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.
Agreed. Was disappointed they didn't show it. Also wanted to watch any fairing recovery attempts, but have not seen any update on that so not sure if there was one. [Reply]
Static fire test of a Falcon Heavy side booster completed in McGregor, TX last week. This booster previously launched Thaicom 8. pic.twitter.com/nWrNCXtu13
Yeah, that's the second time they've tested that core with the booster nose cone in place. The first time was a couple months ago if I remember right. Curious as to why they are doing it again, after putting the main core on the stand and testing it. Still waiting for a static fire of the other booster. Wonder if the center core and second side booster will get tested twice.
Really can't wait for the full stack test fire at KSC! They better have some seriously awesome video of that! [Reply]
I'm curious when they do those static fires if they have the booster anchored down enough to be able to hold down a full thrust, and if so, what sort of lockdown that takes to hold that mother down. Either that or the fire is a fraction of the full blown version? [Reply]
Originally Posted by allen_kcCard:
I'm curious when they do those static fires if they have the booster anchored down enough to be able to hold down a full thrust, and if so, what sort of lockdown that takes to hold that mother down. Either that or the fire is a fraction of the full blown version?
/r/SpaceX has some great discussion on stuff like this. You'll find this very topic being talked about in the current top 2 threads. From this one...
Originally Posted by /u/SuperSMT:
Yes, they do test at the full thrust of a launch. They use very strong clamps at the base of the rocket that hold on to the structure just above the engines. Here's what they look like.
For long duration tests at McGregor, they'll also put a heavy weight on top of the rocket, tied to the ground with long cables. As the fuel runs out on a long test, the rocket's thrust to weight ratio greatly increases, so extra hold down strength is needed.
Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting June 1 launch from historic Pad 39A for Dragon’s next resupply mission to the @Space_Stationpic.twitter.com/LjG6JdVtCo