Space Launches, Landings & Destinations v4

[Spockydog]

 

[SpaceChampion]

 

[SpaceChampion]

 

[SpaceChampion]

[SpaceChampion]

Worth registering to read this great article at Aviation Week

 

[SpaceChampion]

Interesting, and a welcome end to the sniping.  Probably due to the fact that OneWeb can't use the Russian launchers any more, and will launch a bunch of its flock on Falcon 9.  Whether that was a pre-condition of SpaceX agreeing to launch them, or just naturally emerged from the open dialogue between their people, either way is fine!

[SpaceChampion]

Space received a "No significant impact" finding from the FAA., but a list of 75 mitigations it wants SpaceX to take care of.  Some are "preparing a historical context report of the events of the Mexican War and the Civil War that took place in the area".   Others are about laying bridges/pipes for animal crossings. 

Interesting bit about the refinement of natural gas on site, the impacts of which the FAA was looking at:  "The natural gas pretreatment system and liquefier are no longer needed due to advances in the design and capabilities of SpaceX’s Raptor engines. Previously, additional refinement of methane to purer levels than commercially available was anticipated to be needed. However, as a result of engine advances, SpaceX can rely on commercially available methane without refinement. Accordingly, SpaceX is no longer proposing a natural gas pretreatment system and liquefier".

Many of the 75 mitigations were things SpaceX was already doing or were going to do.

 

[polishgenius]

Classy

[SpaceChampion]

 

[SpaceChampion]

 

[Ran]

You know, I'm noticing a trend of a lot less actual discussion being posted in favor of just reposting content from elsewhere.

For future reference, I think it's cool if people want to share news from Twitter and what not, but if it's nothing something you have any thoughts about that you'd like to share on the forum, IMO, leave that stuff on Twitter.

[SpaceChampion]

I've been a bit asleep on what Rocket Lab is doing, but in a few days they're planning on launching a 12U cubesat to the Moon in support of the Artemis program.  The CAPSTONE mission will verify the orbit that the future the Lunar Gateway will be placed in, as well as test a lunar positioning system called CAPS, positioning relative to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter rather than ground stations.

Gateway will be in a NRHO path for its long terms stability and low propellant requirements, and CAPSTONE will be the first verification of that unusual orbit that so far is only understood from simulations.  (This kind of orbit looks like one petal of a daisy, with the majority of the flight nearly straight on both sides.)

Capstone will be launching on Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia.

[SpaceChampion]

Rocket Lab successfully launches CAPSTONE for the Artemis Program.

 

[Rhom]

NASA calls rocket crash of unknown origin on the moon “highly unusual”

Okay, maybe I missed something… but I really feel like this should be bigger news.

[Ran]

4 minutes ago, Rhom said:

NASA calls rocket crash of unknown origin on the moon “highly unusual”

Okay, maybe I missed something… but I really feel like this should be bigger news.

It's probably from a Chinese lunar mission that went up in 2014. It third stage was expected to crash into the Moon this March, though for some reason the Chinese denied that and said it had already burned up on re-entry to Earth (but apparently they regularly make this claim -- occasionally a random booster rocket will land in/near some village in China and they always pretend it's not theirs).

[Zorral]

Don't know if this is the right topic for this but it does have everything to do with going into space:

 

[Jace, Extat]

2 hours ago, Zorral said:

Don't know if this is the right topic for this but it does have everything to do with going into space:

 

Fetish for extraterrestrial residency is proof positive that the person in question has never read a sci-fi novel. 

Star Trek and Warhammer 40,000K stories don't count.

And watching Matt Damon make potatoes in his own shit doesn't count as reading either.

[Rhom]

18 minutes ago, Babblebauble said:

And watching Matt Damon make potatoes in his own shit doesn't count as reading either.

Some of it was other people’s shit.

[horangi]

4 hours ago, Zorral said:

Don't know if this is the right topic for this but it does have everything to do with going into space:

 

To be fair though, I dont think many folks are advocating long term residency in a Zero-G environment (or an unshielded radiation environment).  Both are solvable with current day technology so long as lift capacity is cheaper than today.

[Corvinus85]

On 7/1/2022 at 7:51 PM, Babblebauble said:

And watching Matt Damon make potatoes in his own shit doesn't count as reading either.

What if we read the book that inspired Damon to make potatoes in his own shit?