Space and Science BS Thread

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1592786895267778560?s=46&t=e4z7YwTLCk5ezM0KeNVvi
The full, uncropped pic:

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1592786898707415041?s=46&t=e4z7YwTLCk5ezM0KeNVviQ

I didn’t roll this into the launch photo mega post from a few days ago because John was erroneously blocked from Twitter.

 

The cislunar space moving forward:
https://twitter.com/whostp/status/1593597644772982784?s=46&t=eedZEqJrr3c8FaQlOuoIPA

 

https://twitter.com/nasa_orion/status/1593709273212592128?s=46&t=eedZEqJrr3c8FaQlOuoIPA

 

@Hunterdc1 so much for the cloak and dagger
https://twitter.com/spacedotcom/status/1593729643755974656?s=46&t=eedZEqJrr3c8FaQlOuoIPA

 

https://twitter.com/spcplcyonline/status/1593736877663821824?s=46&t=eedZEqJrr3c8FaQlOuoIPA

 

How is Spacex going to bring down astronauts not part of NASA missions? Orion will bring NASA crews back but how will they bring the two sightseer crews back down as well as any other Spacex missions? Rondezvous with a crew dragon in orbit?

 

That’d be my guess, launch starship ahead of time and tank it, then launch the crews on dragon, dock to starship, crew transfer, undock dragon and leave it in LEO, reverse it for the return trip. I’d especially guess that based on them deciding to build another crew dragon.

 

I think rapid turn around will be more a thing for the boosters since crewed Starships and even cargo versions to a lesser extent will need more than just refueling and each booster should ideally be able to get several Ships aloft per day. If that’s the case then landing legs might be more likely on crewed ships while cargo only ships might be caught as well as boosters unless “the catch” is deemed as safe.
In the near term using crew dragons for ferry service works but adding a falcon launch for no other reason than to park one in orbit doesn’t seem to fit the paradigm.

 

Starship will be human rated therefore no need to use Dragon to get them up and down.

The two sight seeing missions are like Apollo 8 - no landing.

 

https://twitter.com/marcushouse/status/1593818184960061441?s=46&t=FtDHfDWSclDFWoE4MqPAMQ

 

https://twitter.com/nasa_orion/status/1593830064474710016?s=46&t=FtDHfDWSclDFWoE4MqPAMQ

 

https://twitter.com/ilove_aviation/status/1593911282637459456?s=46&t=FtDHfDWSclDFWoE4MqPAMQ

 

https://twitter.com/harry__stranger/status/1593945092472983557?s=46&t=FtDHfDWSclDFWoE4MqPAMQ

 

https://twitter.com/nasa_orion/status/1593977249870778370?s=46&t=FtDHfDWSclDFWoE4MqPAMQ

It’s amazing how much it’s slowed down. Keep an eye out for when it starts to pick up speed again.

 

Human rated but will they be catching crewed starships? And while the sightseeing missions don’t land on the moon they still have to come back and land or be caught here. Just wondering which way that will go. Catching seems more of an unknown quantity at this point and both HLS versions will have to include landing gear anyway. NASA will crew rate them but not for launches as there’s no abort system for Starship launches. Some unconnected dots floating around. Musk can’t afford to let NASA set the pace and wait on at best yearly Artemis missions for opportunities to test crew hardware and technology or more decades will slip by.

 

Another nice video from Marcus House. Includes a brief explanation that cleared up some confusion I had regarding the Orion tracking simulator.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww_tuVeGmYU

 

EM is on the record saying there’d be many launches and catches before Starship has a crew.

 

Nice graphic here on the planned lunar orbit:
https://twitter.com/esaspaceflight/status/1593998125739433984?s=46&t=i8DjOQnm5m08HPgkAQMjyQ

 

https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1594017937932812290?s=46&t=Om_EAlYVJiJepk5IG5UBDg