Space and Science BS Thread

They do have cameras filming the bird constantly, I'd say so they could see if they had a bird strike.

 

Given that SpaceX has the sole contract (currently) for the HLS, it is a little odd that they have been so mum on plans and where they are in development. Obviously, they had to submit plans to NASA to win the contract and could be under some sort of legal precedent to keep X from releasing info on HLS. However, being that HLS is based on Starship, I imagine that Musk and X are waiting to prove that Starship and Booster work and can get to and from orbit safely before focusing on HLS. SpaceX already has the process of constructing Starship down to a lightning fast schedule (comparatively) and I imagine that an HLS Starship is basically changing bulkheads and adding stuff to support humans.

 

#wensuborb

 

We kind of already got that with SN15. I don't think we get another water tower launch until it rides on top of Booster 7.

 

By suborb I meant the Boca Chica to Hawaiian coast juggernaut for Starship with the Booster landing in a controlled manner in the Gulf of Mexico I guess it’s now being called the orbital test so:
#wenorb

 

I guess I haven't looked at the test flight profile, but I assumed that B7 is sending S24 to orbit to deploy test Starlink V2 sats. Then both B7 and S24 do a RTLS. Because, otherwise, why are they putting so much work into the Chopsticks and the catch mechanisms?

 

https://gizmodo.com/spacex-super-heavy-booster-starship-first-launch-1849179366

Here's this article from last month that details the change to the FCC application.

 

I think “the catch”( with apologies to Dwight Clark, RIP) is an unlikely best case scenario that they are working on because they can. I think it’s much more likely that they would first see how well any changes to F9 descent software does controlling B7 and whether they can both accurately target a given spot and hover once they get there. As exciting as it would be it makes zero sense to put so much infrastructure at risk knowing full well B7 will end up being scrapped. Yes they need to recover the engines at some point for examination but not at this point. It would be cheaper and less risky in the long run to go ahead and put a 5-6 segment catch only mechazilla on an oil rig than to risk blowing either Starbase or pad 39A to kingdom come. If sea based launch/recoveries are indeed a long term prospect then this makes even more sense but my gut tells me they will just drop the first few in the water after acquiring control data and then go for a catch at Starbase IF those control tests go extremely well. I want to see see them forge ahead despite setbacks but demonstrate a responsible mindset in doing so. I.E. blow stuff up but not everyone or everything then fix it and try again. This is where the role of the FAA comes in being the agency tasked with oversight. They must be intimately involved in the process but not in bed with Spacex, that’s the institutional failure that enabled the 737max debaucle. Allow and encourage development without unnecessarily placing workers or the public at risk. To do that they need to know exactly what Starship’s current capabilities are and where the known flaws lie. That requires a pretty extraordinary level of integrity and judgement.

 

To catch both Starship and a booster from the same launch would require starship to achieve orbit however briefly to give time for the booster to be caught and trundled away. I don’t think there’s sufficient room to catch starship with a booster sitting on the launch mount.

 

Photo op, what else? This is A Really Big Deal. NASA simply cannot move ahead without good press and public support.

 

Because dim lights cast shadows and waiting for morning hours is for peons who would have to explain $10,000,000 in lights to management.

 

Maybe Musk has matured past the point of F9s, though he did hover a couple of the first F9s over the ocean before attempting RTLS. Maybe their control software has been perfected with F9 and they already know they can land a rocket regardless of size. I don't think we'll know until it happens.

However, the plan, even if it's not this first launch, is to catch Booster with the chopsticks and set it on the OLM with plenty of time to catch Starship on the same chopsticks and stack Ship on top of Booster so they are ready to go again. The Musk-goal is 45 minutes between launches.

 

A bad ass AND soon to br the first Native American woman in space
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicole-aunapu-mann-nasa-astronaut-first-native-american-woman-in-space/

 

F9 landings are mature but I can’t say the same for Starship let alone Super Heavy so I just don’t see it happening the way it will eventually right from the get go. Especially since both of those have to be even more accurately controlled than F9 to avoid mishap. Edit- plus there’s already hardware and software available to allow Starship to land on its own which HLS will need to utilize anyway albeit under a different gravity. It can’t hurt to practice those landings even if they plan to catch other iterations while they gain the expertise and data they’ll need for catches.

 

Starship landings might not be mature, but they have happened, and they were able to repeat the maneuver. I'm just saying, don't be surprised if they go for catching one or both on this launch.

 

Please forgive me if I am anyway even though I’d like nothing more. I’m just thinking that it’s not just the progress but the appearance of responsibility that is on display to the FAA. One more safe, accurate landing for starship since they’ve only had a few and an accurate guidance of SH when they’ve never even launched isn’t too much to ask. With a good outcome with both I could see it on the second launch with Starship and possibly even SH if they nail the software changes on the first try but I’m just trying to be realistic rather than either overly optimistic or pessimistic. Given how fast they can crank these prototypes out vs the risk to the infrastructure of Starbase and good will of the FAA it just seems a bad idea to be overly aggressive. Fly it and fry it, yes. But don’t step on your dick out of arrogance and lose years instead of months due to an unfortunate but totally predictable mishap and the grueling investigation that would inevitably follow. Make no mistake, there are certainly some out there that would like nothing better than for Elon and Spacex to screw up by the numbers and get both NASA and the politician’s that vote on their funding thinking about contractors with more conservative approaches. They would be among those demanding a halt and that investigation.

 

WATCH LIVE: STARLINK MISSION

SpaceX is targeting Friday, August 19 for a Falcon 9 launch of 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 3:21 p.m. ET (19:21 UTC), and a backup opportunity is available on Saturday, August 20 at 2:59 p.m. ET (18:59 UTC).

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, and three Starlink missions. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will return to Earth and land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

You can watch the live launch webcast starting about 5 minutes before liftoff.

 

Neat pic:
https://twitter.com/nasahistory/status/1560582350437859329?s=21&t=FPO1hfP4gXC3fw0Q_fn_RQ

 

If you’re planning on going:
https://twitter.com/spacecoasttpo/status/1560293554458861568?s=21&t=FPO1hfP4gXC3fw0Q_fn_RQ

 

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1560674548059672576?s=21&t=FPO1hfP4gXC3fw0Q_fn_RQ