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[Spaceflight & Exploration] Thread

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Posts

  • SealSeal Registered User regular
    I'm taking a break from tilting my head back and forth like a confused dog to post about the strange happenings in Boca Chica, Texas. Which has gone from a place where the most exciting thing happening was soil settling under a large mound of dirt at the site of a future launch pad, to buzzing with activity. But lately the main attention grabber has been the large grey and silvery shiny thing that's being built.

    To outside observers this is roughly how the situation has progressed:
    -I guess they're building a water tower?
    -It looks like they're building a nose cone, but no way it's a rocket, no one builds rockets outside. Out of what appears to be steel of all things.
    -Stainless steel???
    -Ok I guess it's some kind of mockup test article, maybe to test how certain parts fit? Boy some of those panels look rough.
    -...now it has 3 engine bells on the bottom of it...double engine bells that look like the real thing.


    And as I was thinking about making this post Scott Manley put out a video and I think he covers it quite well.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVgEKBwE2RM

    These are extra exciting times if you're a big fan of shiny silvery rocket ships from 1950's sci-fi!

  • BeNarwhalBeNarwhal The Work Left Unfinished Registered User regular
    Seal wrote: »
    I'm taking a break from tilting my head back and forth like a confused dog to post about the strange happenings in Boca Chica, Texas. Which has gone from a place where the most exciting thing happening was soil settling under a large mound of dirt at the site of a future launch pad, to buzzing with activity. But lately the main attention grabber has been the large grey and silvery shiny thing that's being built.

    To outside observers this is roughly how the situation has progressed:
    -I guess they're building a water tower?
    -It looks like they're building a nose cone, but no way it's a rocket, no one builds rockets outside. Out of what appears to be steel of all things.
    -Stainless steel???
    -Ok I guess it's some kind of mockup test article, maybe to test how certain parts fit? Boy some of those panels look rough.
    -...now it has 3 engine bells on the bottom of it...double engine bells that look like the real thing.


    And as I was thinking about making this post Scott Manley put out a video and I think he covers it quite well.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVgEKBwE2RM

    These are extra exciting times if you're a big fan of shiny silvery rocket ships from 1950's sci-fi!

    I saw this video just before heading out earlier, and even Scott is like ... I guess they really are gonna fly whatever this thing is???

    I am fascinated.

  • InfamyDeferredInfamyDeferred Registered User regular
    Maybe it'll be a dummy load for the BFR booster? You'd want something that simulated the loaded weight; (relatively) cheap steel could make up for it being hollow. Most dummy weights can be simple weights because they're under a fairing, so having real(ish) aerodynamics probably helps, too. If they get it all the way to the ship's orbit circularization it'll burn up coming back down. No sense in building heat shielding on a ship that will probably explode on the way up.

  • BrodyBrody The Watch The First ShoreRegistered User regular
    Maybe it'll be a dummy load for the BFR booster? You'd want something that simulated the loaded weight; (relatively) cheap steel could make up for it being hollow. Most dummy weights can be simple weights because they're under a fairing, so having real(ish) aerodynamics probably helps, too. If they get it all the way to the ship's orbit circularization it'll burn up coming back down. No sense in building heat shielding on a ship that will probably explode on the way up.

    This is theoretically only for going straight up and down?

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  • SealSeal Registered User regular
    I'd imagine getting real world data on how the new engines behave through various flight envelopes (probably low speed but who knows at this point) is the number one priority, followed closely by verifying the control software doesn't produce any strange results flying something as large as this hopper is going to be. Maybe that's why they went with three engines when one could have sufficed, triple the engines and you get more data back during the flight and when you take them apart to verify everything is performing within expectations.

  • BeNarwhalBeNarwhal The Work Left Unfinished Registered User regular
    Seal wrote: »
    I'd imagine getting real world data on how the new engines behave through various flight envelopes (probably low speed but who knows at this point) is the number one priority, followed closely by verifying the control software doesn't produce any strange results flying something as large as this hopper is going to be. Maybe that's why they went with three engines when one could have sufficed, triple the engines and you get more data back during the flight and when you take them apart to verify everything is performing within expectations.

    Plus, as Scott mentions in the video, playing with engine-out scenarios, different "landing" profiles (1 engine vs 3 at low throttle, etc)

    The Raptor is supposed to have an even larger throttle range than the Merlin, which is already world-class

  • BeNarwhalBeNarwhal The Work Left Unfinished Registered User regular
  • Mild ConfusionMild Confusion Smash All Things Registered User regular
    I just wanna say that Ultima Thule sounds like a Final Fantasy bonus boss.

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  • KrieghundKrieghund Registered User regular
    I just wanna say that Ultima Thule sounds like a Final Fantasy bonus boss.

    It's position makes me think of where Brennan was hiding in Protector.

  • BeNarwhalBeNarwhal The Work Left Unfinished Registered User regular
    A little more information about the Starship Hopper currently being constructed in a tent in Boca Chica





    I think it being a stainless steel construction, etc. allows them to get away with building this low-altitude test article outside, which is actually kinda neat for the future of spaceflight - if they do intend for these vehicles to eventually be reentering the earth's atmosphere 100s of time, they'll have to get used to sitting outside in all sorts of weather! :surprised:

  • SealSeal Registered User regular
    f8uk7v24alym.jpg
    hmmmm
    it's even roughly the same size

    At least the worker platforms have evolved past the days of ropes and planks of wood

  • BeNarwhalBeNarwhal The Work Left Unfinished Registered User regular
    Seal wrote: »
    f8uk7v24alym.jpg
    hmmmm
    it's even roughly the same size

    At least the worker platforms have evolved past the days of ropes and planks of wood

    Well, it is Elon, let's wait 'til they're attaching the two halves before we count out the planks of wood :P

  • HonkHonk Honk is this poster. Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    PSN: Honkalot
  • BeNarwhalBeNarwhal The Work Left Unfinished Registered User regular
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    You may joke a little in that last sentence, but they probably will :P

    There's a lot of data they'll want to transmit, but getting bonus images of something that far away is a huge PR win for New Horizons and NASA

  • HonkHonk Honk is this poster. Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    BeNarwhal wrote: »
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    You may joke a little in that last sentence, but they probably will :P

    There's a lot of data they'll want to transmit, but getting bonus images of something that far away is a huge PR win for New Horizons and NASA

    I win again!

    PSN: Honkalot
  • SiliconStewSiliconStew Registered User regular
    BeNarwhal wrote: »
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    You may joke a little in that last sentence, but they probably will :P

    There's a lot of data they'll want to transmit, but getting bonus images of something that far away is a huge PR win for New Horizons and NASA

    They did 2 failsafe picture downloads prior to closest approach and plan 3 "new york times" hype photo downlinks in the 2 days after. Those won't be the highest resolution pictures they'll eventually get get, but as you say, it's important to get them out fast to showcase the success of the mission. All the science data and better pictures will come over the next year.

    Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
  • HonkHonk Honk is this poster. Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    What if the high res images shows a naked man standing on the planetoid and waving at us. What then.

    PSN: Honkalot
  • McFodderMcFodder Registered User regular
    Waving back would be the polite thing.

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  • DedwrekkaDedwrekka Metal Hell adjacentRegistered User regular
    BeNarwhal wrote: »
    A little more information about the Starship Hopper currently being constructed in a tent in Boca Chica





    I think it being a stainless steel construction, etc. allows them to get away with building this low-altitude test article outside, which is actually kinda neat for the future of spaceflight - if they do intend for these vehicles to eventually be reentering the earth's atmosphere 100s of time, they'll have to get used to sitting outside in all sorts of weather! :surprised:

    They'll need more than just stainless steel. It'll still need a coating and regular maintenance for the outer layer to prevent corrosion, as well as inspection of the joins between the skin and the primary structure. Stainless is only corrosion resistant, and the combination of heat, direct sunlight, and saltwater, care not for your resistance. I suspect that that's why NASA built maintenance buildings for their rockets. Protection from the elements as well as walkways that make inspection easier.

  • BeNarwhalBeNarwhal The Work Left Unfinished Registered User regular
    Dedwrekka wrote: »
    BeNarwhal wrote: »
    A little more information about the Starship Hopper currently being constructed in a tent in Boca Chica





    I think it being a stainless steel construction, etc. allows them to get away with building this low-altitude test article outside, which is actually kinda neat for the future of spaceflight - if they do intend for these vehicles to eventually be reentering the earth's atmosphere 100s of time, they'll have to get used to sitting outside in all sorts of weather! :surprised:

    They'll need more than just stainless steel. It'll still need a coating and regular maintenance for the outer layer to prevent corrosion, as well as inspection of the joins between the skin and the primary structure. Stainless is only corrosion resistant, and the combination of heat, direct sunlight, and saltwater, care not for your resistance. I suspect that that's why NASA built maintenance buildings for their rockets. Protection from the elements as well as walkways that make inspection easier.

    Oh, definitely - and I suspect that if this test article sees any long-term use, it'll have an indoor home to retreat into for exactly those purposes :)

    I just think it's neat that they can slap together this shell of the vehicle outside in a tent, though building things in tents is hardly revolutionary for a company headed by Elon Musk >_>

  • SealSeal Registered User regular
    Oh please, those are clearly high quality Sprung™ instant structures, which are supported by extruded aluminum arches that are integrally connected to an all-weather outer performance architectural membrane. Produced by industry leading Sprung Instant Structures Ltd., an innovative company that has been supplying enclosure solutions to its customers since 1887.

  • ZibblsnrtZibblsnrt Registered User regular
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    They wish they had 1-2kb/s - the transfer rate's about 500b/s on a good day.

    It's currently not a good day - the probe's right behind the sun right now, and has been for a few days. The downloads are supposed to resume as soon as a gigantic screaming radio source isn't parked right in the line of sight, which should be later this week.

    (Still better than the Voyagers' 150 baud, though...)

  • HandkorHandkor Registered User regular
    Thanks for the info about the sun getting in the way, I was wondering why the team for New Horizon had been quiet. Pluto's data flowed in a bit more continuously at first.

  • Mild ConfusionMild Confusion Smash All Things Registered User regular
    Zibblsnrt wrote: »
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    They wish they had 1-2kb/s - the transfer rate's about 500b/s on a good day.

    It's currently not a good day - the probe's right behind the sun right now, and has been for a few days. The downloads are supposed to resume as soon as a gigantic screaming radio source isn't parked right in the line of sight, which should be later this week.

    (Still better than the Voyagers' 150 baud, though...)

    What kind of shit internet can’t go through a Star?

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  • HonkHonk Honk is this poster. Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    Zibblsnrt wrote: »
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    They wish they had 1-2kb/s - the transfer rate's about 500b/s on a good day.

    It's currently not a good day - the probe's right behind the sun right now, and has been for a few days. The downloads are supposed to resume as soon as a gigantic screaming radio source isn't parked right in the line of sight, which should be later this week.

    (Still better than the Voyagers' 150 baud, though...)

    God dammit, you’d figure nasa would afford fiber.

    PSN: Honkalot
  • AimAim Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    kaid wrote: »
    BeNarwhal wrote: »
    Remember like a decade ago when we weren't even sure if there was water on mars?

    Surface ice on mars, courtesy of images from the ESA's Mars Express spacecraft:

    9BRmxt4h.jpg

    Nearly a mile thick patch of surface water ice on mars.

    How cool would it be to get a core sample of that?

    32F or cooler!
    Honk wrote: »
    Zibblsnrt wrote: »
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    They wish they had 1-2kb/s - the transfer rate's about 500b/s on a good day.

    It's currently not a good day - the probe's right behind the sun right now, and has been for a few days. The downloads are supposed to resume as soon as a gigantic screaming radio source isn't parked right in the line of sight, which should be later this week.

    (Still better than the Voyagers' 150 baud, though...)

    God dammit, you’d figure nasa would afford fiber.

    A fleet of repeater sattelites spread around the solar system would be nice though.

  • HandkorHandkor Registered User regular
    Aim wrote: »
    spool32 wrote: »
    kaid wrote: »
    BeNarwhal wrote: »
    Remember like a decade ago when we weren't even sure if there was water on mars?

    Surface ice on mars, courtesy of images from the ESA's Mars Express spacecraft:

    9BRmxt4h.jpg

    Nearly a mile thick patch of surface water ice on mars.

    How cool would it be to get a core sample of that?

    32F or cooler!
    Honk wrote: »
    Zibblsnrt wrote: »
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    They wish they had 1-2kb/s - the transfer rate's about 500b/s on a good day.

    It's currently not a good day - the probe's right behind the sun right now, and has been for a few days. The downloads are supposed to resume as soon as a gigantic screaming radio source isn't parked right in the line of sight, which should be later this week.

    (Still better than the Voyagers' 150 baud, though...)

    God dammit, you’d figure nasa would afford fiber.

    A fleet of repeater sattelites spread around the solar system would be nice though.

    Patience that is actually in the plans. I don't remember the name but they did develop a http/tcp protocol for communication between planets with an array of satellites.

  • Mild ConfusionMild Confusion Smash All Things Registered User regular
    Handkor wrote: »
    Aim wrote: »
    spool32 wrote: »
    kaid wrote: »
    BeNarwhal wrote: »
    Remember like a decade ago when we weren't even sure if there was water on mars?

    Surface ice on mars, courtesy of images from the ESA's Mars Express spacecraft:

    9BRmxt4h.jpg

    Nearly a mile thick patch of surface water ice on mars.

    How cool would it be to get a core sample of that?

    32F or cooler!
    Honk wrote: »
    Zibblsnrt wrote: »
    Honk wrote: »
    I was wondering when there’ll be nice high resolution pictures from the fly-by of Ultima Thule and saw that the transfer speed is apparently 1-2 kb/s and it’ll take like 10 months or something for the whole data package.

    Hopefully they’ll start with a photo to make me satisfied.

    They wish they had 1-2kb/s - the transfer rate's about 500b/s on a good day.

    It's currently not a good day - the probe's right behind the sun right now, and has been for a few days. The downloads are supposed to resume as soon as a gigantic screaming radio source isn't parked right in the line of sight, which should be later this week.

    (Still better than the Voyagers' 150 baud, though...)

    God dammit, you’d figure nasa would afford fiber.

    A fleet of repeater sattelites spread around the solar system would be nice though.

    Patience that is actually in the plans. I don't remember the name but they did develop a http/tcp protocol for communication between planets with an array of satellites.

    Mass effect relays?

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  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    A few months ago, a few US publications seemed to speculate about the shuttering of Baikonur Comsodrome, with the operation of the civilian facility at Vostochnny Cosmodrome, and the closing of one of the launch facilities. That might still happen, and one of the launch sites--the famous "Gagarin's Start"--will go unused with the planned replacement of Soyuz-FG by Soyuz-2 (which can be launched from Vostochnny, Plesetsky, and the former French Guiana). However, Baikonur is still planning 19 launches in 2019 (more than double the slow year of 2018, with only 9), with the first Soyuz mission in March.

    In September, with Soyuz MS-14, the manned version of Soyuz 2.1 will be launched in preparation for the first passenger missions in this variant.

  • ZibblsnrtZibblsnrt Registered User regular
    Now that it's no longer blighted by the sun, apparently the New Horizons team have Done Something with the spacecraft, resulting in the downlink to Earth from it operating at 1.58kb/s instead of less than a third of that. So data coming in again and doing so much more 'quickly.'

    Soooo not arguing with that result!

    (DSN Now is fun.)

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VshdafZvwrg&feature=push-lsb&attr_tag=puc2Z7e9ZAt-CUd3%3A6

    SpaceX has just gone live with the stream for their next Iridium launch - 10 satellites planned on this one.

  • SealSeal Registered User regular
    Final Iridium launch, it's a pretty big milestone.

    Hey neat there's a ladder on the erector just above the black interstage so you can get a pretty good sense of scale for the thing.

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    4m+ until launch window; launch window today is instantaneous, so it's either an on-time launch or not at all.

    Planned 1st-stage recovery on the Just Read the Instructions.

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    And they stuck the landing! Woot.

  • davidsdurionsdavidsdurions Your Trusty Meatshield Panhandle NebraskaRegistered User regular
    It’s cool seeing the adjustments made the moment the landing pad acquires the signal.

  • Jubal77Jubal77 Registered User regular


    Some random tweet that had the best pic I could find that wasnt press branded heh.

    Dark side of the moon panorama!

  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
  • LanzLanz ...Za?Registered User regular
    oooooi, @BeNarwhal, how on topic is talking about Orbital Habitats for this thread?

    waNkm4k.jpg?1
  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    Narwhal was banned yesterday so I don't think you are going to get a response.

    Personally, I think it would be fine to talk about it.

    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • davidsdurionsdavidsdurions Your Trusty Meatshield Panhandle NebraskaRegistered User regular
    More Chang’e 4. This time footage of touchdown.

This discussion has been closed.