SPACE - random thread about space stuff

[jztemple2]

SpaceX targeting July 31 for launch of historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission

The first commercial spaceflight mission with a spacewalk now has a launch date.

Polaris Dawn, part of a private human spaceflight program funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, will launch no earlier than July 31, project representatives announced today (July 3) in a brief statement on X. Isaacman and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, whose company will provide Polaris Dawn's Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket, have not yet put statements out on social media.

The crew plans to conduct the first-ever private spacewalk with bespoke SpaceX spacesuits made for the effort, along with a raft of experiments. Polaris Dawn's orbit will take the mission about 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth, in the highest-altitude crewed flight since the Apollo moon missions of the 1960s and 1970s. For comparison, the International Space Station orbits at roughly 250 miles (400 km).

[Kraken]

I'll bet the ISS astronauts envy those sleek new spacesuits. They look a lot more comfy than their shuttle-era EVA suits.

[jztemple2]

I'll bet the ISS astronauts envy those sleek new spacesuits. They look a lot more comfy than their shuttle-era EVA suits.

I don't think those SpaceX suits are designed for much more than standing up in a hatch, exposed to the vacuum of space. There seem to be hoses that lead back into the craft. The ISS suits are designed for several hour long EVAs moving and working outside of the ISS.

[Kraken]

Makes sense. I don't see any umbilicals but I don't see a backpack, either. I read that the ISS suits are based on 1970s designs and some of them are 40 years old, so they are due for an update. Or would be if ISS weren't shutting down in 5-6 years.

[Max Peck]

Makes sense. I don't see any umbilicals but I don't see a backpack, either.

Apparently the EVA suit has an umbilical port located on the front of the right(?) thigh. It's hard to see in that image because it's partially obscured by the "Skywalker" hand rail, but you can make out the umbilical running down the side of the leg.

[Kraken]

Really cool collection of scientific and historical infographics, including many space-related.

[Isgrimnur]

NASA’s year-long Mars simulation volunteers return to the real world

NASA’s Mission 1 crew — all volunteers — have left their 1700-square-foot habitat at the Johnson Space Center. Since last June 25, they’ve conducted a fair few simulated Mars walks, grown vegetables and performed other tasks designed to support life and work in that environment. They also faced (a simulation of) the stressors actual space travelers to Mars could experience, like 22-minute communication delays with Earth.

[jztemple2]

Ariane 6 set for maiden launch from French Guiana

Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, is set for its maiden flight. Liftoff is expected to occur at the opening of a four-hour launch window on Tuesday, July 9, at 18:00 UTC [2pm EDT], with the window extending to 22:00 UTC [6pm EDT]. Ariane 6 will fly from the Ensemble de Lancement Ariane-4 (ELA-4) launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.

The payload for this mission includes several rideshare missions. These spacecraft are provided by different space agencies, commercial companies, and universities, including NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Link to live launch feed: https://www.youtube.com/live/B0oFpOJaIY ... QB3hLPDzKP

Conceived in the 2010s, Ariane 6 is expected to replace the retired Ariane 5 rocket. It is designed to halve the launch cost over time compared to Ariane 5, show the potential for more launches each year, and feature a re-ignitable upper stage that allows for more complex missions.

The configuration of Ariane 6 for its maiden flight will be the Ariane 62 (A62). This means that, in addition to its first stage, upper stage, and fairing, the rocket will feature two P120 solid rocket boosters, hence the “2” in “62.” These boosters, made by Avio, can be attached in configurations of two (for the A62 configuration) or four (for the A64 configuration).

Ariane 6 will also fly with a shorter fairing for its maiden flight, bringing the rocket’s height to 56 m. The rocket’s diameter is 5.4 m, not including the solid boosters, and its overall mass at liftoff will be 540 tonnes.

[jztemple2]

The gloves are coming off... SpaceX rivals challenge Starship launch license in Florida over environmental, safety concerns

SpaceX's plans to launch its Starship–Super Heavy two-stage rocket 44 times per year from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have come under fire from its two main rivals: United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The Starship vehicle is the world's largest rocket. Its two stages are SpaceX's Super Heavy booster rocket, and the upper stage spacecraft known somewhat confusingly as Starship or "Ship," on which a crew of up to 100 astronauts could someday fly.

Having undergone testing over the past few years, the design of the Starship/Super Heavy has undergone a number of revamps, with the latest resulting in a rocket that will stand up to 492 feet (150 meters) tall. To put this into context, the Saturn V was 363 feet (111 meters) tall, while the crewed version of NASA's new Space Launch System stands 322 feet 98 meters high. SpaceX's rocket is enormous, and the plan is for it to ferry astronauts to the moon and Mars.

Before SpaceX can get a license to commence launches from launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, an environmental impact statement must be provided that details what effects SpaceX's launches would have on the local environment and wildlife, as well as neighboring business and residents. This is done so by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and it is currently in the consultation phase, where local businesses, organizations and members of the public can provide their say as to the pros and cons of SpaceX's plans. And, well, SpaceX's rivals haven't held back.

Blue Origin submitted a 3-page letter to the FAA, in which they ask for a cap to be put into place on the number of launches and landings, reducing the 44 planned launches to an unspecified amount "that has a minimal impact on the local environment, locally operating personnel and the local community," they wrote.

The Blue Origin objections also raise the point that the Starship–Super Heavy will hold "an unprecedented" 5,200 metric tons of liquid methane fuel, which is highly flammable and, should something go wrong, could create a devastating explosion on the launch pad. Blue Origin claims that the safety margins are so wide that they overlap with the launch pads, hangars and offices of several other companies, including Blue Origin themselves on launch pad 36, all of which are leased from the Kennedy Space Center.

ULA's criticisms hit even harder in a 22-page document that the company submitted as part of the consultation. They don't hold back, accusing SpaceX of producing their own environmental impact statement for their extravagantly named 'Starbase' at Boca Chica in Texas from where they have been testing Starship so far.

There's more to the article, and speaking as someone who lives only fifteen miles from the launch site, I find some merit in their objections.

[Hrdina]

And now for something completely different:

[Kraken]

Should NASA clip the Europa Clipper?

NASA said on Thursday that it is studying the durability of transistors on a $5 billion spacecraft to Europa, Jupiter’s ocean moon, which has led to concerns about the spacecraft’s ability to function as originally planned in the heavy radiation around the solar system’s largest planet.

The equipment issue on the spacecraft could result in a lengthy delay of the mission, Europa Clipper, which NASA classifies as “flagship,” a designation for its most scientifically significant endeavors. Experts say that if the spacecraft launches in October, as scheduled, it may fall short of its scientific objective of assessing whether anything could live on Europa.

At issue is the ability of the transistors, the electric switches that are the building blocks of computer chips and other electronics, to resist the powerful radiation of the Jovian system.

...

On May 3, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif., the primary manufacturer of the spacecraft, learned from a “non-NASA customer” that vital, radiation-resistant chips failed when tested at radiation levels “significantly lower” than they were supposed to. Jordan Evans, the Europa Clipper project manager at the lab, presented the problem last month at a meeting of the Space Studies Board, a committee of the National Academies of Science that advises NASA.

Characterizing the spacecraft’s newfound vulnerability to radiation is “an ongoing activity,” he said. “We’ve got time to continue this work while getting ready for launch.”

The options boil down to (1) scrub the planned October launch and send the Clipper back to the shop for some replacements, which could take months to a year. If the chips are in short supply or if their problem is general, finding an alternative could take years. Or (2) reconfigure Clipper's flight path to minimize time spent in the hardest radiation, which would diminish the mission's ability to answer the questions it was designed for.

When NASA asks my opinion I'll counsel them to do whatever it takes to get it right, even though that means I won't live long enough to see the results. I'm selfless that way.

[Isgrimnur]

SpaceX’s unmatched streak of perfection with the Falcon 9 rocket is over

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket suffered an upper stage engine failure and deployed a batch of Starlink Internet satellites into a perilously low orbit after launch from California Thursday night, the first blemish on the workhorse launcher's record in more than 300 missions since 2016.

Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, posted on X that the rocket's upper stage engine failed when it attempted to reignite nearly an hour after the Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 7:35 pm PDT (02:35 UTC).
...
A few minutes after liftoff of SpaceX's Starlink 9-3 mission, veteran observers of SpaceX launches noticed an unusual build-up of ice around the top of the Merlin Vacuum engine, which consumes a propellant mixture of super-chilled kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen. The liquid oxygen is stored at a temperature of several hundred degrees below zero.
...
A second burn with the upper stage engine was supposed to raise the perigee, or low point, of the rocket's orbit well above the atmosphere before releasing 20 Starlink satellites to continue climbing to their operational altitude with their own propulsion.

"Upper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown," Musk wrote in an update two hours after the launch. RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly) is a term of art in rocketry that usually signifies a catastrophic or explosive failure.
...
The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses all commercial space launches in the United States, will require SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation before resuming Falcon 9 flights.
...
Two crew missions are supposed to launch on SpaceX's human-rated Falcon 9 rocket in the next six weeks, but those launch dates are now in doubt.

[jztemple2]

Which shows why NASA is still anxious to get Starliner working.

Meanwhile, more on the failure from Manley

[Kraken]

I move that rocket thrust henceforth be measured in mouse farts.

[jztemple2]

The latest news from Boca Chica.



Interesting mention in the story, SpaceX wants FAA clearance for an eventual ~145 Starship launches per year, including 100 from the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. As I discussed with my wife, the knock on effect here in Brevard County would be impressive, not even considering the SpaceX and NASA folks. Just think of the catering for private companies flying a payload on a Starship, or the t-shirt sales, or even part time parking lots along the edge of the Indian and Banana Rivers

[Kraken]

I read that the factory they're building is intended to produce a new Starship every day. It seems incredible that there could ever be that much demand, but so far I've been wrong every time I've doubted SpaceX.

[Punisher]

I'm REALLY hoping that tickets on a commercial consumer flight drop down in price to a coach airplane ticket or close to it.
I'd love to go up into space and experience weightlessness. Just the possibility of being able to walk/float/move without my body weight being an issue would great.
Plus ever since I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut!

[jztemple2]

I really doubt that the price of a commercial spaceflight ticket will ever be within the range of an ordinary traveler. Insurance rates alone will make it a couple of orders of magnitude higher, certainly. And as long as the demand greatly exceeds the supply (which is does now) there's likely no company that would even consider it. Unless you're a celebrity and Blue Origin throws you a bone.

However, if you are looking to experience zero-g, we can hook you up.

[Punisher]

Yeah, I've heard that. Still no price listed and a 200 off coupon means it's out if my price range.
Plus, doesn't zero g only last a minute on parabolic flights? I want way linger than that.

[jztemple2]

Plus, doesn't zero g only last a minute on parabolic flights? I want way linger than that.

Yup, less than a minute. It could be arranged to last a bit longer, but then you'd crash and die

[jztemple2]

SpaceX requests public safety determination for early return to flight for its Falcon 9 rocket

SpaceX is seeking to resume launching its Falcon 9 rocket soon. In a statement to Spaceflight Now, the Federal Aviation Administration said the company was seeking a public safety determination.

That request was submitted to the FAA on July 15, according to the agency. If approved, it would allow SpaceX to resume launching its Falcon 9 rocket while the mishap investigation into the Starlink 9-3 anomaly continues.

“The FAA is reviewing the request and will be guided by data and safety at every step of the process,” the FAA said in a statement.

Following liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base on July 11, the Falcon 9’s second stage experienced a liquid oxygen leak, which prevented it from circularizing its orbit prior to releasing the 20 Starlink satellites.

That request was submitted to the FAA on July 15, according to the agency. If approved, it would allow SpaceX to resume launching its Falcon 9 rocket while the mishap investigation into the Starlink 9-3 anomaly continues.

“The FAA is responsible for and committed to protecting the public during commercial space transportation launch and reentry operations,” the FAA said in a statement. “The FAA is reviewing the request and will be guided by data and safety at every step of the process.”

Following liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base on July 11, the Falcon 9’s second stage experienced a liquid oxygen leak, which prevented it from circularizing its orbit prior to releasing the 20 Starlink satellites.

The FAA has two means of allowing a rocket to return to flight operations following a mishap. The first is that it approves a launch operator-led mishap investigation final report, which would include “the identification of any corrective actions.” Those actions need to be put in place and all related licensing requirement need to be met.

The other option is for a public safety determination to be issued. This would be an option if “the mishap did not involve safety-critical systems or otherwise jeopardize public safety,” according to the FAA.

“The FAA will review the request, and if in agreement, authorize a return to flight operations while the mishap investigation remains open and provided the operator meets all relevant licensing requirements,” the FAA wrote on its website.

[jztemple2]

SpaceX is moving its headquarters from Hawthorne, CA to Starbase, TX

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/181 ... 5334383820

[Unagi]

Enjoy the power grid.

[Isgrimnur]

Oh, I’m sure he’ll get a sweetheart deal to make sure he’s in line before crucial services like hospitals and our bitcoin miners.

[Unagi]

Well, then I guess the sarcastic 'Enjoy the power grid' - should go to everyone that's already there.

[Isgrimnur]

Oh, we do.

[jztemple2]

I asked Google's Gemini AI, how many people work at the Spacex Hawthorne headquarters?

While there isn't a publicly available number for the exact number of SpaceX employees at Hawthorne, California headquarters as of today, July 16, 2024, we can look at some recent data to get an idea:

SpaceX total employees: SpaceX has grown significantly and is estimated to have around 13,000 employees globally [LeadIQ].
Hawthorne headquarters size: California's Employment Development Department categorizes SpaceX's Hawthorne headquarters within the range of 5,000 to 9,999 employees [CA.gov].
News reports in 2021: News articles from December 2021 mentioned nearly 6,000 employees at the Hawthorne headquarters [Daily News].

Given this information, it's likely that the SpaceX Hawthorne headquarters has somewhere between 5,000 and 13,000 employees. The exact number might fluctuate depending on hiring and other factors.

Of those, how many (and their families) will be thrilled with the idea of leaving the LA Metroplex area with the nice beaches, cultural access, mountains, etc and going to very south Texas? It might be an interesting time to find out just how essential an employee you are to SpaceX when you walk into your boss's office and say what perks you'll need to convince you and your family to move to Brownsville

[Isgrimnur]

Brownsville, Chess Capital of Texas!

[Kraken]

What's the law that broke the billionaire's back?

[jztemple2]

What's the law that broke the billionaire's back?

I don't think I'm crossing into R&P territory if I just quote the tweet that Musk quoted:

Gavin Newsom signed AB1955 today which bans schools from making rules requiring parental notification if a child identifies as transgender.

I'm sure it will crossing into R&P territory if we discuss it further, so please move any discussion there.

Meanwhile, I'm imagining Jeff Bezos adding a second shift to the hiring office of Blue Origin, just in case any current SpaceX employee wants to consider an option of working on another partially recoverable, metholox fuel rocket system. NASA might want a few new hires too

[jztemple2]

The latest happenings from the Cape, thanks to the NASASpaceFlight folks; as usual, not actually affiliated with or limited to NASA involved activities, probably wish they had picked a better name



And if you just happened to be planning a trip that might take you close to Port Canaveral, it is a great time for it as most of the SpaceX fleet is tied up at the docks; several nice restaurants right across the channel from them.

[jztemple2]

From SpaceFlightNow, Vaya Space receives pathfinding liquid oxygen tank shell for its Dauntless rocket. Yet another rocket company located just a few miles from me . Located right next to the Pint & Pistol! (not a joke!)

A liquid oxygen tank shell was delivered from Scorpius Space Launch Company in California to Vaya Space in Florida on Monday, July 15, 2024. This will serve as a pathfinding test article as Vaya Space continues working on its forthcoming Dauntless rocket. Image: Will Robinson-Smith/Spaceflight Now

A delivery from California to Florida on Monday marked a new milestone for aerospace company, Vaya Space. It received its first, full-sized liquid oxygen tank shell for its two-stage Dauntless rocket.

The company, based in Cocoa, Florida, about 13 miles from the gates of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is working towards its first orbital launch in 2026.

“We’ve been working on the design of the Dauntless vehicle for almost two years now, ever since we did our flight tests out in Mohave to prove out the last questions we had on the basic engine technology,” said Robert Fabian, Vaya Space’s Chief Operating Officer. “And so, what we’re seeing now is our dream, this, come to life. It’s an amazing moment for the company.”

The company was founded in 2017 by Sid Gutierrez, a former NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle commander. He was the first U.S.-born, Hispanic astronaut.

[raydude]

I asked Google's Gemini AI, how many people work at the Spacex Hawthorne headquarters?

While there isn't a publicly available number for the exact number of SpaceX employees at Hawthorne, California headquarters as of today, July 16, 2024, we can look at some recent data to get an idea:

SpaceX total employees: SpaceX has grown significantly and is estimated to have around 13,000 employees globally [LeadIQ].
Hawthorne headquarters size: California's Employment Development Department categorizes SpaceX's Hawthorne headquarters within the range of 5,000 to 9,999 employees [CA.gov].
News reports in 2021: News articles from December 2021 mentioned nearly 6,000 employees at the Hawthorne headquarters [Daily News].

Given this information, it's likely that the SpaceX Hawthorne headquarters has somewhere between 5,000 and 13,000 employees. The exact number might fluctuate depending on hiring and other factors.

Of those, how many (and their families) will be thrilled with the idea of leaving the LA Metroplex area with the nice beaches, cultural access, mountains, etc and going to very south Texas? It might be an interesting time to find out just how essential an employee you are to SpaceX when you walk into your boss's office and say what perks you'll need to convince you and your family to move to Brownsville

Oh and don't forget the access to abortion services!

[raydude]

NASA cancels CLPS Viper mission. I was tangentially involved with this, as a consultant for data processing and archiving for the neutron spectrometer instrument. It's a shame, as the same folks also provided an instrument for the ill-fated Peregrine mission.

[Isgrimnur]

[jztemple2]

Sadly I don't think Luke is going to destroy the Death Star this time

[Unagi]

Sadly I don't think Luke is going to destroy the Death Star this time

Thaaaat's a Viper from Battlestar OG.

[jztemple2]

Sadly I don't think Luke is going to destroy the Death Star this time

Thaaaat's a Viper from Battlestar OG.

I thought those were all destroyed in the war between the Romulans and the Klingons

[raydude]

Sadly I don't think Luke is going to destroy the Death Star this time

Thaaaat's a Viper from Battlestar OG.

I thought those were all destroyed in the war between the Romulans and the Klingons

Ai ya, wo mun wan leh, all the gorram universes are colliding!

[Unagi]

Sadly I don't think Luke is going to destroy the Death Star this time

Thaaaat's a Viper from Battlestar OG.

I thought those were all destroyed in the war between the Romulans and the Klingons

You're thinking Dr.Who