Latest Space Missions (& Other Science Stuff)

Let me sum this up:

  • The captain (codename Leadership) is a business man and hobby pilot.
  • The copilot (codename Hope) is unknown/ unnamed as of now.
  • Codename Generosity will be the candidate who donated most money to charity
  • Codename Prosperity will be the candidate who becomes the most successful customer of the above captain’s business. :unamused: “Subtle.”

They spend 2 weeks picking candidates, train them for a year, pick the best two (I presume?), then rent a trip from SpaceX for a multi-day journey.

A lot of yet unspecified details here. But commercially seen, this is the most brilliant advertisement that four rich guys could come up with.

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Ok so tractor beams, portals, and ???

Replicators?

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CNN : Krispy Kreme is offering a limited-edition Mars doughnut to celebrate NASA’s rover landing.
http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/SuLDASWsASY/index.html
The flying car concept has returned. New and improved

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NASA Perseverance Mars Rover Landing

Feb. 18, 2021 9:30 a.m. PST / 12:30 p.m. EST
Landing Day Live Stream for Students

Feb. 18, 2021 11:15 a.m. PST / 2:15 p.m. EST
Mission Control Live: NASA Lands Perseverance Mars Rover (360 video)

Feb. 18, 2021 11:15 a.m. PST / 2:15 p.m. EST
LIVE Landing Broadcast: Perseverance Rover Lands on Mars

Of course there are more than likely plenty other live streams to be found covering this event, some already up.

Currently live on YouTube :link: YT Search results

Edit:

Follow Perseverance in real-time :link:

NASA’s Eyes :link:

Experience Earth and our solar system, the universe and the spacecraft exploring them, with immersive apps for Mac, PC and mobile devices.

Update:

Landing successful !!!

First image from the Perseverance Mars Rover

Front View (4k YT screencap)

Rear View (4k YT screencap)

Edit:
Awww, why did I only just now find this ‘unlisted’ 360° Mission Control View ???

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NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Update

See Mars Like Never Before! NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sends New Video and Images of the Red Planet

NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover safely touched down on the Red Planet on Feb. 18. So what will the robotic scientist “see” on her descent and what will she do next? Join mission experts for update about the rover – the biggest, heaviest, cleanest, and most sophisticated six-wheeled robot ever launched into space – including imagery it captured and its mission to explore Mars.

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Start the video with your device in an upright position
Does not work from here, bummer. Open in the YT app

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Teslarati: Starlink user gets pleasant surprise as off-grid cabin at 10.7k-ft elevation gets high-speed internet.

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Starship SN10 High Altitude Flight Test :link:

Details

As early as Wednesday, March 3, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 10 (SN10) – our third high-altitude suborbital flight test of a Starship prototype from SpaceX’s site in Cameron County, Texas. Similar to the high-altitude flight tests of Starship SN8 and SN9, SN10 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN10 will perform a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.

The Starship prototype will descend under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enable precise landing at the intended location. SN10’s Raptor engines will then reignite as the vehicle attempts a landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down on the landing pad adjacent to the launch mount.

A controlled aerodynamic descent with body flaps and vertical landing capability, combined with in-space refilling, are critical to landing Starship at destinations across the solar system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth. This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.

There will be a live feed of the flight test available here that will start a few minutes prior to liftoff. Given the dynamic schedule of development testing, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates as we move toward SpaceX’s third high-altitude flight test of Starship!

Scheduled for tomorrow Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021, 6:00 PM - 0:00 AM UTC

10 km Test Flight:

  • The SN10 Starship will perform a test flight similar to SN8 and SN9. It will launch up to an altitude of 10 km or 33,000 ft, do a belly flop maneuver followed by a controlled descent to the landing pad.

Note: Date / time may change!

Details: https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/starship-sn10-10-km-flight/

See if we get some fireworks with another Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD) or not … :crazy_face:

Will try to update this post as per usual

Update:

The usual selection of channels Live on YouTube right now:
LabPadre :link:
NASASpaceflight :link:
Everyday Astronaut :link:

SpaceX Live feed should be made available shortly before launch. (YouTube)

Update:

They are chilling the engines, so we appear to be close to a launch!

Update:

Damnit … Total Thrust Abort! (20:14:38 UTC March 3rd 2021)

Possible de-tank / re-tank / launch later ???

Evaluating Next Attempt Opportunity

Possibly a delay of approximately 2 hours. (22:30 UTC)

Update:

T -03:00

RESULT SPOILERS !!!

Takeoff


Landing

SN10 Touch Down

Woo Hoooo !!! (23:21:05 UTC)

Some time later … (23:29:23 UTC)

Explosion Short Clip 1 :link: Twitter

Explosion Short Clip 2 :link: Twitter

Reply 1 Elon Musk :link: Twitter

Reply 2 Elon Musk :link: Twitter

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https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6382/abdf6e

Popular Mechanics: Scientists Announce a Physical Warp Drive Is Now Possible. Seriously…

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Ars Technica: NASA fired up its new rocket for 499.6 seconds on Thursday.

Be sure to watch the embedded video about Michoud in New Orleans

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NPR: New Effort To Clean Up Space Junk Prepares To Launch.

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The one question I have about “1 for 1” debris removal systems is if we can ever actually get them to remove more debris than their launch creates. Somehow I don’t think we really can reduce the trash until we have refueling (and therewith reuse) capacity for such systems in orbit…

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A friend we have been caring for wants her sentimental things to be safe when she is gone so I have offered to take some for her and have been going thru things Found this. So cool.


Still looking for the camera and a projector.

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I used to have a very nice Bell & Howell Super 8 projector - sadly, the last time I moved house, 25 years ago, I found I couldn’t even give it away. It cost me a lot of money, but once video caught on, it became worthless. It ended up on the dump.

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I don’t know if I should give that post a like or if I should cry. :sob: :smile:

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Popular Mechanics: See the Astonishing Plans for the Very First City on Mars.

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Huh, that looks an awful lot like in the expanse. Wonder who got inspired by whom here…

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I know I’d cry, as I have quite a few similar things I feel attached to, but have now become worthless and almost impossible to still use. I have a Bauer C Royal Super 8 camera, including all the requirements for splicing as well as projecting, but no longer are film cassettes being processed anywhere, or insanely expensive.

Similarly for wonderful analogue photography with a ‘then’ very expensive Pentax camera with all the extras you can imagine. At least they still process photo film, although it’s becoming expensive. By now it’s all just sitting on a shelf doing nothing, worthless hardware from a bygone era, a shame … :cry:

Pictures



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