SPACE - random thread about space stuff

[jztemple2]

There's a lot of Russian hardware in the ISS. Are they going to disable it on their way out of the airlock?

That's a good question. Right now in spite of international tensions things are still going pretty calmly on the ISS front, as noted the US and Russia are even exchanging astronaut/cosmonaut rides. I suspect that over the next two years NASA and Roscosmos will work out a deal about what Russian hardware will be turned over and what the US will pay for it. And things might change over the next two years in Russia and they might decide against their own space station after all.

[Max Peck]

It's hard to see how Russia would find the resources to put up their own station. Regardless of what the new management is saying, I'd expect it's more likely that they enter a partnership with China and contribute to the Chinese station.

[Kraken]

Where's James Oberg these days? He always spoke gospel about the Soviet space program. Wiki tells me he's still alive, but jamesoberg.com looks pretty moribund...I guess he retired?

[Daehawk]

Russia is doing all it can to shoot itself in the head but it keeps missing the target. China has overreached itself and what it did build up is made of straw so I expect them to implode soon enough.

[jztemple2]

China has overreached itself and what it did build up is made of straw so I expect them to implode soon enough.

China already has a functioning space station and some impressive moon projects. Also a healthy economy and a much better national focus on space. And they are working on a fully reusable booster. Don't sell them short.

[Kraken]

China has overreached itself and what it did build up is made of straw so I expect them to implode soon enough.

China already has a functioning space station and some impressive moon projects. Also a healthy economy and a much better national focus on space. And they are working on a fully reusable booster. Don't sell them short.

Don't forget a functioning Mars rover. China was late to the party, but as an authoritarian state their program is insulated from funding vagaries and political winds. Russia should be so lucky as to partner with the Chinese.

[jztemple2]

Starlink service endangered by proposed 5G plan, SpaceX says

SpaceX is fighting against a possible regulatory change, saying it could cripple the company's Starlink satellite-internet business.

The potential change involves the 12 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band, which SpaceX's Starlink spacecraft and many other satellites use to beam data to the ground. 

Early last year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began thinking about opening the band up for extensive terrestrial use, as The Verge noted. Dish Network has thrown its hat into this ring, proposing to use the 12 GHz band for its new 5G network. 

[Daehawk]

Has anyone actually seen real photos and videos of this Chinese space stuff? The station and rover stuff. All Ive ever seen them promote is CGI. Seems a bit fishy.

[Max Peck]

[Daehawk]

mmm those are all quick cut shots. Could be done on a mocked up vomit comet plane.

[Max Peck]

[Kraken]

Interesting that their new science module has a "floor" with foot grips. AFAIK this is the first space station designed with a clear "up" and "down."

[stessier]

mmm those are all quick cut shots. Could be done on a mocked up vomit comet plane.

It's not like we can't track it.

https://www.astroviewer.net/iss/en/position-css.php

[Daehawk]

So does this mean they have that base on the dark side of the moon too?

[jztemple2]

Final Work Continues to Ready Artemis I Moon Rocket for Launch

With approximately one month until NASA’s first launch attempt for the Artemis I mission, teams move closer to finishing operations for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is currently targeting launch for no earlier than Monday, Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT during a 2 hour window. A successful launch on Aug. 29 would result in a mission duration of about 42 days, returning Monday, Oct. 10. Engineers continue to progress through first time operations and are prepared learn and adapt along the way. Teams have planned accordingly with additional launch opportunities on Sept. 2 and Sept. 5 if more than one launch attempt is needed.

[Daehawk]

Final Work Continues to Ready Artemis I Moon Rocket for Launch

With approximately one month until NASA’s first launch attempt for the Artemis I mission, teams move closer to finishing operations for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is currently targeting launch for AFTER Monday, Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT during a 2 hour window. A successful launch on Aug. 29 would result in a mission duration of about 42 days, returning Monday, Oct. 10. Engineers continue to progress through first time operations and are prepared TO learn and adapt along the way. Teams have planned accordingly with additional launch opportunities on Sept. 2 and Sept. 5 if more than one launch attempt is needed.

I get tired of reading stuff from professionals that make my brain hurt.

[Max Peck]

Russia: We’re not leaving the Space Station until our own is ready

Earlier this week, Russia indicated that it was not extending the current cooperation agreement for the International Space Station, which expires in 2024, and would be departing the project after that. Nearly everyone noticed that there was no actual departure date specified, leaving open the possibility that it would continue its participation without a formal agreement in place. That now seems to be what will happen.

Reuters is reporting that a senior NASA official has indicated that Russia will continue to operate its portion of the ISS until it has its own station in orbit, something that's currently targeted for 2028. Earlier statements from Russian officials indicated that construction of that station would be started in 2024 but had not provided a completion date. On Wednesday, Roscosmos also posted a video indicating that completion would come in 2028, and the agency would "need to continue operating the ISS" until that date.

Given that it's extremely unlikely that Russia will manage to get a station built at all while under severe sanctions, this raises the prospect that Roscosmos will have no alternatives in orbit until after 2030, the year NASA has targeted for ending occupation of its portion of the ISS.

[jztemple2]

Space Coast’s first double launch day targeting Aug. 4

Over 30 launches have blasted off from the Atlantic coast of Florida in 2022, but later this week, those on the Space Coast may get to see a glimpse of the future.

First, ULA will launch the sixth and final Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO 6) spacecraft on behalf of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) sometime between 6:29 a.m. and 7:09 a.m. EDT. That Atlas V launch will be followed roughly 12 hours later by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter around 7 p.m.

[Daehawk]

Parts of the moon may provide stable temperatures for humans, researchers find

In early human history, caves provided people with protection from the elements and a place to call home. Now, similar formations on the moon could provide pioneering astronauts with a lunar safe haven, thanks to their Earth-like temperatures.

The moon has pits with shaded areas that steadily hover around 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius), a temperate range that's stable for humans, found researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles. The journal Geophysical Research Letters published the study in July.

These pit craters, which may potentially lead to caves that could also provide human shelter, have temperatures that could make lunar exploration and long-term human habitation on the moon safer, as scientists would be able to set up thermally stable base camps.

[Isgrimnur]

I wouldn't trust any habitat on the Moon that's not designed for full temperature exposure. While it might be nice to conserve resources, planning on it is not planning enough.

[jztemple2]

SpaceX's activities near a Texas beach spark appeal after court dismisses lawsuit

A dispute concerning SpaceX facilities and access to a nearby Texas beach is once again before the courts.

The Sierra Club and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of South Texas jointly appealed the 445th District Court's decision July 7 to dismiss a lawsuit concerning SpaceX testing of its next-generation Starship vehicle closing nearby Boca Chica Beach, the coalition said July 28.

In the dismissal, Judge Gloria Rincones argued there is "no private right of enforcement" concerning the beach access, according to KRGV.com. The dismissal took place over the appellants' protests that closing the beach violates the Texas state constitution, along with access rights by traditional groups.

At some point all these legal maneuverings are going to be affecting Starship development, which NASA needs for its moon lander program. Might the federal government step in?

The knock-on effect of all this might be a decision by SpaceX to accelerate work at the Kennedy Space Center for building, testing and launching the Starship.

[jztemple2]

You can watch 4 different rocket launches in free webcasts Thursday

Rocket fans, rejoice! If you're a fan of spaceflight, then Thursday (Aug. 4) will be a banner day with no less than four different rockets launching missions off planet Earth.

Rockets built by Rocket Lab, the United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and SpaceX will launch into space (if all goes well). The China National Space Administration may also launch two rockets of its own on Thursday, according to some media reports.

[Isgrimnur]

Am I weird that, as much as I love space science and exploration, just about the last things I want to do are stargaze or watch a rocket launch?

[jztemple2]

Am I weird that, as much as I love space science and exploration, just about the last things I want to do are stargaze or watch a rocket launch?

Nope. Stars and galaxies all look pretty much the same after a while for me. And while I'm interested in rocket launches from a technical and professional standpoint, I've seen enough of them that I'm not going out of my way to watch one. Mind you, I literally just have to walk out the door to see one, but I rarely do now.

[Sudy]

Deep-sky objects and layman-translated physics fill me with wonder and I can't get enough. But I find rocketry no more interesting than any topic. I do appreciate that's the first step in getting further out there. But I guess there's a lot of difference between interest in the destination and interest in the transportation. They just converge, and for a lot of curious minds they may be equal.

Stargazing and rocket... gazing... require a lot of patient observation. These days I just don't think I have the attention span for it. I like having 6.5 millions Wikipedia articles at my fingertips, and being able to find a lifetime's worth of video content on Youtube. Why not both, though? I'd buy a computerized telescope if I could afford it. (Though I think seeing distant objects in real time would freak me the hell out.) If I was in town during a launch I would consider going. Though I guess everything gets boring after you've seen it a few times.

[Kraken]

I was born six months before the dawn of the Space Age, and I was fascinated with all things spaceflight from the time I could understand it. One of my earliest memories is of my parents taking me outdoors one evening to show me Echo 1 passing overhead. It was just a big mylar sphere to bounce radio signals off of, but being highly reflective it was bright. "See that moving star? People made that." I thought it was better than God's stars because it moved.

Satellite launches were humdrum compared to manned spaceflight, though. I followed every launch I could from Gemini through the early shuttle program. (I was still too young to be more than dimly aware of Project Mercury.) Apart from deep space probes, it was sad that unmanned launches regained the spotlight after the shuttles were retired. SpaceX finally made those interesting again. But once they perfected booster landings, they stopped being watch-worthy.

I've never seen a launch in person.

So now that I'm near the end of my lifespan, crewed launches to the ISS are routine again and lunar missions are on the horizon. I hope to live long enough to see Artemis 3 land on the moon, assuming 1 and 2 go off without a hitch, but even that will just reprise something we did 60 years earlier. My stretch goal is seeing SpaceX send humans to Mars. That would be a great way to end a life that started with the Space Age.

[jztemple2]

I've never seen a launch in person.

The Artemis I launch is scheduled for the end of this month. You can joined the 100,00 other people expected

[coopasonic]

I really like Kerbal Space Program. I have no real understanding or appreciation of the value of space exploration. I think my STEM leanings are more practical.

[Zaxxon]

I really like Kerbal Space Program. I have no real understanding or appreciation of the value of space exploration. I think my STEM leanings are more practical.

Zoom out far enough on the timeline, and it's the apex of practicality.

[raydude]

Parts of the moon may provide stable temperatures for humans, researchers find

In early human history, caves provided people with protection from the elements and a place to call home. Now, similar formations on the moon could provide pioneering astronauts with a lunar safe haven, thanks to their Earth-like temperatures.

The moon has pits with shaded areas that steadily hover around 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius), a temperate range that's stable for humans, found researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles. The journal Geophysical Research Letters published the study in July.

These pit craters, which may potentially lead to caves that could also provide human shelter, have temperatures that could make lunar exploration and long-term human habitation on the moon safer, as scientists would be able to set up thermally stable base camps.

Nice, I had a feeling it was going to be DIVINER. I work on that as well, developing the software that bins and grids DIVINER data onto spatial and temporal temperature maps. David Paige is great. When he talks in person he sounds like a quintessential California dude. Fun fact about LRO, it is currently on its 4th extended mission and this fall will be going into its 5th extended mission. It is one of those NASA spacecraft that just will not die.

[jztemple2]

Cape Canaveral on the cusp of new records amid blistering launch rate

With two rockets from industry rivals United Launch Alliance and SpaceX ready for liftoff just 12 hours apart Thursday, the Cape Canaveral spaceport is poised to surpass the record for most missions in a year to fly into orbit from its launch pads. The launch day doubleheader would also mark the shortest span between two space launches from Florida’s Space Coast since 1967.

ULA and SpaceX, the two launch companies with the biggest presence on the Space Coast, are scheduled to launch rockets Thursday morning and Thursday evening from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The U.S. Space Force, which runs the Eastern Range that oversees public safety for launches out of Florida’s Space Coast, has been ready to support two launches in a single day for at least a couple of years. Space Launch Delta 45, formerly the 45th Space Wing, has upgraded infrastructure, streamlined operations, and encouraged rocket companies to switch to autonomous flight safety systems to help shorten the time needed between launches.

[jztemple2]

NASA moon contractor Masten Space Systems files for bankruptcy: reports

One of the companies NASA tasked with a robotic moon landing has filed for bankruptcy.

California-based Masten Space Systems made a Chapter 11 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, according to multiple media reports.

The company is one of five firms that won NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) awards to deliver research payloads to the surface of the moon in support of future human landings under the agency's Artemis program. (Separately, Masten was also working on a system to mine water ice on the moon using rockets, in collaboration with Lunar Outpost and Honeybee Robotics.)

[Daehawk]

I still giggle when I read 'space force'.

[jztemple2]

NASA's Artemis 1 moon rocket to roll out Aug. 18 for lunar launch

NASA's ambitious Artemis 1 moon mission is go to return to the pad, one last time, ahead of launch.

The Artemis 1 stack will make the roughly 4-mile (6.4 kilometers) journey from Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on Aug. 18, NASA confirmed on Friday (Aug. 5). The rollout will keep Artemis 1 on track to launch on a weeks-long uncrewed journey around the moon no earlier than Aug. 29.

[Isgrimnur]

Newsweek

A prominent French physicist has apologized after making a light-hearted joke in which he claimed that a slice of chorizo sausage was in fact a James Webb Space Telescope photo of Earth's nearest star.
...

[Hrdina]

Man, I could go for some Space Chorizo right now.

[jztemple2]

NASA opens up Artemis moon missions to all astronauts

The Artemis Team is no more.

NASA will consider every agency astronaut for Artemis moon missions when it makes seat assignments, the agency announced Friday (Aug. 8). This initiative rolls back a 2020 announcement that selected 18 astronauts for these missions, which NASA then called "the Artemis Team."

"The way I look at it, any one of our 42 active astronauts is eligible for an Artemis mission," NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, who is head of the astronaut office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, told reporters during a livestreamed briefing Friday. "We want to assemble the right team for this mission."

[Holman]

Am I weird that, as much as I love space science and exploration, just about the last things I want to do are stargaze or watch a rocket launch?

As far as stargazing goes, one of the most profound sights I've ever seen is the night sky far away from urban light pollution.

Looking up and realizing what's actually out there is mind-expanding. Modern electric infrastructure, for all the good it has done, has robbed most of us of that.

[jztemple2]

Watch NASA's next-generation lunar Gateway space station build up in concept video

Like a celestial Lego set, a new NASA video shows parts of a lunar station coming together.

Gateway, a space station which will support the Artemis human missions to the moon, will require several assembly missions, shown in detail in a new YouTube video from the NASA Johnson Space Center.

The new moon-orbiting station will host crews only occasionally, making it distinct from the International Space Station (ISS) that has hosted crews continuously since 2000. But both stations share the capability of rapid assembly by astronauts and machines.

As seen in the video, Gateway's tenure will begin with a power and propulsion element, supplied by Maxar Technologies, docking with a habitation and logistics outpost from Northrop Grumman. Following these, the first crew will come, along with a European Space Agency-supplied I-Hab (habitat module).

The video then shows the sequence of human missions and other elements that will be arriving on the space station, notably including the Canadarm3 robotic arm from the Canadian Space Agency, built by MDA.

Gateway will be used as a supply station for missions to the moon, although NASA has removed it from the "critical path" for the very first missions.

The first mission in the Artemis series, an uncrewed test flight dubbed Artemis 1, will blast off as soon as Aug. 29. Artemis 2, a moon-orbiting mission with humans, is scheduled for 2024 and Artemis 3, a crewed landing mission, no earlier than 2025.

Looks like an awful lot of spinning plates to me.

[jztemple2]

A view of tonight's Falcon 9 launch from the Cape