Deep Space and Interplanetary Exploration - The Universe is Timeless

[kato]

Should i mention that Hayabusa-2 also carries a rifle? That's how it loosens material when touching down for sucking it up - by firing a sabotted 10mm round made of tantalum at the asteroid at the speed of sound (... in atmosphere).

Uh, and there's technically a 1 MW pulse laser onboard.

Once it's all done they still get to bombard Australia. Without lithobraking, hopefully.

[Weirdo]

So first we sent a giant nuclear laserbot to conquer Mars, and then armed drone ships are attacking the asteroids?

*sniff*
I'm...so happy...

Once it's all done they still get to bombard Australia.

[Wrangler]

This must be first gun to be used in space.

[Weirdo]

That would surprise me immensely.

[kato]

First gun used in space was the 23mm Shchit-1 gun on the Almaz space station Salyut 3 aka OPS-2. It was remote-fired at a target satellite sometime in 1974.

The rifle on Hayabusa-2 is an identical copy of the one on Hayabusa-1 used on asteroid Itokawa btw.

[worktroll]

Once it's all done they still get to bombard Australia.

You only get one shot.



Don't miss. For your sake.

[Kit deSummersville]

Aim to the east.

[Wrangler]

Nothing earth breaking, just SpaceX's C111 capsule departing the ISS.  This sped up.

Beautiful photography of the Earth, as the ship is moved by the ISS's Robot Arm and let off to head home.

[Wrangler]

More development with the BFR program SpaceX is pushing along.   Essentially one the two original tourist who paid for a ticket, is kick off a significant among of funding to the project, and will be paying for some artist to go with him when he goes. Like eight other people who he wants to do creative projects about their trip around the moon.

The significances of this, is his back apparently will have real impact to getting the BFG to get off the ground.

Also the announcements included updates and changes to the duel reusable rocket design.  Functional fins forward and aft, etc.  I think it's important because if NASA's SLS project flounders, this maybe nice supplemental program try keep momentum going for space exploration with humans.  I do say flounders, because there always some kind of dynamics in government maintaining their focus on funding and changing their minds while in middle of it.





I'm not sure if I like the "TinTin" style spacecraft design. With basically the Landing legs built into the fins.  The one of the fins in back is going be fully functional vs stactic non-moving armature.  Call me spooked from space shuttle landing for Columbia, but if that fin get's breeched or the front winglets on nose go, they may have some significant problems controlling the rocket going down in high winds.

[Bedwyr]

The fins are pretty massive. My worry is that large area heat-shielding is going to be hard no matter what for any surface. Did they comment on their proposed method whether going back to tile (ugh) or something more novel?

This reminds me of some of the late proposals by Von Braun for Martian settlement (back before we knew the scope of radiation issues), including mounting a lifting body on top of the rocket stack.

[kato]

Hayabusa 2 deployed Minerva II-1, i.e. its first two daughtercraft, six days ago on Ryugu.

These pictures were taken two days later and published today:

Minerva II-1-B photographing the surface while standing on it


Minerva II-1-B taking pictures while hopping across the surface for the first time (5 minutes between each picture)


Minerva II-1-A also photographed its own shadow on the surface


(Image credit all images: JAXA)

[Easy]

cleanup

[ANS Kamas P81]

Here's a wild thought.  All those rocks you see are very likely entirely separate pieces and only loosely clinging to the kilometer-wide asteroid in 0.11mm/s² gravity.  Just a loose pile of rocks barely resting against each other on the surface; sneeze and you could send them flying.

[kato]

Third one down: MASCOT landed on Ryugu three hours ago.

MASCOT runs on batteries and will only work today - until about 9 pm UTC.

[Wrangler]

Hopefully these hop/roll bots will yield useful information for the scientists.  Its interesting idea getting them move around on the surface.
Hard to say if the surface is all dust or it's more solid.  From all the rocks it could be, but microgravity giving amateur's hunch could be stable for something like the like these little bots are.

[Wrangler]

Scientist have confirm of existence a very far flung moon/dwarf planet around our Solar System.The discovery has suggested the "the Goblin" (nickname for this moon/dwarf planet) could be sign of the larger "Planet 9" does exist.  It was reported that the Goblin take 40,000 years to orbit the Sun.  It's interesting development,  I do wonder if their getting their hopes bit high for planet 9 being linked to this planetoid.

I was saying moon/dwarf planet, because it's been noted as being either moon or dwarf planet. I do hope they retain the name the Goblin as name.  ;D

[ANS Kamas P81]

On the topic of moons, the first detection of an exomoon!

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/astronomers-find-first-evidence-of-possible-moon-outside-our-solar-system

[worktroll]

First possible detection. It could be a Berserker fleet in one of the Lagrange points, after all ;)

But still very cool.

[Wrangler]

Looks like work on a Lunar Lander has begun.  Along with competitors trying make commercial unmanned vehicle.

The reusable lander sounds great, but i think it's stretch to hope they can mine/refuel it from resources on the Moon.

I'm all for man spaceflight, i just don't see why were seeing moon a lot.  There isn't a lot up there for stuff we need on earth other than Tourist attraction, science on low-gravity, and Telescope locations.

As side note, its too bad there aren't any probes that has the fuel to be able could be connect with that moon they detected just outside the Solar system?  New Horizon using up most of it's fuel get to Ultima Thule. Which is coming up.

[Weirdo]

If we don't go, we will die. It's that simple.

[Sabelkatten]

I still think asteroid mining should get a higher priority. Sure it might turn out to be a bust, but if you can find accessible rare earth mineral ores and most of what's needed to refine them you've bypassed all the environmental problems on Earth. And sending a kilo of REM down is quite a bit easier than a ton of iron! :D

[worktroll]

If we don't go, we will die. It's that simple.

"Earth is the cradle of Mankind. But one does not live in the cradle forever."
- Alexei Leonov

And re asteroid mining - heck yes. Once you've worked all the kinks out. The Moon's a great place for kink-working; also close enough that help might be possible. Out around Ceres, if you didn't pack enough spares because you didn't realise the seals only lasted half the warranty period ...

[Wrangler]

I was talking about Mars. I was worried that NASA would get tied up with with Moon.

I was also talking about space probes though, being sent out to check out these new planets, i wish the New Horizon had enough fuel glide by. Maybe run to Planet X?

[Sabelkatten]

And re asteroid mining - heck yes. Once you've worked all the kinks out. The Moon's a great place for kink-working; also close enough that help might be possible. Out around Ceres, if you didn't pack enough spares because you didn't realise the seals only lasted half the warranty period ...

Well, the first thing we need is a serious asteroid survey... Once that is done we need to get some real space infrastructure set up - lifting all fuel from Earth is going to kill the profit margin hard!

I don't think the actual tech for asteroid mining will be that much of a challenge. It's pretty much the same as dirtside other than having no air around.

[Wrangler]

Are there enough asteroids to be able me profit?  From what's we've seen over the years it seems like that we don't have same quantity/density we've seen portrayed in scifi genres like Star Wars for instance. 

[Sabelkatten]

There's a lot of them, just very spread out. But distance in space is mostly a time question - a survey will be slow.

The question is how many asteroids are just rock, and how many are valuable?

[Bedwyr]

Wow, so that happened. Soyuz is going to be grounded for awhile. Thoughts:

- The ISS crew will now be there for awhile.
- The lifeboat will likely need to be crosschecked and not flown until it’s clear the capsule systems are fine (likely figured out sooner; this is most likely something wrong with the rocket/booster)
- The lifeboat also has a limited fuel lifespan. I think they may try to launch uncrewed give the ISS crew a refreshed escape ship.
- SpaceX can certainly try to speed things up, but not like anything in the timeframe of keeping the ISS crewed.
-Boeing is further behind SpaceX.

[Sharpnel]

I thought the ISS was too be decommissioned real soon.

[Weirdo]

Are there enough asteroids to be able me profit?  From what's we've seen over the years it seems like that we don't have same quantity/density we've seen portrayed in scifi genres like Star Wars for instance.

Not dense, but absolutely huge. This is Space, remember? There's plenty. And that's not counting other groups, like the Trojans, random wanderers, and small moons around the Giants.

As for how many we need to find? As I recall, based on our current consumption rates, a small-to-mid-sized nickel-iron asteroid would meet our planetary metal needs for a millennium. Or three. We find two or more such rocks, we can start building O'Neill Cylinders.

[kato]

I thought the ISS was too be decommissioned real soon.

2024. At least according to the Europeans and Russians. US side was the one pushing for a 2028 extension.

- The lifeboat also has a limited fuel lifespan.

MS-09 launched on June 8th and has a guaranteed lifespan to December 5th (180 days docked, though that's stretchable). MS-11 is planned to launch December 20th.