Space and Science BS Thread

Pretty amazing timeline considering that doesn’t even show the assembly area construction or that it’s all being duplicated at KSC.

 

I wonder if Dimorphos actually got split by the Dart. https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-asteroid-dart-twin-tails
I had hoped to see more liciacube images by now.

 

I thought Orion was supposed to be reusable? If so, why would they need three for three additional missions?
Anyone, Bueller?

 

https://youtu.be/fQEBu3rZmcw

These older videos about SpaceX and NASA are funny!

 

Building a Space Station:
https://twitter.com/nasahistory/status/1584250805661863936?s=46&t=cgf7gzD6j_jmaj1mzybvzA

 

https://twitter.com/jerrypikephoto/status/1584190275068776450?s=46&t=cgf7gzD6j_jmaj1mzybvzA

 

FH scheduled for Halloween…
https://twitter.com/bluemoondance74/status/1584264838758662145?s=46&t=cgf7gzD6j_jmaj1mzybvzA

 

So they can charge 3 times as much and take 4 times as long doubling the 3 x to 6 x. If NASA insists on this then they’d damn well better have fixed price contracts now that they have a supposed working prototype. I know Starliner is supposed to be reusable but after a hellacious reentry I’m not so sure about Orion. Seems silly to take reusable rocket engines and make them disposable as well. Are they trying to see how wasteful they can be?

 

In a way, by maximizing the wastefulness of the SLS program they(NASA) could possibly be demonstrating in a back hand way the overwhelming cost savings of changing the paradigm. Na, just more pork bellies lining the trough, the demonstrations have already proved all anyone could ask.

 

So I’m thinking the tanker versions will have to carry a deployable QD and some possibly internal pumps to connect and transfer fuel/oxidizer and unless the pumps can go in both directions the ships bringing additional fuel to refill the tanker will also need those. I wouldn’t expect the HLS version to be burdened with them, only ships that supply the cryogenic fluids. Would they deploy a solar parasol to shade the tanker from the sun and power the pumps? It’s pretty brutal out there and the pumps will need juice.

 

I’m wondering if there is more than one aether… or that difference aspects of it result in what we know of as B, c, g, etc. And when I say “know” I mean that in the way cro magnon “knew” fire. We know of them but little or nothing of how.

Zzzzzzz

 

That's the best day for it!

I was actually just watching about the tanker refueling of Starships. It seems that they have moved away from the "mating ritual" and pumps and moved to a stern to stern docking. Then, the tanker will briefly fire it's nose cone thrusters to push the liquid fuel into the waiting Starship.

 

Cone thrusters that propel the tanker forward?

Who’s video did you watch?

 

This made me think of Apollo 18, 19 & 20.

 

It was a Joe Scott video, referencing Musk's 2019 update. I found a short video that has the rendering.

https://youtu.be/Oee66sAXGtc

Obviously, it may have changed since. But, as far as I know, we haven't been told if the refueling process is different.

 

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1584313461999181825?s=46&t=_1AX8R1IztmgJY_vC4chtA

 

Before NSF, before Tim Dodd, before Trevor Mahlman, there was pioneer Ben Cooper.
He revamped his website:
https://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Photos.html

 

That’ll work if the pressure can equalize between the sets of tanks(all 4 are highly pressurized). I’m concerned with how much heating of the tanker will take place while it’s waiting to get topped up by several launches. Space is either very cold if you have shade or very hot if you don’t. Without shade or lots of power the only cooling method available is evaporative which wastes the supply. Both could be provided by a solar parasol. Also not sure locating a second QD in the skirt is such a great idea for vessels that have to land/launch on/from bare regolith. Protecting that starts getting more complicated very quickly and could significantly affect the thrust puck. I could see it used for filling the depot tanker with caught supply ships but I’d lean towards equipping it with the same grapple & QD used on the tower to fill transports that have to land on legs. That minimizes complexity on the most complex and least complex versions(save for the depot tanker itself) while using a familiar connection and zero extra hardware for the real deal.

 

I believe they're going spine to spine now.

 

I’m thinking there’s a whole lot of details that are being left out of the possible scenarios. It could just as easily be nose to tail to allow a clamp and QD in the payload bay of the depot tanker to access the QD port located just above the skirt of the transport. Port to port would still need an adapter since both ports are female fittings.