Since a number of cool things are happening in space exploration these days, we'll widen the scope of this thread a smidge. Conversation about all things space exploration are welcome, whether it be from NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin, or anyone else. Chances are most of the discussion will still be about SpaceX since they love to make things public and fun, but nothing's off limits. I'll eventually get around to modifying the OP to include resources for other companies too, but in the meantime, feel free to post any cool stuff you run across.
Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut) - A "random dude" who got really into space (particularly SpaceX). He's a great resource for simple explanations of this stuff, as well as live hosting launches.
USLaunchReport - Lost of videos of the more mundane stuff (e.g., booster recovery operations). Not a ton of commentary.
NASASpaceFlight - Live hosting of most launches including a ton of video of Starlink operations.
Glossary
Spoiler!
Space discussions tend to get a little bogged down in jargon, so here's a list of terms you might encounter. (Others, please let me know of others that should be added.)
ASDS - Autonomous Spaceport Droneship - The "barges" that they sometimes land rockets on.
Dragon - The cone-shaped capsule that sits at the top of the rocket for ISS-bound launches that holds the cargo (or, in the future, humans).
F9 - Falcon 9, the name of the rocket itself.
FH - Falcon Heavy, the three-booster version.
GTO - Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, a type of orbit that will eventually result in the satellite orbiting the earth as it turns so that it seems to be in the same spot from the ground (such as DirecTV or Dish satellites). These types of launches are particularly challenging because they require a lot of power to get them into the right orbit, leaving very little fuel left for landing.
HIF - Horizontal Integration Facility - the building near the launch pad where they put all of the pieces of the rocket together before rolling it out to the pad.
ISS - The International Space Station
JRTI - Just Read The Instructions, the name of the "barge" that they land on for west-coast launches.
LEO - Low Earth Orbit, a fairly low orbit shared by many satellites and ISS. These launches usually require less power to achieve the proper orbit, so the first stage can often be landed back on land rather than on a drone ship.
LZ1 - Landing Zone 1, basically a big open slab of concrete at Cape Canaveral where the first stage will attempt to land (for some launches).
NET - No Earlier Than, basically the date they're hoping to launch, but rocket launches have a tendency of getting delayed.
OCISLY - Of Course I Still Love You, the name of the "barge" that they land on for east-coast launches.
RTLS - Return to Landing Site, a mission where the first stage comes back and lands at LZ1.
Starship - SpaceX's next-generation rocket (and spacecraft) that will hopefully one day take us to Mars. Starship is the "second stage" that will carry cargo or people, but also refers to the whole system. (It's confusing, but think of it like the Space Shuttle, which was both the shuttle itself and the entire launch system.)
Super Heavy - The giant booster that will carry Starship to space.
Those aerial work platforms are kinda nuts too. Could you imagine being on one of those extended that high? I bet that thing sways like a mofo. [Reply]
Starliner had issues with 13 valves, not just the one they initially reported. They've been able to "coax" open 7 of them so far. This seems like a much larger, systemic problem than just a couple valves failing to open. Their latest update does not engender confidence.
Originally Posted by Boeing: Boeing Advances Starliner Solutions in the Vertical Integration Facility
This weekend, Boeing restored functionality on more of the 13 CST-100 Starliner propulsion system valves that did not open as designed during prelaunch system checks last week.
Boeing has completed physical inspections and chemical sampling on the exterior of a number of the affected valves, which indicated no signs of damage or external corrosion. Test teams are now applying mechanical, electrical and thermal techniques to prompt the valves open. Seven of the 13 valves are now operating as designed, with inspection and remediation of the remaining affected valves to be performed in the days ahead.
Boeing is working a systematic plan to open the affected valves, demonstrate repeatable system performance, and verify the root cause of the issue before returning Starliner to the launch pad for its Orbital Flight Test-2 mission.
The company is assessing multiple launch opportunities for Starliner in August and will work with NASA and United Launch Alliance to confirm those dates when the spacecraft is ready.
Boeing will continue to provide information at www.StarlinerUpdates.com as it becomes available.
So bizarre. What in the world happens to have them just get stuck like that? I hope it's an easy explanation. You wouldn't think you'd still be having issues like this after all of this time. [Reply]
With that many valves, I can only imagine there is a manufacturer's defect in the valves or the valve controls. (yay for a distributed jobs program vs vertically integrated system) I hope that root cause doesn't end up pointing at another dozen valves that operate after launch being a problem too. That could end up as severe as the software issues and end up requiring a significant hardware review that delays Starliner another year. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by unlurking:
I think I'm done with hoping BO turms things around and succeeds. Plenty of other potential competitors outside the likes of Boeing, ULA, LM, and BO.
Yeah, I've tried really hard to be "Team Space," but BO's tantrums and general approach of being obstructive rather than constructive have really turned me off.
I'm still generally a fan of ULA (Tory Bruno is great at least). LM is great at satellites - just not launchers. Boeing is...a mess it seems.
But yeah, beyond those, I'm much more excited to see what the plethora of startups can come up with. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
Yeah, I've tried really hard to be "Team Space," but BO's tantrums and general approach of being obstructive rather than constructive have really turned me off.
I'm still generally a fan of ULA (Tory Bruno is great at least). LM is great at satellites - just not launchers. Boeing is...a mess it seems.
But yeah, beyond those, I'm much more excited to see what the plethora of startups can come up with.
Mostly agree. I like Bruno, but I still can't get over the birth of ULA. It's the "punishment" for the criminal activity of too big too fail corporations. It's just a reminder of the corruption at the top for me. If Shelby and Bezos had a baby, it'd be named ULA.
