Space and Science BS Thread

wow….
https://x.com/arstechnica/status/1790477053961134555?s=46
https://x.com/commercial_crew/status/1790426772783210637?s=46

 

Not a huge deal to me, helium is inert and usually just used to purge their hypergol system and maintain cleanliness. Helium is notoriously difficult to work with as the second smallest molecule. Any pipe joint we had that would see helium we would seal with space tape, make a slit at the top, and that's where we would sniff.

 

Starliner on the pad and we've got a 1" hail advisory basically all day. Nasty weather blowing through.

Also, Dreamchaser folks have a hypergol valve that they have discovered they can't reach to turn during fueling ops. They did a full mockup using cardboard(lol) trying to simulate an operation but they couldn't get anyone to get to it. Sounds like a design change is imminent. Delays?

 

Does this happen often with new craft? One could argue an iterative process would’ve revealed this years ago.

Unrelated:
https://x.com/mason_lab/status/1790483090810327099?s=46

 

It does happen more than you would think.

 

I did ask NSF Actual and the other commentator (Ryan) about it during the S29 stack live stream. Ryan and Chris B both seemed to think that it would be cool, but Chris B didn't know if the southmost chopstick actuating hydraulic cylinder had been upgraded as we have only seen the one replaced recently. Ryan reminded him that it was changed earlier this year, so the possibility is there. But they both agreed that SpaceX probably won't do anything like that.

 

The perspective:
https://x.com/nasahistory/status/1790420808864583761?s=46

 

Happens a lot. Usually on the first revision. The difference between a 3d model on a computer and real life conflict a lot. It's the reason SpaceX hasn't designed a crew starship yet. There could be another 10,000 revisions before it is launched, any one of which could interfere with things and then you waste time redesigning things to fit.

 

Wow, a manual valve.

 

A deep dive into Issacman’s offer to service Hubble via Dragon. A few interesting tidbits- Gillis will be doing a spacewalk along with him during Polaris 1 and it seems NASA will be announcing something this week on the Hubble offer..
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/16/1250250249/spacex-repair-hubble-space-telescope-nasa-foia

 

I read somewhere in this thread this won’t have any windows…. What a waste.
https://x.com/nasa_gateway/status/1791108621100552411?s=46

 

https://x.com/airandspace/status/1791125205034598550?s=46
https://x.com/astro_cady/status/1791099872239559144?s=46

 

https://x.com/starshipgazer/status/1791095978898169968?s=46

 

Literally on the linked post - https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Gateway_Lunar_View

 

So it will have some via the refueling module…. thanks. I must’ve missed it in the first place.

Maybe too they were talking about the core Gateway? I don’t know. Good to have windows in the sardine can it’s gonna be.

 

https://x.com/alexphysics13/status/1791223951642841254?s=46

 

Steady progress..


Welcome to the Rocket Report. This is Edition 6.44 of the newsletter, authored for you this week by Stephen Clark. Kathy Lueders, general manager of SpaceX's Starbase launch facility, says the company expects to receive an FAA launch license for the next Starship test flight shortly after Memorial Day. It looks like this rocket could fly in late May or early June, about two-and-a-half months after the previous Starship test flight. This is an improvement over the previous intervals of seven months and four months between Starship flights.

 

WOW

 

Have to keep the lie going, can't let people down and realize the 60s were all a Hollywood scam and we didn't beat those Commies to the moon after all.