SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Cool Congratulations!
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Hubble is having computer problems. Click the link for details; prognosis is uncertain. I just dropped in to quote this gem:
Both computers can access and use any of four independent memory modules, which each contain 64K of Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) memory. The payload computer uses only one memory module operationally at a time, with the other three serving as backups.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Yay for 1980s tech.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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More goings on at Boca Chica: Orbital Demo the goal amid potential SN16 hypersonic test
As the Launch Integration Tower at the Orbital Launch Site (OLS) continues to grow, Elon Musk has intimated a potential interim test with Starship SN16.

As SN16 was rolled out of the High Bay towards the scrapyard, most believed that confirmed that the next vehicle to roll down Highway 4 to the launch site would be the Super Heavy and Starship tasked with the first orbital attempt. However, Musk soon tweeted SpaceX might use SN16 on a hypersonic flight test.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by Isgrimnur »

Guardian
Dozens of baby squid from Hawaii are aboard the International Space Station, for a study which scientists hope can help bolster human health during long space missions.

The baby Hawaiian bobtail squid were raised at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory at the University of Hawaii, then blasted into space earlier this month on a SpaceX resupply mission.

Researcher Jamie Foster, who completed her doctorate at the University of Hawaii, is studying how spaceflight affects the squid, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
...
The Kewalo Marine Laboratory breeds the squid for research projects around the world. The tiny animals are plentiful in Hawaiian waters and are about 3in long as adults. The squid will come back to Earth in July.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Tide to develop first laundry detergent for astronauts' clothing on space station
Like the hundreds of astronauts and cosmonauts who have lived in space before them, the crew members on the International Space Station do not have the ability to clean their clothes. Research has been done using antimicrobial fabrics to combat body odors, but in general, space station residents wear the same clothes several times before discarding them for a new set.

Without a laundry solution on board, 160 lbs. (72.5 kg) of clothing per crew member per year are launched to the space station. Here, Expedition 26 flight engineer Cady Coleman unpacks new clothes on the space station in 2010.
Image

The more limited cargo capacity anticipated for deep-space missions, such as NASA's near-term Artemis moon missions and eventual flights to Mars, makes the practice of replenishing clothing more challenging.

In addition to logistics concerns, though, detergents to be used in space need to be compatible with the spacecraft's life-support systems; the limited amount of water available per wash load; and the constraint that the wash water be purified back to drinking-quality water. In response, Tide has developed a fully degradable detergent — specifically designed to solve malodor, cleanliness and stain removal problems for washable items used during deep space missions — while being suitable for use in a closed-loop water system.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Some scientists wondered how many stars would have been able to detect the Earth within the past 5,000 years (i.e., since civilization began), how many of those have potentially habitable planets, and how many of those are close enough to have detected our radio signals.
The scientists identified 1,715 star systems in our cosmic neighbourhood where alien observers could have discovered Earth in the past 5,000 years by watching it “transit” across the face of the sun.

Among those in the right position to observe an Earth transit, 46 star systems are close enough for their planets to intercept a clear signal of human existence – the radio and TV broadcasts which started about 100 years ago.

The researchers estimate that 29 potentially habitable planets are well positioned to witness an Earth transit, and eavesdrop on human radio and television transmissions, allowing any observers to infer perhaps a modicum of intelligence. Whether the broadcasts would compel an advanced civilisation to make contact is a moot point.
29 seems like a lot until you think about the stretch between "potentially habitable" to "has a technological civilization."
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Cool SpaceX launch happened this afternoon, the Transporter 2 mission. Supposedly only the third launch from the Cape since 1969 to be headed onto a southern trajectory for a polar orbit.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a dedicated rideshare to SSO (Sun Synchronous Orbit). It will debut two different orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) for the first time, including an industry’s first-ever electric propulsion vehicle, Sherpa-LTE by Spaceflight. There will be eighty-eight (88) satellites onboard the mission, designated Transporter 2. The Falcon 9 supporting this mission will be its eighth flight and potential landing. RTLS is planned for LZ-1 (LC-13).
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Additionally for the first time in a long while the booster flew back to land on the Cape rather than a drone ship. It was easily visible from the mainland and made a nice boom too :D
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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From NASASpaceflight.com, 50 years later: Remembering the mission, sacrifice of the Soyuz 11 crew

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On the morning of June 30, 1971, near sunrise on the steppes of Kazakhstan, recovery crews prepared to receive the crew of Soyuz 11, which had completed a successful 24-day mission to the world’s first space station: Salyut 1. The Soviet leadership and public were eager to welcome cosmonauts Georgi Dobrovolski, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev home after they broke the world spaceflight endurance record of 18 days, set a year earlier by their countrymen aboard Soyuz 9.

The Soyuz 11 descent module’s parachute system started to deploy as planned, at approximately 10 kilometers in altitude, and the main parachute deployed nominally. There had not been communications with the crew since before the deorbit burn, but ground crews were preparing for what they expected would be a nominal return from orbit.

The descent module completed a nominal touchdown at the landing site east of Dzhezkazgan, an area still used today for Soyuz landings. The spacecraft landed on its side on a beautiful day with a clear sky with recovery forces in a good position to receive the crew. The recovery teams proceeded to safe the spacecraft and opened the hatch.

What they found inside Soyuz 11 would shock and devastate them, with severe consequences to the Soviet program, and would spawn safety modifications and equipment that are in use in the present day.

Soyuz 11’s three person crew were dead.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by AWS260 »

This is pretty cool.
Mary Wallace Funk, an 82-year-old pilot who was prevented from becoming an astronaut in the 1960s because of her sex, will join Jeff Bezos on his rocket ship company’s first human flight into space, the company announced on Thursday.
***
Ms. Funk, who goes by Wally, was one of 13 American women who went through a rigorous astronaut-training program in the 1960s to determine whether women were fit for space. Despite testing just as well as men at the time, none ever became astronauts: The program was privately funded and not recognized by NASA. More important, NASA was accepting only trained fighter-jet pilots — a job open only to men — as candidates to become astronauts at that time, according to History.com. It wasn’t until 1983, five years after the fighter-pilot requirement was lifted, that the United States sent its first woman, Sally Ride, into space.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by Kraken »

Scott Manly takes a deep dive into Hubble's ongoing computer problems. The computer nerds among us will like this.

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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Frankenstein star could be on the brink of a startling transformation

It's the size of our moon, but more massive than the sun.

Enlarge Image
The cosmic zombie — an embering core of a dead star, or a white dwarf — is about the size of Earth's moon, making it the smallest white dwarf ever found. Despite being tiny, with a radius of 2,670 miles (4,300 kilometers) compared to our sun's 432,470-mile (696,000 km) radius, the stellar corpse has a ginormous mass of about 1.35 times that of the sun.

Dubbed ZTF J190132.9+145808.7, the white dwarf is located about 130 light-years from Earth; and it is rotating super fast, completing a full revolution every 6.9 minutes. Perhaps even weirder, the star's magnetic field is up to 1 billion times stronger than that of Earth’s at its surface, or 900 times the strength of the sun’s magnetic field.
Scientists believe that the dense, smoldering zombie is shrinking. This could mean that it's about to explode, or more surprisingly, transform itself into a very different type of undead star that’s usually created only by a supernova: a neutron star.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Today is the tenth anniversary of the last space shuttle launch. I was there in the Launch Control Center (LCC) like I was for the previous 134 launches.

Ten years... it seems like another lifetime... :?
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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jztemple2 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:50 pm Today is the tenth anniversary of the last space shuttle launch. I was there in the Launch Control Center (LCC) like I was for the previous 134 launches.

Ten years... it seems like another lifetime... :?
Did you imagine then that the US would be without its own crewed orbital launch capability for nearly that whole time?
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Kraken wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:46 pm
jztemple2 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:50 pm Today is the tenth anniversary of the last space shuttle launch. I was there in the Launch Control Center (LCC) like I was for the previous 134 launches.

Ten years... it seems like another lifetime... :?
Did you imagine then that the US would be without its own crewed orbital launch capability for nearly that whole time?
The last few years before the final flight there were so many programs, studies and initiatives started, delayed and/or cancelled that it did seem like NASA wasn't going to get a decent new vehicle for quite a while. I remember particularly the Ares I program that spent over five billion dollars for a crewed capsule to be launched on top of a Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) :shock: that at its first test launch had already been cancelled.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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jztemple2 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:47 pm
Kraken wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:46 pm
jztemple2 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:50 pm Today is the tenth anniversary of the last space shuttle launch. I was there in the Launch Control Center (LCC) like I was for the previous 134 launches.

Ten years... it seems like another lifetime... :?
Did you imagine then that the US would be without its own crewed orbital launch capability for nearly that whole time?
The last few years before the final flight there were so many programs, studies and initiatives started, delayed and/or cancelled that it did seem like NASA wasn't going to get a decent new vehicle for quite a while. I remember particularly the Ares I program that spent over five billion dollars for a crewed capsule to be launched on top of a Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) :shock: that at its first test launch had already been cancelled.
Well, as it turned out, the commercial crew program gave us a better vehicle for the job than the NASA-industry complex would've done, and at a bargain price. I'm speaking of Dragon, but also looking ahead to Starship. I was skeptical for a bunch of reasons that turned out to be wrong. Would Boeing and Lockheed Martin ever have come up with reusable boosters and the "fail fast" development philosophy?

Artemis is going to be a beautiful moon rocket when it finally flies, but SLS/Orion is the pinnacle of a dead end.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Kraken wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:52 pm Artemis is going to be a beautiful moon rocket when it finally flies, but SLS/Orion is the pinnacle of a dead end.
I can't disagree with you there. SLS is a make work program to keep the voters happy.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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jztemple2 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 10:33 pm
Kraken wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:52 pm Artemis is going to be a beautiful moon rocket when it finally flies, but SLS/Orion is the pinnacle of a dead end.
I can't disagree with you there. SLS is a make work program to keep the voters happy.
To keep the congresscritters happy, is more like it. The pork must flow. Most voters are only peripherally aware of the moon program and probably half of them would rather "spend the money here on Earth," although we'll all enjoy the spectacle if it succeeds. (I consider that a big IF since Artemis only gets to fly twice before we go for the marbles.)
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Zounds, I am in a quandary! Do I buy my next flight on Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin? Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin throws shade at Virgin Galactic ahead of Richard Branson's launch
The battle of which billionaire-backed space company can fly higher is on.

As the suborbital spaceflight company Virgin Galactic counts down to the launch of its billionaire founder Richard Branson on Sunday (July 11), its biggest competitor Blue Origin, which will launch its own founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos on July 20, is ramping up its opposition marketing.

Blue Origin announced its launch date in May and auctioned off a ride to space from West Texas with Bezos for $28 million last month. On July 1, Virgin Galactic announced its own launch of Branson, three crewmates and two pilots. Their liftoff from the skies over New Mexico will be a full 9 days ahead of Blue Origin.

So it's no surprise if Blue Origin is a bit miffed to be beat.


Apparently no one has heard of SpaceX :wink:

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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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SpaceX prepares for first Super Heavy static fire
SpaceX is readying for the first static firing of Raptor engines connected to the base of a Super Heavy booster, known as Booster 3. The test is a critical step in verifying and validating Super Heavy’s initial design for the first series of test boosters, including Booster 4, which is expected to launch Ship 20 on the Starship system’s first orbital flight attempt later this year.

The static fire is currently expected no earlier than Wednesday, 14 July, and will mark the first time SpaceX attempts to put a Super Heavy booster through a full ground test campaign. With a new component of the Starship system, differences are expected in the fueling process from what was seen with the “Ship” portions of the Starship system.
By the way, in case you ever want to see what is going on at Boca Chica, here's a live camera view. There are also a number of other live camera available.

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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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SpaceX welcomes A Shortfall of Gravitas, shuffles Of Course I Still Love You west
On the morning of July 15, SpaceX’s long awaited droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas sailed into Port Canaveral, Florida. The vessel will bring the number of Florida-based droneships back to two following the relocation of Of Course I Still Love You to the west coast, allowing for more frequent launches of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Children of the Apollo astronauts reminisce. As a fellow child who was looking in from outside, I found it moving. (Haven't read Part 2 yet.)
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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It's almost as if people are the problem.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by stessier »

New Shepard had a successful flight today.

I was surprised with how short it was.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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I am also begrudgingly impressed.

It's also funny how un-cool Bezos made it all look compared to Elon. Blue Origin rocket looks like a big dirty dong, and the command center is full of used office furniture. Even so, self landing boosters are cool.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Archinerd wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 9:39 amI am also begrudgingly impressed.
Good way of putting this. I'm not a Bezos fan by any means but anything to push the envelope is welcome.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Yeah, if I were a gazillionaire I'd have my own space program, too.

When I was in my 20s and the space shuttle was brand new, I remember telling some friends that if space tourism became a thing in my lifetime, I'd spend my life savings on a ticket to orbit, even if it meant giving up retirement. Well, here we are, and with tourism and retirement both looming, I feel a little different about it. I could buy a suborbital ticket without entirely wiping out my life's savings, but it would be a big enough hit to make me poor again...and a few minutes of weightlessness with a stunning view isn't worth that.

Now, open an orbital hotel at a price point I could cover, and I might be tempted to throw it all away for the adventure of a lifetime. But that's going to be the playground of the very rich for the foreseeable future.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Kraken wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:32 am Yeah, if I were a gazillionaire I'd have my own space program, too.

When I was in my 20s and the space shuttle was brand new, I remember telling some friends that if space tourism became a thing in my lifetime, I'd spend my life savings on a ticket to orbit, even if it meant giving up retirement. Well, here we are, and with tourism and retirement both looming, I feel a little different about it. I could buy a suborbital ticket without entirely wiping out my life's savings, but it would be a big enough hit to make me poor again...and a few minutes of weightlessness with a stunning view isn't worth that.

Now, open an orbital hotel at a price point I could cover, and I might be tempted to throw it all away for the adventure of a lifetime. But that's going to be the playground of the very rich for the foreseeable future.
I'm certainly not in a position to pay for a suborbital flight, let alone an orbital hotel. But there are definitely cheaper ways to get the same feeling IMHO. Watching an actual launch is really cool and within the realm of possibility. You just need to know when the next scheduled launch is. Driving out to a really dark area and seeing a clear moonless sky at night is also a great way to connect to space. And a ticket on the Vomit Comet is only about 5k.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Regardless of the whole "this is just for bored billionaires" aspect, I do think it's pretty cool we just simultaneously had the youngest and oldest humans in space. And that the oldest person is Wally Funk (who totally deserved the trip) is awesome.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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For the curious (like me)- the Mercury 13 (of which Wally Funk was one).
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Thoughtful article by Eric Berger at Ars about the flight and how it and Blue Origin fit into the grander scheme. It's... not particularly kind to BO, but deservedly so. Hopefully the rate of progress heads upward from here.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Good column, thanks for linking.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

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Oregon congressman proposes new space tourism tax
People who buy joyrides to the final frontier could soon find an additional charge on their bill.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) plans to introduce legislation called the Securing Protections Against Carbon Emissions (SPACE) Tax Act, which would impose new excise taxes on space tourism trips.

"Space exploration isn't a tax-free holiday for the wealthy. Just as normal Americans pay taxes when they buy airline tickets, billionaires who fly into space to produce nothing of scientific value should do the same, and then some," Blumenauer said in a statement issued by his office.

"I'm not opposed to this type of space innovation," added Blumenauer, a senior member of the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee. "However, things that are done purely for tourism or entertainment, and that don't have a scientific purpose, should in turn support the public good."
I was going to make a comment on this, but I'm trying to stay away from R&P catagorization :wink:
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by Sudy »

Well, the silver lining is if these billionaires perish while in flight, their disgusting and criminal wealth will be redistributed to the needy masses because: space law.

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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by Unagi »

So the millionaire just brings up some baking soda and vinegar, and bypasses the “no science !?” tax...
Right?
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by jztemple2 »

Unagi wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:12 am So the millionaire just brings up some baking soda and vinegar, and bypasses the “no science !?” tax...
Right?
They can just let their money rolls float around in zero-G to demonstrate weightlessness :wink:
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by Unagi »

I’m sure Elon Musk would be willing to test out a zero-gravity bong.
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Re: SPACE - random thread about space stuff

Post by Jaymann »

Here is the best, most comprehensive documentary I have seen on evidence that the moon landings were faked. It's 3 hours long, but trashes all the debunking arguments, including Mythbusters. Feel free to dismiss out of hand, but if you actually watch it you might find that difficult to do. Also find it interesting that YouTube made it difficult to find even though they are awash with flat earth garbage. :ninja:

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