Space and Science BS Thread

Re: shuttle - dragging a whole cargo bay and airframe just to move some people up/down was a little wasteful and led to some poor design decisions as a result. Looked cool, though. But people died multiple times because of the design choices.

Dragon / Starliner as as reusable as the shuttle - refurb and it gets to go back into space. I mean I'm a sucker for wings and runways like everyone else so I'm hoping Dream Chaser joins the list, too. But Starship will literally do the shuttle's specs+ (besides the one orbit crossrange thing). And at a fraction of the cost per launch.

 

Here’s an interesting read for you. https://practical.engineering/blog/2021/10/5/why-spacex-cares-about-concrete
My point was that even with only a few Raptors firing there’s damage so the effect will be magnified possibly exponentially with 33 and the OLM doesn’t have a flame trench to funnel debris away, it just flies every which way. And Spacex can’t afford to spend time fixing it between launches.

Spacex may need to build a false floor pad of something that doesn’t suffer from microfracturing as concrete does, maybe heavy welded plate steel over an I-beam frame let in to the surface so they can still move the repair platform into place.

 

Eh it's a test site that is rated for 5 launches a year. Minimum viable product. When the specs are in flux and you're testing in production, that's the sort of spec you want on a launchpad. Cheap, works well enough, and iterate.

As for the HLS, using secondary, side-mount thrusters for initial launch/landing is still on the table.

 

We didn’t have this technology back then and the shuttle put a good chunk of the ISS into orbit. Yes it had issues, some were foreseen and some weren’t but it wasn’t designed in a vacuum, only for one. Many of the same players were working the system using the same playbook we’re still trying to get away from. It’s pretty obvious that it doesn’t have to cost as much as NASA ends up paying but budgets and contracts are as much political as they are fiscal. Make no mistake though, people will die up there and probably down here as well. Hindsight will undoubtedly show apparently obvious mistakes but shit will still happen even when everyone tries their best and we all know how fallible we all can be. The shuttle crews and every other astronaut should be lauded for their bravery because of that. There is nothing about this that is “safe”.
I’m with you on Dreamchaser, mainly because I’m a fanboy of diversity rather than a “one size fits all” approach. If it can launch on a Centaur so much the better. Starship may end up being cheap but burning that much methane has other consequences besides just dollars/gallon. Other options that get the job done with less fuel used should be preserved.

 

If it’s a test site then that’s where they’ll figure this out. Even if the final solution isn’t used there. The risk of debris flying back up into the engines, the OLM, and all over the cryogenic pumps and piping will remain until they do.

 

Some good news
https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-hires-icon-3d-print-moon-base

 

Orion’s coming home:
https://twitter.com/csa_asc/status/1598304178279174144?s=46&t=wPU2fy-0RMJ9AdK1DTZuuA

https://twitter.com/nasa_orion/status/1598318269940768769?s=46&t=wPU2fy-0RMJ9AdK1DTZuuA

 

That's why they went with Fondag after they realized the Martite wasn't working.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZrmp6TB30w

NSF did have Nic go out and get a close up view of the concrete. Not much damage seen from that view and I didn't see much debris flying about on Tuesday.

 

A bit more info on the return:
https://twitter.com/dr_thomasz/status/1598454127817904148?s=46&t=roujqOesLfSh0Auj-PEMwA

 

Nice to see, but it sure is expensive for just a quick loop around the moon.

 

FTFY

 

FIFY

My crew will be doing the deservicing(defueling) at the end of January of Orion I. I'll let you know how she looks. Orion II should be delivered for valve validation in April.

I won't let those who say it can't be done get in the way of those doing the doing.

 

The money’s already been spent by order of Congress protecting their constituents in old space.

Good to see and read how well it’s been going.

The more we do it, the better off we’re gonna be.

 

https://twitter.com/nasa_orion/status/1598626839743926272?s=46&t=XpUFHR1g61pl8hOQa_4b7Q

 

Pic ‘O the ‘Morn:
https://twitter.com/explorespaceksc/status/1598669380799324162?s=46&t=XpUFHR1g61pl8hOQa_4b7Q

Nice to know those SSMEs won’t be sinking to the bottom of the Atlantic after this mission.

 

Here once stood the most powerful rocket ever launched.

 

That is amazing and unfair and I am

 

They ought to take one out of storage and put it there for display.
Just a thought

 

https://twitter.com/nasa_orion/status/1598687228233924610?s=46&t=XpUFHR1g61pl8hOQa_4b7Q

 

Bruh. Methane's an issue but you don't have a problem with solid rocket boosters with PBAN-APCP? Never mind the fuel quantity per launch is only about 300T of methane, or roughly 15m ft3. By contrast, the average house uses about 70k ft3, so about 200 houses worth of energy use per launch. 15m ft3 of methane is roughly equivalent the emissions of 3 plane flights.