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

[Glaucus]

another static fire video, this time from spacex
https://vine.co/v/i9bHDtOgmFi

I know USLaunchReport is a charity, but god with so many videos you would have thought they would be better at it, I also hate there many click bait videos filmed from 50miles away which don't show anything but last 10minutes.

 

[Cosimo]

Scott Kelly on the year long ISS mission:

 

[Combat squirrel]

BEAM module being inflated now (inflatable room on ISS), watch here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-media-channel

 

[Combat squirrel]

Happy for countries to spend their money on what they feel gives the best overall return for their people. And don't misunderstand me because I also think spending on space should be ten times what it is, that money does not go into space but creates jobs and technology on the ground first.

My point is solely related to why we are providing aid to a country that is now sufficiently developed to afford it's own space program. Surely that 'donation' would be better served in many other poor countries; is not a space program one of the ultimate 'luxury purchases' by a developed nation? Would we provide 'aid' to the USA, France, Russia or China; of course not.

What about their 51 Billion on the military then ? That would solve their poverty issue, 12 million wouldnt.

 

[Glaucus]

Air is flowing in, should take about 45mins to fully expand.

 

[Glaucus]

Jeff just looks board and sat/floating wedging himself between the walls.

 

[Cosimo]

Livestream links for tonight's SpaceX, THAICOM 8 launch:

Launch window opens at 22:40 BST.

More:

http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/spacex_thaicom_8_press_kit.pdf

 

[Cosimo]

Russia Today has revealed that the Russian space rocket corporation Energia announced that it's working on a space taxi from the ISS to the moon. The craft, provisionally named Ryvok, would be permanently docked on the ISS or its replacement and be used for transporting crew/cargo to the lunar surface:

https://www.rt.com/news/344407-iss-moon-shuttle-project/

 

[Glaucus]

Believe it when I see it.
Russo have said so much in recent years with similar projects and so far delivered nothing.

Same with all of NASAs mars plans, that have zero funding.
Hopefully by 2020 when iss retirement is on the horizon everyone will come together and support an international moon base.
But at the moment, just a lot if hot air with no funds. Apart from a few companies in private sector, who will struggle to do stuff on their own.

 

[Cosimo]

SpaceX, THAICOM 8 launch scrubbed:

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk · 7h7 hours ago

@SpaceX There was a tiny glitch in the motion of an upper stage engine actuator. Probably not a flight risk, but still worth investigating

Subject to inspection next attempt today from 22:40 BST.

 

[Cosimo]

REMINDER: A Beautiful Planet 3D IMAX opens today:

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/plan_your_visit/imax/beautiful-planet

http://www.odeon.co.uk/films/a_beautiful_planet/16714/

 

[Cosimo]

BEAM module being inflated now (inflatable room on ISS), watch here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-media-channel

Updates on why it didn't expand fully here:

http://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

 

[Cosimo]

Back from seeing A Beautiful Planet 3D (IMAX) at the Science Museum. Only 45 minutes long, great footage inside the ISS and breathtaking footage of the earth. This is one not to miss!

 

[Glaucus]

Back from pub just in time, 2mins to go,

 

[Glaucus]

Omg they showed first stage re entry burn, awesome.

 

[Azza]

That was sweeeeeet!

 

[Glaucus]

And another landing

 

[Glaucus]

That was sweeeeeet!

That it was, screen grabs from scott manleys twitter.

 

[Cosimo]

Happy landing...

 

[Cosimo]

Superb launch pic:

THAICOM 8 Launch by SpaceX, on Flickr