Spot the Space Station

[tracer bullet]

I wonder if there's any way to get it upright? Anything on board that can be used to push it?

 

[day_trippr]

At 1:20 in this video by the Intuitive honcho he uses a model of the lander and the height v base proportions look daunting as far as erecting it upright through any possible means. But all of the onboard sensors appear to be static or nearly so, so aside from whatever mechanics point its antennae there's nothing that's going to budge the lander.

In any case, it was designed to last for around a week before going silent...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/moon-landing-spacecraft-lunar-surface-today/

 

[balrog]

Isn't this the second thing that's landed most-un-cat-like on its side/face/front/top/anything-but-feet?

I mean, not that I might be able to do any better with my ancient treasure trove of Estes model rocket engines....

 

[day_trippr]

It's the autonomous nav systems that literally keep getting these machines tripped over by colliding with random boulders - while still moving laterally, I presume. Humans didn't make that mistake on the moon. Go humans! Go!

Cheers!

 

[balrog]

It's the autonomous nav systems that literally keep getting these machines tripped over by colliding with random boulders - while still moving laterally, I presume. Humans didn't make that mistake on the moon. Go humans! Go!

Cheers!

And if AI does the landing, it will land on several feet/hands with too many fingers/toes/frogs

 

[day_trippr]

Good non-paywalled article here...

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/23/...te=1&user_id=8bb6f11563a3b44acec406a2e9f263c2

 

[day_trippr]

Ingenuity is definitely grounded for good...

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/...eal-an-entire-blade-broke-off-the-helicopter/

 

[tracer bullet]

Ingenuity is definitely grounded for good...

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/...eal-an-entire-blade-broke-off-the-helicopter/

Bummer. It had a heck of a run!

 

[day_trippr]

New "Odie" pics showing the tilt due to a damaged leg...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68425211.amp

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

New "Odie" pics showing the tilt due to a damaged leg...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68425211.amp

I suffered from the same damage once. . . jumping out from the back of my truck.

 

[day_trippr]

Ouchie!

Figuring out how far I'll need to drive from our house in Easton NH to get a 100% occlusion during April 8th's total eclipse and it won't be very far at all according to this map and the linked simulator. Our house will see just the barest non-occluded crescent, but 28 minutes up I-93 to "East Waterford" will be 100%...

https://eclipse2024.org/eclipse_cities/statemap.html

and

https://eclipse2024.org/eclipse-simulator/2024/index.html?city_id=25991

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

I will see about %93 percent if I stay home, well work actually. I'd have to drive about 4 or 5 hours northwest to get into %100 territory. It will come down to the weather for me to decide what I'll do, if it's looking clear I'll probably take my daughter out of school to drive west so we can watch it together.

 

[balrog]

I'm heading to my BIL in Syracuse, and he's picked a state park an hr NW that is on Lake Ontario which I don't think we'll get anywhere NEAR because of it's location in the path of totality but sure. I mean even Syracuse proper will be in the path of totality, so I'm trying to convince him not to drag me another hour away just to be at a spot of longest totality. And thanks for the two links, @day_trippr

 

[day_trippr]

Starship Flight 3 launch might happen next week...

https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-third-test-flight-objectives

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Starship Flight 3 launch might happen next week...

https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-third-test-flight-objectives

I watch the goings on at Starbase just about every day. Mid February, in Florida I was able to see three Falcon 9 launches. It's just incredible everything going on just with SpaceX.

 

[day_trippr]

They have an extraordinarily aggressive schedule for 2024: 148 launches at last count have been booked.
If I lived within eyesight of KSC I'd be in space geek heaven this year

Cheers!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

They have an extraordinarily aggressive schedule for 2024: 148 launches at last count have been booked.
If I lived within eyesight of KSC I'd be in space geek heaven this year

Cheers!

For sure! I have been going to Merritt Island every six now to visit family and I've been fortunate to see at least one launch every trip. Getting over to Starbase would be the ultimate dream!

 

[Konadog]

As long as there night launches, I can watch the West Coast launches from my backyard. Close enough to see but not hear. It never gets old.

Watching a Starship launch would be incredible.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

They sure are busy at the Starbase. Lots going all over the property but especially preparation for a possible launch on March 14. I'll be ready to watch it, hope it's a success!

 

[day_trippr]

Starship launch approved for Thursday March 14 by the FAA. 110 minute launch window opens 8 AM ET.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/world/spacex-starship-test-flight-scn/index.html

And...

 

[passedpawn]

An excellent comparison of engines.

Especially interesting is the choice of fuel (e.g., methane vs RP1 or hydrogen). Mars comes into play. See this @ 29:00:

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Been sitting in front of my screens for an hour now waiting for the blessed event!

ITF-3, yahoo!!

 

[passedpawn]

If you've got a second screen, you can listen to Mr Chatty rambling about space. Live feed that will also show the launch and multiple views.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

If you've got a second screen, you can listen to Mr Chatty rambling about space. Live feed that will also show the launch and multiple views.

That would be great, but the rest of the household wouldn't be so happy! I don't understand why they don't find this so exciting. It's history in the making.

I use my dual 24 inch PC monitors which actually works better for me.

 

[passedpawn]

Thermal camera on starship indicates cold (liquid gas) LOX is being loaded. That's good, must not be any issues to delay launch. Hope weather holds out.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

OMG, what a great day!!

 

[passedpawn]

that plasma burn was nuts. Might have burned up

 

[day_trippr]

There's gonna be a whole lot of explaining what actually happened through the entire mission

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I can't wait to see all the other video as it's processed. Showing pad shots now, crews heading out.

 

[day_trippr]

Been seeing random launch video segments and just now realized the grid fins on the booster were deployed the whole way UP.
Never seen that on the Falcon 9 cores. Wonder if that was an "oops" or somehow part of a testing regimen (stress?)

You can see them at the launch moment and beyond here...



There is so much data to unravel here. I'm hoping SpaceX puts together a coherent and comprehensive time line hopefully with time-matched video...

Cheers!