Deep Space and Interplanetary Exploration - Houston, we are go for launch!

[Daryk]

Recent indeed!  Thanks for the link, Worktroll!  :thumbsup:

[worktroll]

There are, of course, reliable historical records of transient lights on the moon, generally conceded to be significant meteor strikes. Alas, no reliable modern imagery IIRC.

[Daryk]

Odds are we'll see one eventually... just maybe not in our lifetimes...  :-\

[rebs]

Yes, that would be an event to remember--and an event I'd probably die before getting to see.

[ANS Kamas P81]

https://www.space.com/meteorite-hits-moon-during-2019-lunar-eclipse.html

Actually there was one that got imaged back in 2019 during a lunar eclipse.

[worktroll]

Excellent! Nice to have 45kg as a rough lower mass limit for recordable incidents.

[Daryk]

Very cool, but definitely smaller than I want to see...  ^-^

[Daryk]

This is interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAczd3mt3X0

I think Manley has it right when he says it would probably be more use on the moon, though...

[Wrangler]

Looks like SLS landings may have slipped yet another year, 2025.

SpaceNews reported this.

[Daryk]

It really makes me think the OIG didn't have quite this much influence in the '60s...

[rebs]

Are Iodine Electric thrusters the way of the future?  Some say after a recent increase in space junk in low-earth orbit, yes, they are.  Though this new propulsion system is fraught with its own issues, it produces more thrust than our current krypton/xenon ion thrusters. 

Read more about it here...

https://www.iflscience.com/space/iodine-thruster-demonstration-opens-way-for-more-powerful-maneuverable-spacecraft/

[Wrangler]

From what I've seen on Youtube, Mr. Scott Manley being one whom has a Physics and Astronomy degrees. He answered a question related to the use of Ion Thrusters.  In a nut shell, Ion operating in use in Mars atmosphere. Essentially, they're not powerful enough gain enough thrust (never mind hook a ride on the flight.)

On NASAspaceflight's youtube, they did a show. They did take a lot questions.  I can say where the question popped up.  In a nut shell, you'd need form of Nuclear Power funneled into the Ion engine of some kind to really get some kind horse power out of it for usable speed and time. To me it sounds like unless someone willing to put a reactor in space to power plasma or jacked up Ion Thruster, there not going be anyway get anywhere fast.

[Daryk]

Well, eventually produces more thrust... that slow start time is going to be an issue.

[Sabelkatten]

Well, at least they got to get a bonus mark for their name... "Thrust Me". :D

[Wrangler]

Double post. Not sure how that happened.   :-X

[Wrangler]

Interesting discovery.  NASA reported that the Hubble found the flames of a Nebula was preventing a star from forming planets or it disrupted the process.


I guess Star Trek II's little battle in side a nebula was very dubious.  ;D

[Wrangler]

Mars quakes have been reported.   This is from EOGS.org.
Essentially the  seismometer on Mars probe, Insight been detecting hundreds of Marsquakes.

The planet certainly not inactive, but it's suspected that Mar's core is solid vs Earth's liquid core could be reason why the magnetic production maybe lacking.

[Luciora]

I see it more as a question of scale.  The ships would probably be in a very bright area, but no clouds, filaments or any stellar matter, because then the shields would be screaming about being drained like crazy. 

Not sure how gravitic effects would be in areas where it would be dense enough to have stellar matter in quantities to effectively block visual and sensors.

The submarine fight approach is the best approximation of space warfare, in absence of the actual thing, though.

Interesting discovery.  NASA reported that the Hubble found the flames of a Nebula was preventing a star from forming planets or it disrupted the process.


I guess Star Trek II's little battle in side a nebula was very dubious.  ;D

[rebs]

I'm totally fascinated by Trans-Neptunian objects and Dwarf Planets.  This interesting article from Astronomy.com gives a rundown of the largest and most well known objects orbiting in the Kuiper Belt.

Nothing new or ground breaking, of course, but if we have anyone new to this thread, it's still a good read.  Heck, I didn't mind it as a review piece.

https://astronomy.com/news/2020/02/these-planets-are-just-as-strange-as-pluto?utm_source=asyfb&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=asyfb

[rebs]

Another one from Astronomy.com.  Today, it's an article about our solar system's neighbors in a 30 light year sphere centered on the Sun.  Complete with an AWESOME star chart.

https://astronomy.com/magazine/2019/10/meet--the-stars-next-door?utm_source=asyfb&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=asyfb

[rebs]

What the heck, one more from Astronomy.com.   NASA scientists have mapped the surface of a pulsar for the very first time.  This was possible due to the NICER instrument aboard the International Space Station. 

Details in the link below.

https://astronomy.com/news/2019/12/astronomers-map-a-neutron-stars-surface-for-the-first-time?utm_source=asyfb&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=asyfb

[Rainbow 6]

Another one from Astronomy.com.  Today, it's an article about our solar system's neighbors in a 30 light year sphere centered on the Sun.  Complete with an AWESOME star chart.

https://astronomy.com/magazine/2019/10/meet--the-stars-next-door?utm_source=asyfb&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=asyfb

Interesting read that, cheers for sharing Rebs.

[Daryk]

Very cool map!  When I zoomed in, I saw the radius is actually only 15 light years, so they meant a sphere with a diameter of 30 light years.
 Clearly, there are a LOT more stars than depicted on BT maps, but we knew that...

[kato]

Makes me ponder whether to actually finish up my "real life to BT map" conversion theories...

[Weirdo]

Very cool map!  When I zoomed in, I saw the radius is actually only 15 light years, so they meant a sphere with a diameter of 30 light years.
 Clearly, there are a LOT more stars than depicted on BT maps, but we knew that...

It's why piracy is everywhere in the Battletech universe, not just along borders or in the Periphery. All you need is a patch of rock you can plonk a habitat some on orbiting an otherwise empty star, and you've got a pirate base. And in lieu of a rock, you can use a station, or an old JumpShip or two, or an old DropShip or three...  :)

[Daryk]

EXACTLY!  ^-^

[rebs]

Indeed!  People almost always associate pirates with the Periphery, but it goes on everywhere.

And not just piracy.  Uninhabited star systems make for good routes to take for sneak attacks and deep penetration missions and raids.  (Looking at you, Hesperus!)

Oystein once clarified that for every habitable star system on our map there are hundreds and up to a thousand uninhabitable systems between.  Not sure if those numbers still hold, but that gives one an idea of how many stars jumpship captains have to work with.

[worktroll]

And in more "The universe is weirder than we can imagine" news, an 11xJupiter exoplanet detected close to b Beta Centauri, itself a binary, with the total mass of the two stars 6-10 Sols.

https://astronomy.com/news/2021/12/a-planet-with-the-biggest-host-stars-known

Remember, binaries, and hot stars, don't get planets, right?

I am so out of date on current planetary formation theories. 40 years out of that game will do that to you. I just wrap my mind around celestial billiards (eg. wandering Jupiter ...) Anyone got links to any moderately believable theories on super-hot super-jovians for an old man?  :wheelchair:

[Daryk]

I'm still hoping all this heretofore unseen mass might solve the dark matter problem...

[rebs]

I'm no scientist (obviously!), but since stars grow more common as you work your way down the H-R diagram, with red dwarfs being by far the most common, logic would say that roving Jovians - hot or cool - are probably an order of magnitude more common yet.