Space News thread

[Takeovers]

The unmanned test flight of the SpaceX crew Dragon will launch 1 hour from now, at 2:49 Florida time.

Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon on the pad.

[Takeovers]

Live coverage has started. SpaceX and NASA have the same stream. For me NASA is slightly behind.

SpaceX live stream



NASA TV

https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#public

[harrybarracuda]

Elon Musk sent a $100K Tesla Roadster to space a year ago. It has now traveled farther than any other car in history.


https://www.businessinsider.com/elon...19-2?r=US&IR=T

[Takeovers]

Crew Dragon launch was a success. It is expected to dock to the ISS in 24 hours, will be broadcasted live on NASA TV.

Elon Musk sent a $100K Tesla Roadster to space a year ago. It has now traveled farther than any other car in history.


https://www.businessinsider.com/elon...19-2?r=US&IR=T

Can't wait for them actually landing a Tesla powered vehicle on Mars. If all goes well that could happen in 2022. Of course everything going well never happens, so it will be a little later.

I like to point out this was not just any Tesla car. It was the one Elon Musk used to drive in.

[Takeovers]

The High Tech Zero G indicator, copied from Soyuz, they always have one on every launch. Not this blue earth one, but similar.







When it starts floating they have Zero G.

The astronaut in the back is Ripley of "Alien" fame. A test dummy equipped with sensors to record launch stresses.

[Luigi]

Certainly looks more spacious and comfortable than what's currently being used.

[OhOh]

There doesn't appear to be one switch, knob or dial. Is the intention there is no crew interaction, it's all controlled automatically or from an earth control room?

[Topper]

There doesn't appear to be one switch, knob or dial. Is the intention there is no crew interaction, it's all controlled automatically or from an earth control room?

I was wondering the same thing...

[Takeovers]

There doesn't appear to be one switch, knob or dial. Is the intention there is no crew interaction, it's all controlled automatically or from an earth control room?

SpaceX did not want any controls, and so did to my knowledge Boeing. But NASA insisted on them. NASA astronauts can not be passengers, the Astronaut office demands they are in control. So some photos of the control panel. It is limited but fulfills the demands of the Astronaut office.





The panels can be pivoted out of range towards the ceiling, so you don't see them in this shot. I guess these pictures are not high quality intentionally.

Edit: These pictures are quite new, there are older, different versions. But even those two are not identical.

BTW, you probably know that the SpaceShuttle did its very first flight manned, which was very dangerous. This was due to the Astronaut office demanding that it must be designed in a way that it can not fly fully automated. Astronauts have to be indispensible. In contrast the Soviet Buran, their version of a Shuttle, was able to fly unmanned.

[Looper]

This was due to the Astronaut office demanding that it must be designed in a way that it can not fly fully automated. Astronauts have to be indispensible. In contrast the Soviet Buran, their version of a Shuttle, was able to fly unmanned.

[Luigi]

NASA insisted on them. NASA astronauts can not be passengers, the Astronaut office demands they are in control.

That's a bit uppity from them, considering they haven't got their own transportation and are hitching a ride off others.

[Takeovers]

That's a bit uppity from them, considering they haven't got their own transportation and are hitching a ride off others.

NASA pay for the development, that gives them some leverage. But according to, I believe it was the GAO, the government accounting office, NASA exceeds their authority given by the contracts, meddling in the development process. Which causes the contractor significant cost. Unlike other development contracts this is a firm fixed price contract. Not the usual cost + contracting that awards the contractor for delays by increasing cost and profits.

[Topper]

That's a bit uppity from them, considering they haven't got their own transportation and are hitching a ride off others.

It comes fromt the original spaceflights...pilots didn't want to be just "Spam In A Can"

[Texpat]

If they're not "flying it," why use test pilots and aviators? Any old mission control specialist who knows how to buckle his seat belt will do.

[harrybarracuda]

In contrast the Soviet Buran, their version of a Shuttle, was able to fly unmanned.

That's only because it was a half-arsed knock-off of the space shuttle and they didn't want to risk lives.

It was certainly designed with passengers in mind, but the program ended before it got that far.

[Takeovers]

That's only because it was a half-arsed knock-off of the space shuttle and they didn't want to risk lives.

It was certainly designed with passengers in mind, but the program ended before it got that far.

Of course it was designed for people, but it could fly without them, the Shuttle could not, as a deliberate design feature.

Buran avoided some of the stupid design mistakes of the Shuttle, the mistakes that were responsible for the dead astronauts, besides reckless disregard by the NASA leadership.

[harrybarracuda]

Of course it was designed for people, but it could fly without them, the Shuttle could not, as a deliberate design feature.

Buran avoided some of the stupid design mistakes of the Shuttle, the mistakes that were responsible for the dead astronauts, besides reckless disregard by the NASA leadership.

Well yeah, because it only made ONE flight FFS.

The Shuttle made 135.

[Takeovers]

Well yeah, because it only made ONE flight FFS.

The Shuttle made 135.

I am talking about design. Buran avoided harebrained mistakes of Shuttle. Does not mean they would have had their own problems, when they had many flights.

[harrybarracuda]

I am talking about design. Buran avoided harebrained mistakes of Shuttle. Does not mean they would have had their own problems, when they had many flights.

I don't know how you can say that. The Shuttle flew many successful missions before it had any problems. That's like saying their rip off of Concorde was better than the original, and look how that worked out.

Buran was nicked off NASA. It even had heat shield tiles fall off on its one and only flight.

[Takeovers]

The Shuttle had several missions that very nearly killed the crew before it actually happened. NASA ignored them all. Those things were not widely discussed at the time. But I have the impression we are talking beside each other. No point continuing that.

[harrybarracuda]

The Shuttle had several missions that very nearly killed the crew before it actually happened. NASA ignored them all. Those things were not widely discussed at the time. But I have the impression we are talking beside each other. No point continuing that.

Yeah, you know space flight is a dangerous game, right?

[Dragonfly]

The Shuttle had several missions that very nearly killed the crew before it actually happened. NASA ignored them all. Those things were not widely discussed at the time. But I have the impression we are talking beside each other. No point continuing that.

you are talking with Harry, an Indian retard, who think he has an answer on everything, even when he clearly doesn't

[Takeovers]

BTW, NASA coverage of Dragon docking at the ISS is to start in about 15 minutes.

Previous Dragons did berthing, this one will be the first to dock.

Berthing involves approaching the ISS then stop without any motion within reach of the stations robot arm. The arm grabs the spacecraft and then places it at a berthing port.

Docking is different. The spacecraft approaches the ISS at a slow speed and attaches directly, without help. It is not easier or harder than berthing but it is different. It can not be too slow because the docking port mechanism requires a minimum impact force to connect. It must not be too fast or it can damage the port or the whole ISS.

Ports used to be bisexual, one male and one female adapter. The new port now used is androgynous. Both the SpaceX Dragon and the Boeing CST-100 can use their port to dock with the ISS but they can also dock with each other.

[Dragonfly]

I am talking about design. Buran avoided harebrained mistakes of Shuttle. Does not mean they would have had their own problems, when they had many flights.

NASA has always been full of politics, it's a stupid organization with no clear leadership and no clear objectives

Russians have always been the better space engineers, and we see it now. Despite the propaganda purpose of it all, they were smart enough to put knowledge and science above it all, even above politics

and you still see it today in Russian society, the respect for intelligence, knowledge, and advanced science, and even arts

while the west focus energy on Facebook, Google, Trump Tweets, and latest Apple iPhones

we are doomed!!!

[Takeovers]

and you still see it today in Russian society, the respect for intelligence, knowledge, and advanced science, and even arts

Probably true in the society. Unfortunately not in the leadership. No money for space, plus what they get is mostly plundered by the corrupt leadership. While I respect past Soviet space achievements, Roskosmos is going down the drain. Once US money for buying soyuz seats and RD-180 engines stops it will only get worse.