Space and Science BS Thread

I saw that too. Think they’ll be flying it to Orbital Reef or hitching rides on Crew Dragon for that as well?

 

Hopefully they can identify something in common with the failures and correct it or at least improve the results. It might take some actual flight results in addition though.

 

Starliner is a dog and should never carry humans. From the article:

However, at an Oct. 27 meeting of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, members raised doubts about the readiness of the vehicle for both CFT and later operational missions.

“While it is fortunate that the U.S. has one operating ISS crew launch provider, we need to continue to express our serious concern with the impact of the ongoing delays of the CST-100 program on the commercial crew program,” said Mark Sirangelo, a member of the panel. That impact, he said, includes the lack of redundancy the program intended by selecting two companies.

He noted that the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) 2 uncrewed test flight of Starliner in May “produced a number of in-flight anomalies” that need to be resolved before CFT, as well as additional testing of the latest version of its flight software.

Sirangelo added that NASA’s commercial crew program was following additional longer-term issues with Starliner, including the transition to the first operational or post-certification missions, transition from the Atlas 5 vehicle that United Launch Alliance is retiring and availability of spare hardware, “which may further delay the second source provider coming online.”

I feel for Butch, Suni and all the other astronauts assigned to the program.


From the ARS Rocket Report:
NASA also confirmed that the Fall 2023 crew rotation flight to the International Space Station would take place on board a Crew Dragon. This Crew-7 date very likely pushes the Starliner-1 crew mission, Boeing's first long-duration operational ISS mission, into 2024. Regarding the crew flight test, sources said the April target for Starliner's flight test is possible but far from certain. The vehicle's launch could slip into summer of next year. (submitted by Ken the Bin)

 

Another little nugget from the ARS RR (re: SLS)
One of the big questions about the rocket concerns the lifetime of its massive solid rocket boosters, which have now been stacked for nearly two years. NASA's Cliff Lanham, who oversees ground systems, said NASA's initial analysis found that the rocket boosters provided by Northrop Grumman had a lifetime of one year. However, a subsequent analysis of their health cleared one through December 9, 2022, the other through December 14. NASA could probably extend their life further with additional analysis, Free adds. But this will be a source of concern if the Artemis I mission has to be delayed again.

 

They basically HAVE to launch it this month regardless. Otherwise, you will get too many people in elected positions asking why it's still being funded.

 

I was thinking what happens to an expired SRB? Does it just fizzle like a bad bottle rocket

 

If they are lucky...

 

It's probably seal degradation that they are worried about. Think along the lines of Challenger.

 

Raptor2 = 200
BE4=2
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1588569951228801024?s=46&t=hkINETkB74mdMdc2hurXwQ

https://twitter.com/trevormahlmann/status/1588571779114885120?s=46&t=hkINETkB74mdMdc2hurXwQ

 

In about a half an hour:
https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1588518906423291905?s=46&t=hkINETkB74mdMdc2hurXwQ

 

Catch Me If You Can? Well, they can’t…

 

It would be bad if the chemicals and binders aged and became unstable the way nitro glycerin does. Is it just the boosters or are there components in the core and upper stages that don’t age well? I know the insulation already cracked and cryo propellant seals don’t withstand multiple attachments well.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQBVOQ79G2s

Pretty cool 4K video. I may have to rewatch at home on my big screen!

 

Apparently the plan is to destack S24 for the 33 engine SF so I guess they have enough confidence in the OLM hold down clamps.

 

Quietest roll out yet. Seems like even NASA is losing interest…
https://twitter.com/astro_jessica/status/1588706107874488320?s=46&t=A7egbfd98z2vI46stK5WBA

 

Do you have a source?

Constellation?

 

I can assure you all Nasa is not losing interest in SLS, I was in meetings this week between X and ahem, others where Nasa said lets be clear, everyone will stand down and push service requests to the right, non negotiable. It is SLS, wfo, full steam ahead.

 

Had to look it up . Seems like we can plug in a wide spectrum of meanings


I know what you’re saying. I was just commenting on the lack of media coverage and general fanfare.

Thanks for the update

 

At ~ 7:30
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv_52DB8Qf8
I thought I also saw it in print from a NASA update but couldn’t relocate it.
Constellation was the original name of the program. The mobile launch tower was originally designed for a smaller vehicle. Modifying it to accommodate the larger SLS has apparently been an ongoing source of problems and it’s still not tall enough to handle the later Artemis missions.