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.
Originally Posted by MagicHef:
If cupola = toilet, does this mean that none of them were able to relieve themselves from 2 hours before launch until later today?
lol, the toilet is on the "ceiling", next to the hatch. The cupola is outside the hatch. The toilet is a vacuum hose/nozzle thing, so AFAIK, you pull the toilet out, stick it where ti goes, stick your head in the cupola, and do your thing. :-)
Here's a good shot of the cupola before it gets mated to Dragon. It's not just a window...
Is this ever going to actually launch? The things we learn from this could lead to some very very exciting things. I'm just skeptical that this thing gets off the ground anytime soon. [Reply]
Originally Posted by unlurking:
lol, the toilet is on the "ceiling", next to the hatch. The cupola is outside the hatch. The toilet is a vacuum hose/nozzle thing, so AFAIK, you pull the toilet out, stick it where ti goes, stick your head in the cupola, and do your thing. :-)
Here's a good shot of the cupola before it gets mated to Dragon. It's not just a window...
The crew of #Inspiration4 had an incredible first day in space! They’ve completed more than 15 orbits around planet Earth since liftoff and made full use of the Dragon cupola. pic.twitter.com/StK4BTWSA6
After three days on-orbit, Dragon and the Inspiration4 crew – the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit – will return to Earth on September 18, splashing down at approximately 7:06 p.m. EDT in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
SpaceX’s webcast for return of Dragon and the Inspiration4 crew will go live about 1 hour before splashdown. [Reply]
As the torch is slowly passed from government to big business in space exploration I'm curious what people think. Good thing? Bad thing?
I know it's inevitable. It was always an eventuality - just like trains, trucks, or sea vessels. Eventually business would surpass govt. in space as well. But we're here to be living in it at the moment when it's happening. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rausch:
As the torch is slowly passed from government to big business in space exploration I'm curious what people think. Good thing? Bad thing?
I know it's inevitable. It was always an eventuality - just like trains, trucks, or sea vessels. Eventually business would surpass govt. in space as well. But we're here to be living in it at the moment when it's happening.
Both have their place. NASA sucks at developing launchers. Let them focus on science. [Reply]
