Space - The Final Frontier

Ariane Group should focus on improving their rockets. I doubt that SpaceX is worried about what their employees will be doing because they have reusable rockets. I suspect there is little effort spent on the Falcon and most of it has been redirected toward the BFR.

Amen for SpaceX. We’re finally seeing progress in accessing space. Without this, we’d probably be stuck in LEO for the indefinite future.
 
I ran across this new ArsTechnica report on Rocketry and thought it would let people know about it. I can't vouch for it's technical and journalistic quality yet, but it seems headed in the right direction. Let's hope it is written and edited by people who understand basic science, math and what it takes to travel in space.

https://arstechnica.com/science/201...ort-of-endorses-sls-russia-woes-virgin-orbit/

Here's one quote from the recent edition (1.03). Bold emphasis added by me. :D

It is not clear how Rogozin will develop cost-effective new launchers to compete with the Falcon 9 at a time when that rocket is pushing rapidly into reusability. Perhaps a trampoline might serve as a low-cost, reusable first stage.
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One quote i did not like is the one below. I reminds me of the attitude that got us our first Space Shuttle disaster. Maybe a bit harsh, but, any rocket that achieves its goals is still a great accomplishment, IMHO.

Kind of routine ... Without a booster landing or other significant tech advancements, this was kind of a ho-hum launch for SpaceX that continued its high flight rate but lacked the pizzazz of a Block 5 launch or fairing recovery attempt.
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Chuckanut said:
I ran across this new ArsTechnica report on
One quote i did not like is the one below. I reminds me of the attitude that got us our first Space Shuttle disaster. Maybe a bit harsh, but, any rocket that achieves its goals is still a great accomplishment, IMHO.
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I know where you are coming from with regard to safety but the flip side at the same time is don't forget that this is actually one of Musks goals. To make launches so often, so common and so cheap that they do become routine.

That is the first step towards a spacefaring future.
 
Koogie said:
I know where you are coming from with regard to safety but the flip side at the same time is don't forget that this is actually one of Musks goals. To make launches so often, so common and so cheap that they do become routine.

That is the first step towards a spacefaring future.
Click to expand...
tha

Good point.
 
I found this while going through my home video collection. I shot the video back in October 2004 in the Mojave Desert near Edwards AFB. Does anyone remember Space Ship One before it became part of Virgin Galactic? This was the flight that won them the XPrize.
 
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Longest Lunar Eclipse of the 21st Century tomorrow at lunch

The website timeanddate.com will be livestreaming the eclipse beginning at 11 a.m. PDT Friday. The partial eclipse will begin at 11:24 a.m. — that’s when the Earth’s shadow will begin to creep across the moon. The full eclipse starts at 12:30 p.m. PDT and ends at 2:13 PDT.

If you are on the east coast, look at the sky around 3pm before you leave for the weekend at the moon for the earth's shadow.

As you would expect, the shadow of the Earth looks like a disk. Sometimes the moon passes through the top of the disk, or toward the bottom. During this week’s lunar eclipse, however, the moon will pass close to middle of the disk.
 
And we have Mars very visible on the horizon. Lots of good viewing for those who wish to observe the solar system.
 
Here's hoping the Martian global dust storm subsides in time to take advantage of this close approach and see some details in the telescope. For those not into astronomy, Mars usually appears quite small in a scope and only get apparently large enough to see anything during these close approaches every few years. Due to the highly elliptical orbit of Mars, the minimum distance to Earth varies by quite a lot between each of these events, and this year is exceptionally good. However, a dust storm has arisen and encompasses the entire planet, blotting out nearly everything. You may have read about how this is jeopardizing the Opportunity Rover since it can't charge its batteries when the sun is blocked out.
 
There is quite an interesting probe scheduled to be launched early Saturday AM.

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/...solar-probe-cape-canaveral-florida/956360002/

Parker Solar Probe

Parker Solar Probe will swoop to within 4 million miles of the sun's surface, facing heat and radiation like no spacecraft before it. Launching in 2018, Parker Solar Probe will provide new data on solar activity and make critical contributions to our ability to forecast major space-weather events that impact life on Earth.
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It has to speed up, to slow down. Going to the sun isn't easy!
 
Or dive straight into the photosphere for a balmy 5.000 degrees. Still confuses me: the inside it millions of degrees, then 5.000 degrees at the surface (photosphere), and then back up to a few million ..



like the eye of a storm
 
I was reading about the solar probe on Popular Mechanics and this image caught my eye.... puts things into perspective.... better keep these on..:cool:

solar-eruption-larger-than-earth-1533747372.jpg
 
Thanks for the links. Hats off to JAXA, this is quite an achievement. Odd how it really isn't playing that big here in the US.

It makes sense that the future of unmanned space exploration will be smaller vehicles. Think of all the things you cell phone can do, and how inexpensive (comparatively) it would be to send dozens of them to a planet or asteroid, instead of one big lander.
 
CaptTom said:
Thanks for the links. Hats off to JAXA, this is quite an achievement. Odd how it really isn't playing that big here in the US.

It makes sense that the future of unmanned space exploration will be smaller vehicles. Think of all the things you cell phone can do, and how inexpensive (comparatively) it would be to send dozens of them to a planet or asteroid, instead of one big lander.
Click to expand...




Not really... lots of political things that are sucking up all the oxygen....


But I did see a story when it first landed...
 
The space age began 61 years ago today with the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite. Only 58 cm (23 in) in diameter, it changed our world dramatically when it started broadcasting a signal with a one watt transmitter.

The first US satellite, Explorer 1, was launched almost four months later. It was smaller, lighter, more highly instrumented, and much more useful scientifically, but the Soviets had taken the lead and maintained it for a long time.

Both nations had announced their intention of launching a satellite during the International Geophysical Year, so Sputnik wasn’t exactly a surprise, except for the timing.
 
My old stompin grounds are landing a SpaceX rocket on the west coast.

https://www.vandenberg.af.mil/

Miss them rockets! Whoa!


SLC-4W, The public can view this launch from the Hawk's Nest on Azalea Lane off of Hwy 1 just a half mile south of Vandenberg Air Force Base's main gate.
 
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