Spot the Space Station

[madscientist451]

Out at the fire pit last night, someone had the app and the thing went almost directly overhead at 1030 pm. But is a glimpse of a shiny object in the night sky worth $100 billion? Those in charge will likely put up another one after this, but I’m not sure it’s really worth it.

 

[day_trippr]

Starliner launch tomorrow!

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-updates-coverage-for-boeings-starliner-launch-docking/

Sorry about crossing the streams

 

[Konadog]

Did they push the date already?

 

[day_trippr]

Whoops! Thanks for noticing, I pasted the wrong link ^up there^ - which I've fixed.

This link is for the 4th Starship launch on June 5.

https://everydayastronaut.com/starship-super-heavy-flight-4/

Apologies!

 

[day_trippr]

Heads up tonight - if you'll have clear skies and live in the north - as there's a chance the auroras will be visible.

https://www.newsweek.com/northern-lights-aurora-over-new-york-idaho-geomagnetic-storm-1906776

 

[day_trippr]

Going by this NOAA page I think it's going to be a long shot unless one lives up in Canada...

 

[Pkrd]

Drove 200 miles (and back) today for the 3pm Rocketlab launch.
Countdown made it all the way down to 4 min, twice. Scrubbed.

I did get a nice walk up and down the beach while waiting though.

 

[day_trippr]

Starliner live stream here:

 

[day_trippr]

Hold invoked at T-3:50. Not looking good for launch today. Systems have been recycled back to T-4:00 where they're holding now while they try to figure out what went wrong...

 

[Konadog]

So close!

 

[day_trippr]

Scrubbed. Don't know why yet but apparently the "Ground Launch Sequencer" detected a fault somewhere and automatically halted the show. I'm presuming that's a ULA issue but might be wrong...

 

[day_trippr]

Looks like there were multiple problems just getting to T-3:50, but from what I've read they're all related to 1st and 2nd stage boosters.

Meanwhile, China landed on the "far side" of the moon again...
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/01/china/china-change6-moon-landing-intl-hnk-scn/index.html

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Those poor astronauts, climbing in and out of that capsule, when do they finally say, "I give up, I'm staying home!".

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Whoops! Thanks for noticing, I pasted the wrong link ^up there^ - which I've fixed.

This link is for the 4th Starship launch on June 5.

https://everydayastronaut.com/starship-super-heavy-flight-4/

Apologies!

I'm seeing June 6 now as the Starship ITF-4. Check ahead of time in case it changes again. So far they don't have launch approval yet.

 

[Pkrd]

Those poor astronauts, climbing in and out of that capsule, when do they finally say, "I give up, I'm staying home!".

They still get paid for that shift though, right?

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

They still get paid for that shift though, right?

I'm sure they are getting paid real well.

 

[day_trippr]

Starliner launch attempt now scheduled for the 5th at 10:52 Eastern...

https://spacenews.com/starliner-launch-rescheduled-for-june-5/

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Possibly a double header week!

 

[day_trippr]

Or a "Back to the Drawing Boards Week"

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Or a "Back to the Drawing Boards Week"

I expect that with the Starship since it's still experimental. I hope Starliner doesn't have to.

 

[Pkrd]

I'm sure they are getting paid real well.

They would have to be to climb into that thing.

 

[day_trippr]

Starship still lacking permits but SpaceX looking to the 6th for launch...

https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-launch-date-june-6

And Starliner still looking at June 5 launch at 10:52 am Eastern.

https://www.space.com/news/live/boeing-starliner-live-updates

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

According to NasaSpaceflight Starship license has been granted.

 

[day_trippr]

Here we go again, again

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

GREAT launch!

 

[day_trippr]

So far so good but it ain't over 'til the Centaurs run out of fuel

[edit] Good through separation, the next drama will be testing the heat shield on the return leg.
Have to say SpaceX does a much better video production than NASA

 

[Konadog]

Well, fist stage booster was a success, nothing better that watching 500 excited engineers cheer on "vs" NASA's dry commentary.

 

[day_trippr]

I'm assuming both booster and Starship ended up in the ocean - and the Starship engineers need a solution to burning up the control surfaces on re-entry

 

[day_trippr]

This video captures the highlights including stuff I didn't see in the live SpaceX feed - like the booster "soft touchdown" at sea, which is pretty cool...

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

The whole event was incredible. I watched several feeds during and now some better ones after. Certainly a fabulous launch and landing and a huge credit to the work Space X has been able to achieve.

 

[day_trippr]

I would say, however, that there is a lot of work to do before this system is truly viable. Can't have primary flight controls burning like that, for instance

I expect many more test flights before anything remotely practical is done with it (probably a crapton of Starlink deployment flights) which should provide plenty of entertaining (and even dramatic) video!

 

[day_trippr]

Gotta love the Onion

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I would say, however, that there is a lot of work to do before this system is truly viable. Can't have primary flight controls burning like that, for instance

I expect many more test flights before anything remotely practical is done with it (probably a crapton of Starlink deployment flights) which should provide plenty of entertaining (and even dramatic) video!

Definitely a ways to go, but look how better flight four was compared to three. Several leaps were made with this launch and many to improve upon but a great base to work from.

It'll still be an experimental platform for at least a year yet. SpaceX is able to push the envelope with good results. Yes, still a ways out before it's a reliable space ship.

 

[day_trippr]

I appreciate iterative design - and "fly it and see what happens" seat of the pants stuff (often just for public consumption) - and found this launch to be highly interesting from many aspects. Obviously there were improvements over prior launches, but just as clearly there's a long row to hoe before you see a booster land on a pad still intact and a Starship is captured by "chopsticks" to hang by the very same fins that got fried...

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I appreciate iterative design - and "fly it and see what happens" seat of the pants stuff (often just for public consumption) - and found this launch to be highly interesting from many aspects. Obviously there were improvements over prior launches, but just as clearly there's a long row to hoe before you see a booster land on a pad still intact and a Starship is captured by "chopsticks" to hang by the very same fins that got fried...

I'm very sceptical on how they are going to achieve landing back at the pad and catching it. I can't fathom how they are going to do that. Getting it positioned just right seems impossible.

 

[day_trippr]

I am totally shocked at how little damage that this starboard flap shows considering what the in-flight video was showing during re-entry

 

[Konadog]

Considering the size of those things, I'm amazed that they weren't ripped off during re-entry after they started to fail. It was pretty cool to see them operating during the melt down.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I am totally shocked at how little damage that this starboard flap shows considering what the in-flight video was showing during re-entry




View attachment 850294

Is that an after shot of the flap?

 

[day_trippr]

Yes, supposedly, the same flap that looked like it was being destroyed.
Can't see the other surface, though, or the hinge line...

Cheers!

 

[Pkrd]

I'm very sceptical on how they are going to achieve landing back at the pad and catching it. I can't fathom how they are going to do that. Getting it positioned just right seems impossible.

I can’t find stats on the landing precision for falcon boosters but they seem to be good enough for chopstick catching from videos I’ve seen.