Space Launches, Landings, and Destinations - SpaceX Thread #3

[SpaceChampion]

GPS III launch

 

[SpaceChampion]

Word is Bridenstine will resign as NASA Administrator.  He was well liked, getting commercial crew companies like SpaceX to the finish line of resuming spaceflight from American soil back flying since the end of the Shuttle era (continuing what the Obama admin started).  First official non-demo flight should be in a few weeks.  He also pushed for commercial involvement in the Artemis program.

Drastic change for NASA under Dem administration is according to some journalists not likely.  The major thing is the Biden admin will of course restore funding for NASA and NOAA to study and monitor climate change.

 

[rotting sea cow]

On 11/9/2020 at 4:13 AM, SpaceChampion said:

Word is Bridenstine will resign as NASA Administrator.  He was well liked, getting commercial crew companies like SpaceX to the finish line of resuming spaceflight from American soil back flying since the end of the Shuttle era (continuing what the Obama admin started).  First official non-demo flight should be in a few weeks.  He also pushed for commercial involvement in the Artemis program.

Drastic change for NASA under Dem administration is according to some journalists not likely.  The major thing is the Biden admin will of course restore funding for NASA and NOAA to study and monitor climate change.

 

Yeah. These are bad news. Practically everybody says he has done an excellent job. It might well be a gesture so he can get confirmed by the new administration.

I've seen around several petitions to keep him in post. I don't live in US so I don't know which of them is the proper one.

[rotting sea cow]

Meanwhile, his Russian counterpart...

 

[SpaceChampion]

Bridenstine has said he wouldn't accept if asked to stay.

If I could pick it'd be Lori Garver for NASA admin.  She served as deputy during the Obama years, and a supporter of commercialization of space outside of the science goals.

[Free Northman Reborn]

On 11/11/2020 at 2:07 AM, SpaceChampion said:

Bridenstine has said he wouldn't accept if asked to stay.

If I could pick it'd be Lori Garver for NASA admin.  She served as deputy during the Obama years, and a supporter of commercialization of space outside of the science goals.

Bad choice.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/forget-new-manned-missions-in-space-nasa-should-focus-on-saving-earth/2019/07/18/79e55eb8-a995-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html%3FoutputType%3Damp

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2019/07/20/lori-garver-forget-new/

She would gut manned spaceflight programs.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Free Northman Reborn

[SpaceChampion]

 

[Corvinus85]

12 hours ago, SpaceChampion said:

 

Amidst all that has been happening in the US, I had no idea about this. Thanks!

[SpaceChampion]

Just about three hours to launch.  Crew is just about to board the rocket now.
 

Livestream:

 

[Fragile Bird]

Watched it live! It was cool! Being down there to watch a night launch would be neat.

[Corvinus85]

Watching the livestream of the docking, and I just noticed the Baby Yoda puppet on the Dragon. haha, funny. 

 

[SpaceChampion]

14 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

Watching the livestream of the docking, and I just noticed the Baby Yoda puppet on the Dragon. haha, funny.

I was wondering what they'd use as their microgravity detector.

[SpaceChampion]

This Saturday if without scrubbing will sets some new records for SpaceX.   Two launches of a Falcon 9 on the same day, one each at Cape Canaveral from pad 40 and Vandenberg from pad 4E.

Also, the record for total missions in a calendar year would be beat.  21 so far.

And one of those boosters will be making it's 7th flight, getting SpaceX closer to seeing how its 10-flight expected lifetime will live up to reality.

 

[Free Northman Reborn]

The SpaceX steamroller is just picking up speed. Once Starship is operational they will utterly dominate the space industry.

[ithanos]

Follow up to the incident a few months back, a shame.

On the other hand, if we could clear the site before the invading Aliens who received the original SETI message come looking for the source origin, we can claim ignorance and plead for a few centuries of autonomy.

 

[SpaceChampion]

 

[SpaceChampion]

15km hop attempt for Starship (SN8) prototype has a launch window on Monday, from 7am to 6pm.  Subsequent days are backups.  I'll probably post the video after it flies rather than the all-day livestream.

 

Update: 

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by SpaceChampion

[SpaceChampion]

 

[Corvinus85]

The Arecibo Observatory is no more. The telescope has collapsed onto the dish after more cables snapped.

 

[maarsen]

10 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

The Arecibo Observatory is no more. The telescope has collapsed onto the dish after more cables snapped.

 

Ignore the above. Pushed the wrong one and can't remove it