Space stuff (NASA, UKSA, CSA, ESA, etc)
- Thread starter strawman
- Start date
Yep. That was the last thing before a Heavy static fire test. Musk says the static fire test will be this week, and the launch by the end of the month if nothing goes awry:
[DOUBLEPOST=1515430263,1515430200][/DOUBLEPOST]Note that it's no longer vertical, they left it up for a day and took it down again shortly after. It'll have to go vertical again for the static fire test, then down again, then up once they decide to go for launch.
[DOUBLEPOST=1515430263,1515430200][/DOUBLEPOST]Note that it's no longer vertical, they left it up for a day and took it down again shortly after. It'll have to go vertical again for the static fire test, then down again, then up once they decide to go for launch.
Some reports that the satellite may be dead. SpaceX says that everything went fine on their end. Because classified though, we may never know.
https://arstechnica.com/science/201...nched-by-spacex-may-be-lost-sources-tell-ars/
Either that or radio silence, I guess. Knowing that it's secret bugs me, and I'm not even involved or impacted (that I know).
Irrespective of the function of the payload, I find myself hoping that none of it was SpaceX's fault.
--Patrick
"May be lost"
This is not the first time a US spy satellite has been reported as lost, but has actually fully worked.
https://www.space.com/637-anatomy-spy-satellite.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misty_(satellite)
This is not the first time a US spy satellite has been reported as lost, but has actually fully worked.
https://www.space.com/637-anatomy-spy-satellite.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misty_(satellite)
Looks like the heavy was rolled back out to the launch pad yesterday. It's possible Spacex won't announce the static test fire until after it happens, so I'm looking for twitter feeds and other sources of information close to the launch pad.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-spied-first-static-test-fire/
Wish we just had 24/7 HD webcams pointed towards each of the launch and landing pads.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-spied-first-static-test-fire/
Wish we just had 24/7 HD webcams pointed towards each of the launch and landing pads.
I laughed at this statement:
TMI. Hehe.
(I know, really cheap joke, but it's RIGHT THERE)
Today's attempt for the static fire of Falcon Heavy has reportedly been scrubbed, after loading propellant into the falcon heavy.
Here's a page that updates every time there's a change:
https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/01/09/falcon-heavy-demo-flight-preparations/
They will likely try again tomorrow, 1pm EST.
Here's a page that updates every time there's a change:
https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/01/09/falcon-heavy-demo-flight-preparations/
They will likely try again tomorrow, 1pm EST.
If you use a newsreader, the local cable news has a feed dedicated to space: http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/feeds/rss.html/space.html
It's not perfect, but it is often useful as a reminder that something is happening at KSC or the Cape.
It's not perfect, but it is often useful as a reminder that something is happening at KSC or the Cape.
Delayed again for "unspecified" reasons until Saturday: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/s...-spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-moves-to-saturday
In reporting about this test-fire, we finally get one piece of Zuma news:
This was the piece of information I've been looking for since the initial news. Maybe it's lost, maybe the Pentagon is just throwing wool over everybody's eyes, but for payload separation, who made the mechanism that (may have) failed? Not SpaceX? OK, was their technical data (vibration, G-forces, etc) for what to withstand accurate? Almost certainly yes (easily known, many other launches to compare to, etc). Therefore, not SpaceX's fault in the least. Somebody else's wonky release mechanism.
fade
Staff member
It's really hard not to insert these flaccid jokes into any ready, willing conversation about the Falcon rocket. It stands proud, erect and ready to service us.
Elon Musk missed an opportunity to shape the flamethrower nozzle like one of SpaceX’s Merlin engines.
https://www.boringcompany.com/flamethrower
https://www.boringcompany.com/flamethrower
Bet the kids love this one
It reads like a pulp fiction novel.
Either it'll happen quickly without warning - and snap back into place or reverse just as quickly - or it'll take a long time to switch and we'll be able to see it coming more clearly.
But it appears that this is written in the "essays and opinion" section, so I guess I can't really complain.
As far as the rest of it, the supposition is pretty heavy handed and "worst case scenario". I like the part where it's implied that the decay to zero could happen instantly and catch us unawares, then the sentence that says we could be in that state for a century.
Either it'll happen quickly without warning - and snap back into place or reverse just as quickly - or it'll take a long time to switch and we'll be able to see it coming more clearly.
But it appears that this is written in the "essays and opinion" section, so I guess I can't really complain.
A satellite that NASA launched in 2000 and lost contact with in 2005 was rediscovered by a radio amateur who likes to track satellites (and was actually searching for the more recently lost ZUMA), and Nasa just verified that it is indeed the same satellite, IMAGE, by interpreting the radio signals it's sending and verifying its ID number in the data payload.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-image-confirmed
They are now working on cobbling together the software and equipment required to communicate with it, and if successful will turn on its science payloads and see how operational it is. This is not a small task, given that Windows XP wasn't even around (windows NT and 98) when it launched, and linux was on version 2 (it's on version 4 now), and the fastest processors at the time were Intel's Pentium III.
It's like finding a 154 million dollar bill in your coat pocket that you lost over a decade ago.
https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/presskit/2000/image.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAGE
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-image-confirmed
They are now working on cobbling together the software and equipment required to communicate with it, and if successful will turn on its science payloads and see how operational it is. This is not a small task, given that Windows XP wasn't even around (windows NT and 98) when it launched, and linux was on version 2 (it's on version 4 now), and the fastest processors at the time were Intel's Pentium III.
It's like finding a 154 million dollar bill in your coat pocket that you lost over a decade ago.
https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/presskit/2000/image.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAGE
Last edited:
Notably, IMAGE served well past its intended mission parameters. This is an exciting find, and maybe a chance to squeeze more out of an expensive mission, but IMAGE was already a successful mission by any measure.
Yes, except for one - successful deorbit to reduce space debris. If they can squeeze more science from it that would be great, but I hope they can at minimum deorbit it.
What gets me is that satellites don't seem to have a "mission failure" routine. If out of contact for a period of time, IMO, they should start deorbit maneuvers.
Some say he's just hitching a ride back to his home planet, all we know is that he's called the Starman.
--Patrick