The Official Space Flight Thread - The Space Station and Beyond

Cosimo · 29 Oct 2012 at 09:10

Dragon splashed down yesterday at 19:22 GMT about 250 miles off the coast of Baja California.

(updated with splashdown)

Cosimo · 29 Oct 2012 at 15:42

Dragon recoverd:

The Dragon capsule will be taken by boat to a port near Los Angeles, where it will be prepared for a return journey to SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas, for processing. Returning with the Dragon capsule was 1,673 pounds of cargo, including 866 pounds of scientific research. Not since the space shuttle have NASA and its international partners been able to return considerable amounts of research and samples for analysis.

Image Credit: SpaceX

Glaucus · 29 Oct 2012 at 15:53

Another successful mission then.

When are they going to be allowed to dock itself?
And when is astronauts first flights in it?

Cosimo · 29 Oct 2012 at 16:42

Glaucus said:
Another successful mission then.

When are they going to be allowed to dock itself?
And when is astronauts first flights in it?

I don't know when self docking will occur and you can go looking for that yourself.

The first crew flight is planned for 2015.

Cosimo · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:29

Progress M-17M heads for the station:

Launched at 07:41 GMT this morning from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It should dock at 13:40 GMT. Docking will be live on NASA TV.

Cosimo · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:27

If you are heading to Los Angeles then you can now see space shuttle Endeavour at the California Space Center:

http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/Exhibits/AirAndSpace/endeavour/endeavour.php

Tibbz2 · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:59

Narj said:
Watching this stuff makes me wish I was smarter... those guys must love getting out of bed for work in the mornings!

It's the exact career I am aiming for, but I'm probably too thick for it.

Cosimo · 2 Nov 2012 at 08:26

Cosimo · 2 Nov 2012 at 12:02

Cosimo · 2 Nov 2012 at 13:05

Just been published:

Cosimo · 2 Nov 2012 at 15:47

High-Resolution Self-Portrait by Curiosity Rover Arm Camera

On Sol 84 (Oct. 31, 2012), NASA's Curiosity rover used the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to capture this set of 55 high-resolution images, which were stitched together to create this full-color self-portrait.

The mosaic shows the rover at "Rocknest," the spot in Gale Crater where the mission's first scoop sampling took place. Four scoop scars can be seen in the regolith in front of the rover.

The base of Gale Crater's 3-mile-high (5-kilometer) sedimentary mountain, Mount Sharp, rises on the right side of the frame. Mountains in the background to the left are the northern wall of Gale Crater. The Martian landscape appears inverted within the round, reflective ChemCam instrument at the top of the rover's mast.

Self-portraits like this one document the state of the rover and allow mission engineers to track changes over time, such as dust accumulation and wheel wear. Due to its location on the end of the robotic arm, only MAHLI (among the rover's 17 cameras) is able to image some parts of the craft, including the port-side wheels.

This high-resolution mosaic is a more detailed version of the low-resolution version created with thumbnail images, at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16238.html .

Cosimo · 3 Nov 2012 at 13:21

Cosimo · 5 Nov 2012 at 09:29

So you want to see the space station. A new service will alert you when it will be coming your way:

http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/

Cosimo · 6 Nov 2012 at 07:58

Glaucus · 7 Nov 2012 at 22:29

God I hope this is true.

:http://www.space.com/18380-nasa-moon-missions-obama-election.html

NASA is serious about sending astronauts back to the moon's neighborhood and will likely unveil its ambitious plans soon now that President Barack Obama has been re-elected, experts say.

The space agency has apparently been thinking about setting up a manned outpost beyond the moon's far side, both to establish a human presence in deep space and to build momentum toward a planned visit to an asteroid in 2025.

The new plans have probably already been cleared with the Obama Administration but have been kept under wraps in case Republican candidate Mitt Romney won Tuesday night's (Nov. 6) presidential election, said space policy expert John Logsdon, a professor emeritus at George Washington University.

Cosimo · 9 Nov 2012 at 17:41

Ariane 5 is due for launch at 21:05 GMT with the EUTELSAT 21B and Star One C3 satellites. It will be live here:

http://www.arianespace.tv/

Cosimo · 10 Nov 2012 at 07:51

Cosimo · 10 Nov 2012 at 08:40

Cosimo · 10 Nov 2012 at 16:28

simulatorman said:
Ariane 5 is due for launch at 21:05 GMT with the EUTELSAT 21B and Star One C3 satellites. It will be live here:

http://www.arianespace.tv/

High-altitude winds caused yesterday’s postponement. Next attempt at the same time tonight.

Cosimo · 11 Nov 2012 at 13:03

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

The Official Space Flight Thread - The Space Station and Beyond