Space and Science BS Thread

Correct Apollo 7 launched October 11, 1968 from LC-34. Today's launch marked the first crewed mission from the Cape(Air/Space Force) side since then.

I'm extremely proud to say I was on station this morning at 0315 supporting their astronauts with equipment from my shop.

I've made some lifelong friends in support of their program. I'm sure it feels good to get the monkey off their back.

 

It must suck being painted with the same brush throughout the company but you have to credit them for sticking it out. Let’s hope the majority of issues are behind them. We really do need competition that’s actually competitive to bring out everyone’s best and have broad capabilities.

 

The last service mission attached the soft capture mechanism, which is basically an unpowered NDS port.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Docking_System

Doing more than reboosting, however, is going to be 'interesting'. Even reboosting, since Dragon doesn't have axial thrusters towards the aft. So something like 'replacing gyros' will need to involve a custom structure folding out of the trunk, if they mean to have a steady platform for astronauts to work from.


...

Congrats Boeing for actually and finally lighting the candle ... 7 years late.

 

https://x.com/cnunezimages/status/1798474883275579893?s=46

 

The perspective!
https://x.com/contactlight69/status/1798481734079783199?s=46

 

https://x.com/contactlight69/status/1798482056458199531?s=46

 

Those who know, know:
https://x.com/astro_cady/status/1798373134531498377?s=46

I really appreciate your willingness to share what you can here.

 

Yikes…
https://x.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1798641448256147672?s=46
https://x.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1798641612630716890?s=46

 

Booster soft landing in the gulf - confirmed!

Ship looks like it’s 90 degrees from heatshield facing Earth when they lost the signal.. Next stop, the Indian Ocean

 

That test was wild. Holy shit.

 

https://x.com/spacex/status/1798715759193096245?s=46
https://x.com/gwynne_shotwell/status/1798720396721864717?s=46
https://x.com/spacex/status/1798700284191166849?s=46
https://x.com/spacex/status/1798701489097183286?s=46
https://x.com/spacex/status/1798710087869153446?s=46
https://x.com/spacex/status/1798712506933985408?s=46

 

It was amazing to watch the live video of re-entry. Seeing the flap burning through and yet still activating at the end was very cool.

 

I am SO glad it went so well! THE LITTLE FLAP THAT COULD!!

 

Not little by any measure but remarkable would be an understatement that it even held on through reentry let alone was still functional. All the telemetry from both is priceless. I wonder if they could use secondary lenses that could be discarded after reentry to reenable the video

 

https://x.com/spacedotcom/status/1798756494135136665?s=46
https://x.com/spcplcyonline/status/1798757671648268744?s=46

 

I’m sure they practiced this maneuver more than anything else. Was it automated? I’d think a good pilot would be more adept at dealing with adverse behavior than a programmed sequence that is uncooperative.

 

https://x.com/nasa/status/1798771377245393221?s=46
https://x.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1798766208554291454?s=46
https://x.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1798771188254298580?s=46

 

The ship did handle the docking on autopilot.

 

Might be a good time to watch Marooned if you’ve never seen it. What happens when you can’t execute a deorbit burn.

 

Out here on the Big Island doing some training. Over my right shoulder is the Mauna Kea Observatory. Sucks to be so close, but not be able to check it out.