SPACE - random thread about space stuff

[Kraken]

Yeah, when a man-rated rocket goes kerblooie, you need to know why it did that. Given the Falcon's record, and the non-critical nature of the failure (a booster landing is just bonus points), this ought to be a short and simple investigation.

[Zaxxon]

Yeah, when a man-rated rocket goes kerblooie, you need to know why it did that. Given the Falcon's record, and the non-critical nature of the failure (a booster landing is just bonus points), this ought to be a short and simple investigation.

My thought, as well. Investigating makes sense. Hopefully it's a matter of 'we hoped beyond hope to eventually get this rocket to re-fly 10 times. A leg failed on #23. We've sacked those responsible and reinforced the mechanism that failed.'

In other news, New Shepard sending people to 'space' again in T-20ish min.

[jztemple2]

[jztemple2]

Sorry, lost the article link

Boeing's troubled Starliner capsule is poised to return to Earth without any crew aboard on Sept. 6, NASA announced on Thursday (Aug. 29).

[jztemple2]

SpaceX launches back-to-back Falcon 9 rockets within 65 minutes and aces 2 landings days after a failed booster touchdown

SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets in just over an hour early Saturday (Aug. 31) and nailed back-to-back booster landings three days after a recent failure.

The two Falcon 9 launches — which lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, respectively — delivered a total of 42 Starlink internet satellites into orbit, with each rocket's first stage acing an offshore landing. The successful SpaceX landings followed a failed Falcon 9 rocket landing on Aug. 28 during a booster's 23rd flight, a record for SpaceX.

The back-to-back Starlink mission launches came a day after SpaceX received clearance from the FAA to resume Falcon 9 launches even as the agency investigates the Aug. 28 booster landing, which occurred during yet another Starlink launch. That mission successfully delivered 21 Starlink satellites to orbit, but its booster appeared to catch fire and topple over after landing on its drone ship.

Photos of the booster's debris as the ship return to port in Cape Canaveral by photographer John Krause showed only the rocket's charred rocket engine section and broken landing legs remaining.

[jztemple2]

NASA releases plan on how empty Starliner will return to Earth

The troubled Boeing Starliner space capsule now has a plan to return back to Earth, but without its two astronauts.

NASA announced on Thursday that Boeing’s Starliner will be returning home in a near-six-hour journey next week. Originally, the Starliner’s maiden crewed flight was going to send up astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams to the International Space Station for eight to 10 days and then return the pair. However, helium leaks and thruster issues on the capsule’s service module eventually forced NASA to announce that the Starliner was not safe to return Williams and Wilmore. NASA confirmed that the duo will be stuck on the space station until February 2025 and will hitch a ride on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule with the Crew-9 members. The Crew-9 is set to launch in September. So, the empty Starliner space capsule will undock from the International Space Station’s Harmony module no earlier than 6:04 p.m. ET, Friday, Sept. 6, NASA explained.

“After undocking, Starliner will take about six hours to reach the landing zone at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The spacecraft will touch down at about 12:03 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, descending under parachutes and with inflated airbags to cushion the impact. Recovery teams at the landing zone will safe and prepare the spacecraft for a return to Boeing’s Starliner factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida,” NASA confirmed.

The U.S. space agency explained further that mission managers and flight controllers updated the Starliner systems that will allow it to return autonomously. In fact, Starliner Mission Control in Houston and at Boeing Mission Control Center in Florida are able to control Starliner remotely.

“Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States,” NASA stated.

[Unagi]

So, it turns out they were stranded.


Just sayin.

[Blackhawk]

I watched this last night, and found it an interesting perspective.

[Kraken]

I re-watched "Marooned" just a year or so ago. It holds up pretty well, but of course it doesn't have the impact that it had when it was new, in the heroic era of spaceflight.

[Unagi]

That perspective was not lost on me.

However, I feel I should clarify: It's just a word, 'stranded' - it doesn't need to come with all the drama or gravity that he discussed (to me).

The idea that they 'were' or 'were not' ~stranded~, was about if Boeing's craft was or was not going to be seen as fit for their return. I knew they were safe and they could find another way home.

[Kraken]

That perspective was not lost on me.

However, I feel I should clarify: It's just a word, 'stranded' - it doesn't need to come with all the drama or gravity that he discussed (to me).

The idea that they 'were' or 'were not' ~stranded~, was about if Boeing's craft was or was not going to be seen as fit for their return. I knew they were safe and they could find another way home.

It's a loaded word in the space community. This was a test flight that yielded a lot of unexpected data, is how the engineers see it. It gave Boeing another black eye that it didn't need and reflects poorly on NASA, just because. They both bristle at the "stranded astronaut" headlines because the popular media's way of humanizing the story is exaggerated. Like Tyson said, astronauts LIKE being in space, and the ISS, while nobody's idea of a vacation resort, is the cushiest place any astronaut has ever worked.

I wonder if astronauts get a bonus for hours worked offworld. Eight months of overtime should make some nice bank.

[Isgrimnur]

Sorry, salaried government employees.

[Zarathud]

They will come back with an amazing experience that can be commercialized later. Corporate speeches about overcoming adversity in space, for example. Book deal, etc. It may be like having too much of your dream, but astronauts are selected for it.

[Max Peck]

I'd expect that the only astronauts who are likely to be upset about the "stranding" are the ones who got bumped off their own mission to free up seats for the eventual return trip.

[jztemple2]

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reports 'strange noise' coming from Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, 'I don't know what's making it'

On Saturday (Aug. 31) NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore noticed something weird inside the Starliner spacecraft.

Wilmore radioed down to Mission Control to ask about the bizarre noises heard emanating from Starliner's speakers while the spacecraft is currently docked to the International Space Station (ISS).

"There's a strange noise coming through the speaker," Wilmore tells Mission Control "I don't know what's making it."

Wilmore then holds a device to the speakers, allowing Mission Control to hear the pulsating sound occurring at regular intervals.

Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston likens the sound to a "pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping."

Sounding rather relaxed, and unfazed by the whole situation, Wilmore replied "All right, over to you, call us if you figure it out." Mission Control then informs Wilmore that the recording will be passed along to the team and they'll let him know what they find.

Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield commented on the situation in a post on X. In the post, you can hear the strange sound reported by Wilmore.

"There are several noises I'd prefer not to hear inside my spaceship, including this one that Boeing Starliner is now making," Hadfield wrote.

[Blackhawk]

If it starts getting faster, run.

Spoiler:

The xenomorphs are coming.

[Isgrimnur]

[Kraken]

Turned out that was just speaker noise/feedback/interference.

[Holman]

I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies.

[Isgrimnur]

Turned out that was just speaker noise/feedback/interference.

Would have been wild if it was the old cell phone noise.

[jztemple2]

NASA Inspector General issues harsh report on delayed SLS mobile launcher project

NASA's effort to return humans to the moon have been hit with another critical report on its progress.

The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a scathing report on the Mobile Launcher 2 (ML-2) project. ML-2 is needed to transport NASA's enormous Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket to the launch pad.

The OIG report highlights significant cost overruns and delays. Initially projected to cost $383 million with delivery by March 2023, the project's cost has now run to an estimated $1.8 billion. The OIG believes the final cost could yet grow to $2.7 billion — more than six times the initial cost estimate — by the time contractor Bechtel delivers ML-2. Delivery is now expected in September 2027.

Bechtel was awarded the cost-plus contract in 2019. The company has struggled with technical challenges, including issues with steel fabrication and weight management of the giant ground support structure, according to the report.

Mobile Launcher 2 is required to haul the upgraded, larger and heavier SLS Block 1B rocket to the pad, starting with NASA's Artemis 4 mission. The structure includes a base platform and a tower with various systems for fueling, power and crew access.

Significantly, the report raises concerns that the project could suffer further delays and push back future Artemis missions.

"We project the ML-2 will not be ready to support a launch until spring 2029, surpassing the planned September 2028 Artemis IV launch date," the report read.

The report recommended that NASA take lessons learned from the ML-2 project relating to acquisition and project management and analyze the feasibility of using a fixed-price contract. NASA partially concurred with these recommendations and has planned corrective actions.

[jztemple2]

NASA’s Boeing Starliner Mission Landing Criteria, Timeline

As NASA and Boeing prepare to return the company’s Starliner spacecraft uncrewed from the International Space Station to Earth, safety and mission success remain as top priorities for the teams. Mission managers will complete a series of operational and weather checks before the spacecraft undocks from the orbital complex.

The Starliner spacecraft is the first American capsule designed to touch down on land, supporting expedited astronaut and cargo recovery on future missions and to aid the company in spacecraft refurbishment. For Starliner missions, NASA and Boeing will use potential landing locations in the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Willcox, Arizona; and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. Edwards Air Force Base in California also is available as a contingency landing site.

More details on the landing itself in the article.

[Isgrimnur]

Would returning astronauts be armed against wolves?

[jztemple2]

Would returning astronauts be armed against wolves?

Only if they were going to hang out in cheezy bars.

[Max Peck]

The Starliner spacecraft is the first American capsule designed to touch down on land, supporting expedited astronaut and cargo recovery on future missions and to aid the company in spacecraft refurbishment.

I suppose the shuttle wasn't a "capsule" so I should probably let that slide, eh?

[jztemple2]

The Starliner spacecraft is the first American capsule designed to touch down on land, supporting expedited astronaut and cargo recovery on future missions and to aid the company in spacecraft refurbishment.

I suppose the shuttle wasn't a "capsule" so I should probably let that slide, eh?

I do believe this was the intent.

[jztemple2]

The Boeing Starliner has undocked from the ISS:



Entry and landing coverage between NASA and Boeing will pick up at 10:50 pm ET (0250 UTC) and the Go/No-go poll for the deorbit burn will happen at about 10:57 pm ET (0257 UTC). The deorbit burn happens about 20 minutes later at 11:17 pm ET (0317 UTC).

Landing is expected at White Sands Space Harbor right about 12:00 am ET (0400 UTC).

[Unagi]

obligatory:



best way to watch?

[Isgrimnur]

Pic looks like a ramen commercial.

[jztemple2]

obligatory:



best way to watch?

Live coverage: NASA, Boeing undock Starliner, marking the beginning of the end for the Crew Flight Test mission

[Unagi]

watching


it appears to have made it through reentry.

[jztemple2]

And a safe landing!

A screen grab of the heat shield jettison:

[Unagi]

Yeah, I saw that live and thought that was super cool to see. Wasn't it!?

[jztemple2]

SpaceX will start launching Starships to Mars in 2026, Elon Musk says

SpaceX's Starship megarocket will start flying Mars missions just two years from now, if all goes according to plan.

"These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years," SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via X on Saturday evening (Sept. 7), in a post that announced the bold new target timelines. (Earth and Mars align properly for interplanetary missions once every 26 months.)

"Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years," Musk added in the same post. "Being multiplanetary will vastly increase the probable lifespan of consciousness, as we will no longer have all our eggs, literally and metabolically, on one planet."

[Isgrimnur]

Starliner Suffers New Problems While Coming Back to Earth

Signals on the capsule's return were mixed. On the one hand, according to NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich, it pulled off a "bullseye landing." On the other, the agency admitted that a new thruster had failed during its descent. The capsule also experienced a temporary blackout of Starliner's guidance system during reentry.

[jztemple2]

Starliner Suffers New Problems While Coming Back to Earth

Signals on the capsule's return were mixed. On the one hand, according to NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich, it pulled off a "bullseye landing." On the other, the agency admitted that a new thruster had failed during its descent. The capsule also experienced a temporary blackout of Starliner's guidance system during reentry.

From the article, "Analysts suggest the aerospace giant may dump the entire project, which has already lost the company well over a billion dollars, instead." Yeah, I mentioned that above somewhere, that Boeing (and especially Boeing's stockholders) may want to stop throwing the money into this hole. I'm wondering how their contract is written, are they obligated to provide to NASA an operational vehicle? And if they drop the project, is there a penalty to be paid? Interesting questions.

And on another Space subject, Polaris Dawn is scheduled to launch early Tuesday morning at 3:38 AM EDT (07:38 UTC) at the start of a three-and-a-half-hour launch window. Weather is only 40% favorable, I believe due to abort scenario splashdown zones.

The mission will see the crew conduct multiple research activities, including investigating human health during long-duration spaceflight and testing Starlink laser communications between spacecraft from significantly higher altitudes than the Starlink constellation’s orbit. They will also assess the performance of SpaceX’s brand new extra-vehicular activities (EVA) suit during a spacewalk on the third day of the mission, during which Resilience will be completely depressurized and opened to the vacuum of space.

Booster B1083 will be making its fourth flight on this mission and is expected to land on the autonomous droneship Just Read The Instructions approximately eight minutes into the mission. This droneship recently broke turnaround records following the Starlink Group 8-11 mission, heading back out to sea just three hours and one minute after arriving with B1077.

Live video feed for those who might want to watch:

[Hrdina]

I usually stay up pretty late, but not 0338 late. I'll have to watch the replay for this one.

[jztemple2]

I usually stay up pretty late, but not 0338 late. I'll have to watch the replay for this one.

Good thing you didn't stay up because launch didn't go till 5:23 a.m. EDT (it woke me up ). So far things seem to be going well.

[jztemple2]

The Polaris Dawn spacewalk happens in about seven hours.

[Holman]

Since Musk is asserting that he'll have 50 or more people living on Mars (or at least en route) before 2030:

Neither Elon Musk Nor Anybody Else Will Ever Colonize Mars

This is a sharp and glib essay that's worth a read not just for the technological but for the ideological takedown.