Sturgeon Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 This thread is for posting current events stories regarding space exploration achievements. To start off, NASA just about confirms liquid water on Mars. LoooSeR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xlucine Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 We should see space X finally land a rocket tomorrow https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/ Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 Elon Musk almost landed a rocket on a boat; https://vine.co/v/euEpIVegiIx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xthetenth Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 Damn, I was hoping they'd have pulled it off. Also guys: SWATH hull. It's probably well worth doing for stability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NCpI0KpKUpg#t=158 Check out the sweet simulation technology at ~2:39. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted April 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 That's actually stolen footage from a KSP YouTuber. Jackasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Pic of SpaceX barge. (big version) https://i.imgur.com/h8BR1DA.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xlucine Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 That barge is a lot bigger than previous photos made it look - I can see now why they were so keen to land out at sea, given the relative size of the fireball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 MESSENGER was crashed into Mercury earlier today; http://www.space.com/29281-messenger-spacecraft-mercury-crash.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priory_of_Sion Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 MESSENGER taught me that people do not understand the concept of false color images. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Also, Blue Origin did a test flight; Made it over 300,000 feet apparently. Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Does Blue Origin know its rocket looks like a penis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Word on the street is that the first Long March 6 launch was successful. The all solid LM11 is supposed to go up next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted October 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Proposal for an orbiter/lander mission to Enceladus (circa 2013): https://www.dropbox.com/s/n36ok8q2r2j88u9/EOLM_sanitized.pdf?dl=0 Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Minor comment about the space race. Lost does an excellent job describing why the Soviet Lunar Program failed, but one thing he doesn't mention is that the Soviets kind of put the ball in the USA's court by not embracing the competitive nature of the space race early on. By not declaring an ultimatum before Kennedy's speeches to Congress and Rice, the Soviets effectively lost the initiative and allowed the Americans to set the terms of the subsequent space race, which they did to deliberately force the Soviets into a contest they were unlikely to win (i.e., a Moon mission requiring much more technical expertise where the Americans were ahead, as opposed to the Soviets whose strengths lie mostly in launch vehicle technology). At least that's my understanding of it. Discuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 SLS has passed Critical Design Review, and with that hurdle over NASA has dropped the von Braun paint scheme for a more sensible natural orange. Lots of cool concept images here. Scolopax and Belesarius 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Some additional detail: http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/10/23/nasa-completes-sls-design-review-confirms-rocket-to-be-orange/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted October 29, 2015 Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 Anyone who has a clue about rocketry know if this is significant? http://www.iflscience.com/ion-engine-breakthrough-could-take-us-mars-fraction-fuel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted October 29, 2015 Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 It's has more specific impulse, so you need less propelant to get the same delta-V. That means your spacecraft can be a lot smaller (most of the mass of spacecraft/launch vehicles is propellant). Of course, since it's an ion engine, you can't use the most efficient trajectories (such as Hohmann transfers), which somewhat reduces the delta-V advantage. Also, you need a shitload of power for large ion engines, which means either all the solar panels or a reactor. SuperComrade 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperComrade Posted October 29, 2015 Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 I kinda think the N1 could have been made reliable under better conditions than the historical N1-L3 program had to go through (funding shortages, opposition from Chelomei etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 This contained info I didn't yet know about MOL: For example: I had no idea there was a Titan launch in support of MOL. Props to AST for being a nerd's nerd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Word has it that CRS-2 contract decisions have been postponed, but there are rumors that Boeing is out and NASA was pleased with Sierra Nevada's proposal. SuperComrade 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Whoah, that's big goddamn news! Was SNC's submission Dream Chaser or related, or another capsule? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Whoah, that's big goddamn news! Was SNC's submission Dream Chaser or related, or another capsule? I think it was Dream Chaser. This is all hearsay, but I've heard SN did a shitload of work on it since the last CRS. Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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