 UTC, for the launch of the SXM-7 mission, which will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 11:42 AM

Feed is live:

T-12:00

**DaFace** · 12-11-2020, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unlurking

lol

Uhhhh SN9.... that’s.... not how you’re supposed to be standing!! Loud bang and I’m afraid SN9’s roll out and flight is now delayed. The stand it was on appears to have shifted. Hope everyone is ok. pic.twitter.com/XALMaxPvMw — Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) December 11, 2020

Well that sucks. Hopefully it's salvageable.

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 11:55 AM

Hold at T-0:30

Hydrae · 12-11-2020, 11:59 AM

scrubbed

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 03:47 PM

Didn't look too bad...

Seems like the stand SN9 was on COLLAPSED and the only thing that saved StarShip from falling over was the highbay, hopefully no one was hurt or injured!��
(Video credit: @LabPadre) pic.twitter.com/qXUPUaUBEr
— Austin Barnard�� (@austinbarnard45) December 11, 2020

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 03:53 PM

But...

Again, everyone seems calm and collected and addressing the issue. I’m sure they’ll have it secured and in good order shortly to asses damage and make a plan. pic.twitter.com/4TqgDOdtcx
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) December 11, 2020

**Donger** · 12-11-2020, 03:55 PM

06-01-2014, 09:40 AM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1986899	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: 51,812

12-10-2020, 06:59 PM	#3841
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1986899	ULA's webcast is live FWIW.
Posts: 51,812

12-10-2020, 07:14 PM	#3842
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	I wonder where this bird is heading... that's a long boost phase. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830

12-11-2020, 09:33 AM	#3844
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	New T-0 of 12:20 p.m. EST—Falcon 9 and SXM-7 continue to look good for launch — SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 11, 2020 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830

12-11-2020, 10:02 AM	#3845
Molitoth Mahomes Fanboi Join Date: Apr 2004 Casino cash: $2934969	Starship SN#9 fell over this morning. =/ As I understand, they were planning on moving it to the Pad on Monday and possibly launching next week. I'm assuming now they will need some time to properly get it remounted and then inspection for damage. Last edited by Molitoth; 12-11-2020 at 10:11 AM..
Posts: 19,478

12-11-2020, 10:42 AM	#3847
unlurking MVP Join Date: Aug 2003 Casino cash: $7737309	lol `Uhhhh SN9.... that’s.... not how you’re supposed to be standing!! Loud bang and I’m afraid SN9’s roll out and flight is now delayed. The stand it was on appears to have shifted. Hope everyone is ok. pic.twitter.com/XALMaxPvMw — Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) December 11, 2020` __________________
Posts: 10,620

12-11-2020, 10:54 AM	#3848
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	Updated launch time: SpaceX is now targeting Friday, December 11 at 12:55 p.m. EST, or 16:55 UTC, for the launch of the SXM-7 mission, which will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830

12-11-2020, 11:42 AM	#3849
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	Feed is live: T-12:00 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830

12-11-2020, 11:55 AM	#3851
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	Hold at T-0:30 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830

12-11-2020, 11:59 AM	#3852
Hydrae Sandbox: Leander Lasercats Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Austin, Tx Casino cash: $2287000	scrubbed
Posts: 14,688

12-11-2020, 03:47 PM	#3853
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	Didn't look too bad... Seems like the stand SN9 was on COLLAPSED and the only thing that saved StarShip from falling over was the highbay, hopefully no one was hurt or injured!�� (Video credit: @LabPadre) pic.twitter.com/qXUPUaUBEr — Austin Barnard�� (@austinbarnard45) December 11, 2020 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830

12-11-2020, 03:53 PM	#3854
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	But... Again, everyone seems calm and collected and addressing the issue. I’m sure they’ll have it secured and in good order shortly to asses damage and make a plan. pic.twitter.com/4TqgDOdtcx — Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) December 11, 2020 __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830	1 0

12-11-2020, 03:55 PM	#3855
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10309900 VARSITY	__________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,830	2 0