Space and Science BS Thread

I'm guessing they're gonna go for it anyway, getting real "Launch or die" vibes from all the decisions made thus far. And that's understandable - with Starship nipping at its heels (in the public eye, if not quite in reality yet), if they can't get a successful mission with people off the ground before Starship starts putting payloads into orbit, I can't imagine SLS will be around much longer.
https://arstechnica.com/science/202...t-endured-hours-of-hurricane-like-wind-gusts/

 

I can’t imagine them lighting it off knowing it had problems. They need a successful launch not a low altitude fuel air bomb. They can’t get the data they need from Orion without it. Yes, it’s snafu but it also points out that the roll out roll back window includes a significant amount of time connecting/disconnecting the mlt to/from the ground facilities. Roll back protects the rocket & tower where Mechazilla and OLM are left exposed. The rocket garden also seems to place things around it at risk as well. It’s quaint but not a really good idea imho and storm surge could be a real bitch to a concave coastline.
Another thing I wonder is if the OLM will get any outer shielding(around the donut) once testing is complete for when the blast starts wrapping around the outside from above just after liftoff. It’s going to be a much wider exhaust plume than anything ever before and the OLM is small in both relative and absolute terms. It’s going to get a very hot bath.

 

I haven’t kept up that closely but isn’t the SLS first stage the same diameter of the Shuttle External Tank? If so, with the SMEs attached to the bottom of the SLS first stage and not attached to another vehicle hanging off it and pointing a certain number of degrees outward, wouldn’t the plume be about the same even with the addition of 1 SME? (The SRBs are the same diameter and their impact would only change if the SLS and Shuttle External Tank are different diameters)

 

The KSC OLMs will get cladding on the legs, we are already seeing it on the OLM at Starbase. The Stage 0 towers will also be clad to prevent weather and exhaust intrusion.

The OLM at both Starbase and KSC are MUCH higher than the highest reported hurricane storm surges and the GSE equipment is all built to withstand hurricanes as well.

 

You’re right, I should have made the point differently by comparing the ml platforms for both shuttle and Artemis which are much wider than the OLM instead and are oriented with the SRB’s away from critical connections. What I’m picturing in my mind is the OLM being completely enveloped by the exhaust plume in the seconds after the nozzles clear the top of the OLM. The ml platform is much wider and while both shuttle and SH QDs turtle up to endure the blast, it’s the rest of the hydraulics, plumbing, and electrical connections that run around the outside of the ring that are far more exposed than any similar infrastructure on the ml platform. Basically the ml platform is way bigger than the OLM and it’s connections and plumbing are farther away and avoid even the SRB’s exhaust. The OLM footprint is tiny by comparison but will endure twice the thrust exhaust and all of its bits are within the blast area. They’ve been protected from the inside but not completely from the outside and it can’t help but be inundated once the nozzles clear and the exhaust starts to spill over(the ml pad is also much higher above the tunnel floor than the OLM is high). It’s not what runs up the legs that concerns me as much as what runs around it at the level just above and below the walkway. I get an impression of a car being tinkered with before a race without the hood in place. It wouldn’t surprise me to see that walkway get fully encased from the top shielding to a meter or two below the walkway once static fire testing is done and any repairs or adjustments to the OLM are completed.

 

Good to hear and if it holds true it’s another point in their favor but I still wouldn’t want to be downwind of the rocket garden and while the OLM is above any likely surge depth nothing else is, including the tank farm, Star factory, or any of the assembly bays and possibly not the test facility down the road. I only hedged because we already know the benefits and drawbacks of the ml but don’t have the depth of experience to know more than what might be the case for Starbase. Another Ian that coincides a high tide with a storm surge can throw old records to the winds. It may be the case that Starship would fair better riding out such an event on the OLM rather than in the mega bay. Possibly with splash shielding below the engines.

Addendum:https://www.weather.gov/crp/Beulah#...mpacts that affected southern parts of Texas.
According to the above storm surge could have been as high as 15-20’. Probably high enough to get things pretty wet. I don’t know how accurate surge depth recording was in ‘67 but I’m inclined to think that “highest reported” isn’t quite as much as highest possible. It had weakened somewhat crossing the Yucatán.

 

From the Rocket Report:
So what happens now? ... Nominally, the space agency is still targeting a launch attempt at 1:04 am EST (06:04 UTC) on Wednesday, November 16. Theoretically that remains possible, but in reality it seems unlikely. However, late on Thursday afternoon NASA human exploration systems development chief Jim Free said via tweetthat, based on video inspections, the rocket had sustained only " very minor damage" from Nicole. The rocket could handle the winds it experienced, he said, adding that he expected Artemis I to be cleared for launch "shortly" despite no structural integrity analysis being done yet.

 

Sunday’s the day!!

https://twitter.com/nasa_johnson/status/1590796443295617024?s=46&t=DC0j4DobuKruEgII_OOIVQ

 

I think @Farcedude hit the nail on the head

 

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1590809108214489088?s=46&t=DC0j4DobuKruEgII_OOIVQ

Will Megan follow soon thereafter?

 

What do you think? Accurate?

 

Not accurate at all, tbh.

 

Well, maybe as far as the first two but Twitter is a toy, Tesla is an accomplishment, while Mars is a vastly more challenging lifetime undertaking. The analogy isn’t totally off though, just not completely on. It’s obvious that Spacex isn’t enough to keep him entertained either though. I’d float that baby with water wings instead.

 

Add the FTC in a floaty chair holding a MaiTai.

 

Boo. Couldn’t happen the way it was drawn up. That was obvious to many but if they said so they got the axe. He was just exercising prudence.

 

Where’s the downvote button

 

https://twitter.com/tgmetsfan98/status/1591432372368674816?s=46&t=6KYrZ7YtD4LnmI4ApWeyIA

Bye B1051, after 13 flights, we were just getting to know you..

 

The scale really is amazing ..
https://twitter.com/jennyhphoto/status/1591788223176622081?s=46&t=5yNy561oDApIbe0k7Ltssw

 

@PzTank did you see that X-37B came back yesterday morning?