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

Minusorange said:
The Oort cloud is classed as Interstellar space though
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Yes, but it’s still part of the solar system.

Edit: Most comets are believed to originate in the Oort Cloud, but they’re not considered interstellar visitors as they are within the Sun’s gravitational grasp. It’s thought that it’s the like of close passing stars that occasionally kick them in towards the centre of the solar system.
 
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Boeing Starliner test launch has gone about as well as anything has gone for Boeing of late - launch was initially fine, but things turned to worms after that. So rendezvous with the ISS is a no-go.

Boeing said:
Dec. 20, 2019, 8:20 a.m.

After launching successfully at 6:36 a.m. EST Friday on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the Boeing Starliner space vehicle experienced an off-nominal insertion.

The spacecraft currently is in a safe and stable configuration. Flight controllers have completed a successful initial burn and are assessing next steps.

Boeing and NASA are working together to review options for the test and mission opportunities available while the Starliner remains in orbit.
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***edit***

Yep, the onboard clock had an error. The spacecraft thought it was at a different point in the mission and started running through its automated flight sequences (using up fuel while doing so of course). Unfortunately for NASA it was out of range of ground control at the time they could have corrected everything :( NASA chap on the press conference making the point that if the vehicle had been crewed then the crew would have been fine, could have figured out the error quickly and almost certainly would have gotten the orbital insertion burn off on-time to continue the mission. So that's something.

Spacecraft is now in a position where they can get some orbital tests done and land it back at White Sands in a couple of days.
 
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Space X Crew Dragon in flight abort test today at around 1pm GMT. Should be spectacular as the Falcon 9 first and second stage is going to go boom
1f4a5.png
when the Dragon capsule blasts away from it just after MaxQ and the aerodynamic forces rip the rocket to pieces.


 
Colonel_Klinck said:
Space X Crew Dragon in flight abort test today at around 1pm GMT. Should be spectacular as the Falcon 9 first and second stage is going to go boom
1f4a5.png
when the Dragon capsule blasts away from it just after MaxQ and the aerodynamic forces rip the rocket to pieces.


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Looks like it's moved to same time tomorrow.
 
I’m not sure if the first stage broke up or if they initiated a self destruct. I expected it to break up pretty much immediately Dragon powered off due to the massive aerodynamic forces at that speed but it didn’t. Hopefully Elon will tweet exactly what happened.
 
Allnamestaken said:
I think the point was to test when an issue is detected that an automatic launch abort could be successfully completed.

Not sure.
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Yeah the point was for Dragon computers to detect a problem with the Falcon 9 and immediately fire the SuperDraco engines and power off, deploy chutes at the appropriate time and safely splash down. So it appears it was a perfect test. I’m just curious if the Falcon 9 broke up or they initiated a self destruct when it didn’t break up.
 
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