** The Official Space Flight Thread - The Space Station and Beyond **

Colonel_Klinck said:
A big part of the problem in the US is every congressman and senator wants their cut. So the budget is spread around the country. One part made here, another there. It doesn't make for efficiency but when they are get a cut for their district they approve the funds. SpaceX and Blue Origin don't have that problem.
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As I recall, this was the reason why the Shuttle SRB's were made in sections rather than as a single tube. IE The direct cause of the Challenger failure.

For some reason, I am reminded of this rather old article...

https://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/rocketaday.html
 
Just watched SpaceX successfully land the stage 1 and 2 booster rockets from the Falcon Heavy Rocket, very, very impressive.
 

265,000 galaxies looking back in time through 13.3 billion years to just 500 million years after the big bang

Yet this is just a miniscule image of the actual universes 200 billion to 2 trillion galaxies
 
Andrew_McP said:
Everyone watching this thread is far, far, far too rational to fill this in... https://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/mars2020/

I'd never do anything so vain and pointless. I mean, that'd be ridiculous! What kind of a wannabe geek do you think I am?
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I've actually done a couple of things like that in the past, obviously not Mars - well not me doing it so much but games or organisations I've been part of have done it.
 
Just been outside and watched the starlink train pass overhead - Surprised there's not more people posting about it as it's something that will very much get your attention if you see it. Should be another pass at about 01:45
 

Interesting documentary on the early space race and Apollo missions

What I find fascinating is despite only being 60 years ago, we've lost the tech/ability to rebuild those lovely Saturn rockets, puts into perspective how we could lose the knowledge for building things like the Pyramids thousands of years old
 
Minusorange said:
What I find fascinating is despite only being 60 years ago, we've lost the tech/ability to rebuild those lovely Saturn rockets, puts into perspective how we could lose the knowledge for building things like the Pyramids thousands of years old
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I know they were planning to rebuild an F1 and test fire it and learn as much as they could for the SLS.

Only found this, from a few years ago though.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nasa-engine-test-parts-saturn-v-rocket-moon_n_2534361
 
Minusorange said:
What I find fascinating is despite only being 60 years ago, we've lost the tech/ability to rebuild those lovely Saturn rockets, puts into perspective how we could lose the knowledge for building things like the Pyramids thousands of years old
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But we haven't lost the "tech/ability" to rebuild them, it's just the cost involved in doing so these days is ridiculously high. We could quite easily build a Saturn V or the Pyramids these days given a bottomless pit of money.
 
Quick reminder, SpaceX are to launch STP-2 in a hour or two.


The most exciting thing about this launch is the secondary payloads it will be deploying, mainly the solar sail, LightSail 2. LightSail 2 will demonstrate controlled solar sailing in Earth orbit. By controlling the orientation of the sail relative to the Sun, the flight team will attempt to raise the orbit apogee and increase orbital energy following sail deployment. The flight team will evaluate the evolution of LightSail 2's orbit after the spacecraft is deployed from a partner spacecraft, Prox-1, at an altitude of 720 kilometers.
 
Ceryndrion said:
Awesome sight watching the falcon heavy launch.. and the side boosters coming in to land in near total darkness...
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Don't forget the center core rud. While not successful, it didn't make for any of a less impressive sight as it took a last second detour. :p
 
Anyone listening to the fantastic 13 Minutes to the Moon from the BBC World service? Its been an excellent series so far and it's filled in many gaps of my Apollo knowledge.
 
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