Space - The Final Frontier

[Peter]

Spacecraft came through. All is good. This is fantastic!

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Reminds me of when I volunteered to work late and record live the first landing on the moon when I was in the Army. Exciting!

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[ERD50]

Reminds me of when I volunteered to work late and record live the first landing on the moon when I was in the Army. Exciting!

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Audio or video recording? I guess the only video recorders in 1969 were big bulky $$$$$ studio equipment models?

-ERD50

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Video, live off the air. The VCR used 2" tape and was as big as a washing machine. Yes. It was a studio machine.

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[BBQ-Nut]

Video, live off the air. The VCR used 2" tape and was as big as a washing machine. Yes. It was a studio machine.

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Does this tape still exist?

 

[Alan]

First high resolution photo of Pluto causes concern:

 

[Lucantes]

First high resolution photo of Pluto causes concern:

+1

saw this online also yesterday, really made me laugh!
Showed it to my wife, she didn't get it at all (she likes the whole Pluto thingie going on but has no idea what a Death Star is).

 

[clifp]

First high resolution photo of Pluto causes concern:

I always thought the Death Star was the size of real planet not a little dwarf planet. Do we think this is God's reaction to insulting Pluto.

Good thing a new star war movie is coming out soon enough to save us.

 

[Lucantes]

The Death Star is only like 100km in diameter, significantly smaller than Pluto I think (and way smaller than any of the "real" planets! )?

 

[clifp]

So on the 46th anniversary of Apollo 11 the Smithsonian is launching a pretty cool
kickstarter project.

Reboot the Suit: Bring Back Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit

uly 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, a feat so breathtaking in its scope and ambition that it captured the collective imaginations of audiences around the world. At the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, we use the power of real objects to tell stories like this one – stories of the vision, intellect, and courage of men and women who have overcome challenges and pushed boundaries to take the next giant leap for humankind. For the Smithsonian’s first-ever Kickstarter campaign, we are proud to announce plans to conserve, digitize, and display Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit in time for this milestone anniversary. We want to preserve Armstrong’s spacesuit – and the story it tells of its incredible journey – down to the particles of lunar dust that cling to its surface. Just like the Apollo program, we will accomplish this in collaboration of thousands of people across the country and around the world. And that’s where you come in.

Anyway I've supported the kickstarter project. I figured some of my fellow space buffs might also.

 

[HFWR]

First high resolution photo of Pluto causes concern:

Looks like a giant sub-woofer to me...

 

[Free To Canoe]

Pluto Pic

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/global-mosaic-of-pluto-in-true-color

Thought it would be good to get an actual picture of the planetoid.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Water on Mars is news worthy.


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/science/space/mars-life-liquid-water.html?_r=0


So is Jeff Bezos' rocket start up.

 

[ejman]

Very interesting news about the EM drive. How is this possible? NASA Defies the Laws of Physics, Says Their 'Impossible' EM Drive Actually Works

 

[Free To Canoe]

Very interesting news about the EM drive. How is this possible? NASA Defies the Laws of Physics, Says Their 'Impossible' EM Drive Actually Works

Very interesting.

 

[alistair]

Very interesting news about the EM drive. How is this possible? NASA Defies the Laws of Physics, Says Their 'Impossible' EM Drive Actually Works

There are plenty of media stories surrounding this that too easily extrapolate what one NASA team is examining to mean that this is some sort of secret warp drive technology that NASA is pursuing. The jury is still out on this tech. Even if the physical phenomina can be proven, it's still fusion energy timescales (always 30 years out) from being practical.

 

[ejman]

There are plenty of media stories surrounding this that too easily extrapolate what one NASA team is examining to mean that this is some sort of secret warp drive technology that NASA is pursuing. The jury is still out on this tech. Even if the physical phenomina can be proven, it's still fusion energy timescales (always 30 years out) from being practical.

Oh, I'm sure at my age (65) I won't get to hop on NASA's EM transwarp spaceship in my lifetime. What I find fascinating is that there is a phenomenon that seems to defy known laws of physics. I certainly hope this does not turn out to be one of those crack pot perpetual motion machine sagas...

 

[MuirWannabe]

Oh, I'm sure at my age (65) I won't get to hop on NASA's EM transwarp spaceship in my lifetime. What I find fascinating is that there is a phenomenon that seems to defy known laws of physics. I certainly hope this does not turn out to be one of those crack pot perpetual motion machine sagas...

I think that's exactly what it is. Nonexistium and unobtainium

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Very interesting news about the EM drive. How is this possible? NASA Defies the Laws of Physics, Says Their 'Impossible' EM Drive Actually Works

I cry BS.

I remember the Dean Drive, a uni-directional drive. I did what I now know as a line integral in minute detail by hand and got nada net force. If it 'defies the laws of physics' it is a fraud IMHO.

 

[harley]

Another step in the exciting saga of private space exploration! Blue Origin Beats SpaceX In Landing Reusable Rocket | Popular Science

Having Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk slugging it out can only lead to good things for my future as an irascible old asteroid prospector.

 

[Chuckanut]

Looks like it takes a big ego to run a rocket company.

Jeff Bezos vs. Elon Musk: A Thrilling, New Space Race - Bloomberg Business

And here is a thoughtful and interesting comparison between what SpaceX is attempting to do and what Blue Origin has just done.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astr...nch_and_vertical_landing_of_new_shepherd.html

 

[Chuckanut]

In case you're wondering, getting and staying in orbit requires a lot more energy than just a quick trip up and down.

Here's as good explaination. Basically, the vehicle needs speed - lots and lots of speed - so it can fall around the Earth.

https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/

 

[harley]

In case you're wondering, getting and staying in orbit requires a lot more energy than just a quick trip up and down.

Here's as good explaination. Basically, the vehicle needs speed - lots and lots of speed - so it can fall around the Earth.

https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/

True dat, and an excellent explanation. Musk is definitely doing more toward getting into space. But still, it's the landing that was so impressive. Did you watch the video/ad? It's not landing on a barge in the ocean, but it was still cool.

 

[GravitySucks]

http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/#.VlUNe8Q8KK0

Speaking of the ISS - You can get an email telling you when to look up to watch it fly over from this site.


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[Texas Proud]

It is amazing what some rich people are able to do with a small budget that NASA has not been able to do with many billions of dollars...


And most countries can not even think about doing what these private companies are doing....


I think Musk is a bit wrong in what he said... I read an article and it pointed out that his rocket that they are trying to land does not achieve orbit... now, it is trying to land a long distance from where it started, but it is not an orbital part of the rocket....