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.
I've always casually paid attention to what SpaceX is up to, but I had no idea they were this far along. I'll post a few articles and videos, but here are the high points:
It's a three-stage system, and their goal is that ALL THREE will be 100% reusable, dramatically reducing the cost of space flight.
The crazy thing about that is that the three stages will all land themselves on land (no splashdowns, no parachutes) right back at the launch site.
The passenger module can handle up to seven crew at a time (compared to 3 for the Soyuz), again increasing the ability to move people back and forth easily.
As you might imagine, the technology in this thing is way beyond the Shuttle or Soyuz, so in theory, it'll be considerably safer since it can handle more situations automatically.
Here's the announcement page from SpaceX to get you started.
Here's a test flight of the main rocket landing itself. This one is way cool. I wouldn't have guessed you could have that much control using thrusters on the bottom like that.
Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO:
That cartoon makes me feel a little better about it. Posted via Mobile Device
The rocket test is even more impressive. They are hoping to have these things land themselves so softly that they can reassemble, refuel, and relaunch in only a couple days.
They've got a long way to go, but if they can pull it off, it will DRAMATICALLY decrease the cost of space flight as we know it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
The rocket test is even more impressive. They are hoping to have these things land themselves so softly that they can reassemble, refuel, and relaunch in only a couple days.
They've got a long way to go, but if they can pull it off, it will DRAMATICALLY decrease the cost of space flight as we know it.
Even more impressive is that the engines are 3D printed. I thought I misheard Tony, err, I mean Elon, when he said that.
Originally Posted by 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/4740/spacex-dragon-2-3d-print/
So, how is SpaceX able to produce such a powerful thruster, at minimal costs, and still meet the strict deadlines set by their client, NASA? For one, they use 3D printing. That’s right, the most advanced manufacturer of rockets and spacecraft on the planet, relies on a process called direct metal laser sintering, to create one of the most important components of the SuperDraco thruster, the combustion chamber for the engine. The chambers are 3D printed with a material called Inconel, which is very high performance nickel chromium superalloy, known for its amazing strength and toughness.
