Author Topic: Deep Space and Interplanetary Exploration - The Universe is Timeless (Read 179019 times)

Wrangler · « **Reply #900 on:** 15 December 2017, 22:40:39 »

Speaking of Spaceflight, SpaceX launched it's 13th resupply mission. Spaceflightnow.com has a awesome video of the vehicle launching and it's booster landing. What i found unique about it, this first one i've seen which they strictly kept most of the video on the exterior of the launch on the ground. I hadn't seen the first stage do a landing from the view. if you go to 7:30 on the video and go to the 8 minute mark, you will get close up the vehicle making it's landing.

Bedwyr · « **Reply #901 on:** 16 December 2017, 06:22:00 »

And it’s also their first reusing both the capsule and the booster. I look forward to the first time they reuse a booster for the third time. That will truly mean we have reached common reuse. And then the second stage after that...

The camera setups were really something. Besides the external shot of landing they executed a continuous tracking shot all the way to MECO, separation and boostback burn. I can recall seeing that only once before because the launch profile had a high inclination giving the camera a great cross track view.

Wrangler · « **Reply #902 on:** 20 December 2017, 07:53:25 »

The prototype Falcon Heavy is nearly assembled now. Musk posted this tweet other day of the first stages.

She looking impressive, i hope she flies right and doesn't have any snafus he's expecting it to have. He moving the rocket so it's launch and potential anomaly will not wreck the rebuilt Launch Pad.

The above view of the folded landing legs, sort of reminds me how a bat looks when it has it's wings tucked in.

Wrangler · « **Reply #903 on:** 23 December 2017, 07:52:37 »

Nasa has down selected two potential candidates to be funded for a future robot mission in space.

One is a return problem named Caesar, the other is a probe to Titan which i think is more interesting of the two.

Named the Dragonfly, this would be a nuclear-powered (i say this loosely) drone copter. Atmosphere pressures appears to be right for a flying-type drone to be able to operate. Using heaters to keep the probe warm enough to operate, the drone would be flying to location to location and much further in less time than Mars Opportunity rover has traveled in last 12 years being on Mars.

cray · « **Reply #904 on:** 23 December 2017, 10:03:37 »

Bruce McCandless, first astronaut to EVA untethered, has passed away.

His famous free flight is one my favored wallpapers.

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #905 on:** 23 December 2017, 14:14:40 »

Quote from: cray on 23 December 2017, 10:03:37

Bruce McCandless, first astronaut to EVA untethered, has passed away.

His famous free flight is one my favored wallpapers.

We have every reason to stay home and avoid the most hostile environment to human life.

But we go.

Because it's there.

worktroll · « **Reply #906 on:** 23 December 2017, 14:53:19 »

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

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #907 on:** 23 December 2017, 20:41:46 »

Meanwhile, that mad maniac actually did it.

https://www.space.com/g00/39195-elon-musk-tesla-roadster-falcon-heaavy-photo.html?i10c.encReferrer=&i10c.ua=1

Next month, they check ignition and may God's love be with it.

Wrangler · « **Reply #908 on:** 23 December 2017, 23:42:08 »

Final close up?

Lazarus Jaguar · « **Reply #909 on:** 24 December 2017, 00:33:23 »

Quote from: worktroll on 23 December 2017, 14:53:19

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

Are you sure that was Leonov? I always heard it attributed to Arthur C Clarke

worktroll · « **Reply #910 on:** 24 December 2017, 01:45:44 »

Turns out Leonov was quoting Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. So I reckon Clarke was quoting Leonov.

Lazarus Jaguar · « **Reply #911 on:** 24 December 2017, 02:08:28 »

Unless he was quoting Taiolkovsky

Weirdo · « **Reply #912 on:** 06 February 2018, 11:56:01 »

Anybody else planning to watch the Falcon Heavy launch today?

We really need more players in the Mars game. At this rate the Conqueror of Mars statue in the main square of Ares Prime is gonna have Musk's face on it, and we really should have someone who can properly rock a fur loincloth.

Bedwyr · « **Reply #913 on:** 06 February 2018, 13:16:47 »

New launch time 3:15 ET. Delay for upper atmospheric winds plus a push for clock issues. Launch windows closes at 4:00.

Nope. Not interested at all.

Bedwyr · « **Reply #914 on:** 06 February 2018, 15:43:53 »

Internal power at T -1:30, self align.

Bedwyr · « **Reply #915 on:** 06 February 2018, 15:59:57 »

They launched. The Roadster is in a parking orbit waiting for heliocentric orbit insertion. It appears two rockets landed with the third a loss.

My interim hot take: fast landings on three engines is still hard. I'm sure they'll get lots of data though.

Weirdo · « **Reply #916 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:07:37 »

Third one went boom? Given what we're talking about, two out of three is damned good.

marauder648 · « **Reply #917 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:17:01 »

Apparently the core module landed!

Stream of the whole thing here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws9C_UFvBGc

Bedwyr · « **Reply #918 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:23:58 »

Quote from: marauder648 on 06 February 2018, 16:17:01

Apparently the core module landed!

Stream of the whole thing here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws9C_UFvBGc

Sure? I was listening to the mission control audio (alternative without the talking heads) and I heard "we lost the center core". And no video or pictures to back up a drone ship landing. I would not be surprised as I don't think they've figured out how to deal with a 3 engine landing burn.

marauder648 · « **Reply #919 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:33:37 »

The chat was saying the core was down, but that could just be trolls and hopeful people picking up on it. I'm sure we'll find out one way or another. It probably went boom, came down too hard perhaps, but still, 2 our of 3 ain't bad. And if we can get it working, thats doubling our orbital lift capability. And then there's Skylon and our first SSTO that we could get working. And James Webb...space is getting a bit closer :)

And even if we did loose the centre core.

We still watched history being made this evening, we was part of it :)

Weirdo · « **Reply #920 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:35:26 »

Kinda surprised they don't have eyes on the drone ship.

Wrangler · « **Reply #921 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:38:49 »

Quote from: Weirdo on 06 February 2018, 16:35:26

Kinda surprised they don't have eyes on the drone ship.

They do, the drone's ships feed was cut.

marauder648 · « **Reply #922 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:40:55 »

Aye which implies the centre core came down too fast and hit and probably destroyed or badly damaged the drone ship.

Weirdo · « **Reply #923 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:43:01 »

I was referring to helicopters or others watching the ship. Maybe it was too far out to sea for that?

marauder648 · « **Reply #924 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:45:09 »

120k off the coast, probably in a no fly zone too. I'd not want to be on a helecopter whilst there's a rocket (or parts thereof) coming down in the area i'm in.

Weirdo · « **Reply #925 on:** 06 February 2018, 16:49:57 »

And if there's any subs nearby, they're certainly not streaming...

Wrangler · « **Reply #926 on:** 06 February 2018, 17:14:52 »

Looks like the Falcon heavy no longer going to be considered to be used as a manned flight ship.
The Falcon Big Rocket apparently in development has speed up where they think 2019 they may be able get one off the ground as the main manned launch vehicle.

I'm little disappointed that their not going to do manned flights with the new rocket, but i guess plans change. I was hoping they would have gotten that planned orbit lunar flight going. I get the feeling Musk doesn't have as much trust in the heavy as he does with newer rocket, which is going to be reportedly to be using a engine, the Raptor. We'll see.

Bedwyr · « **Reply #927 on:** 06 February 2018, 17:20:22 »

The FH has an increasingly narrow market. Many people noted that the Roadster payload could have been launched in its proposed trajectory using the latest version of the Falcon 9. There's still very high altitude missions it can fly, but F9 will do a lot of what FH was supposed to do a number of years back.

For today though...

Starman floats above space in his car:

Cache · « **Reply #928 on:** 06 February 2018, 18:09:52 »

Quote from: Weirdo on 06 February 2018, 16:07:37

Third one went boom? Given what we're talking about, two out of three is damned good.

Amazing regardless of the center's outcome. The two boosters were so well synchronized, I initially thought they duplicated the feed from one in the live-stream. It wasn't until they were near ground and the thrusters became offset by a fraction of a second that I realized my error in perception.

Quote from: Weirdo on 06 February 2018, 16:35:26

Kinda surprised they don't have eyes on the drone ship.

They did. They cut the feeds. There was a heavily zoomed, external feed of the center core doing braking thrust (I assume). They went to the drone ship feed, then cut them all.

Bedwyr · « **Reply #929 on:** 06 February 2018, 18:12:52 »

Quote from: Cache on 06 February 2018, 18:09:52

Amazing regardless of the center's outcome. The two boosters were so well synchronized, I initially thought they duplicated the feed from one in the live-stream. It wasn't until they were near ground and the thrusters became offset by a fraction of a second that I realized my error in perception.

Er, they did. I just re-watched it and both the left and right feed showed the opposite booster flame just off the top edge of the video. I think they just messed up on which feed went through. Still a phenomenal accomplishment.