Spacex first human launch 27th May

namloc1980 · 02-06-2020 8:54am

The US and NASA currently plan to stop funding the ISS after 2024. It costs NASA c.$4bn a year currently. The plan is to support the construction of a new smaller space station in lunar orbit called the Lunar Gateway by the middle of the 2020s. The purpose of the Lunar Gateway is to support the Artemis program and human and robotic lunar landings and exploration in the next decade plus. The Lunar Gateway is currently under development and will include international modules including 2 being developed by the European Space Agency. If course this is an subject to development and most importantly money and delays and other issues are likely.

Westernyelp · 02-06-2020 11:31am

I don't think even NASA are saying 2024 for the Gateway anymore. It is not part of the critical architecture of Artemis for the first landing. Starship and and others developing Landers etc
Might be wrong on this

namloc1980 · 02-06-2020 2:03pm

Westernyelp wrote: »

I don't think even NASA are saying 2024 for the Gateway anymore. It is not part of the critical architecture of Artemis for the first landing. Starship and and others developing Landers etc
Might be wrong on this

No you're right which is unfortunate. The usual issues of political wranglings and budget issues rearing their heads again. I'd be sceptical that crewed Artemis lunar landings will happen in 2024 also.

iLikeWaffles · 02-06-2020 3:53pm

namloc1980 wrote: »

The US and NASA currently plan to stop funding the ISS after 2024. It costs NASA c.$4bn a year currently. The plan is to support the construction of a new smaller space station in lunar orbit called the Lunar Gateway by the middle of the 2020s. The purpose of the Lunar Gateway is to support the Artemis program and human and robotic lunar landings and exploration in the next decade plus. The Lunar Gateway is currently under development and will include international modules including 2 being developed by the European Space Agency. If course this is an subject to development and most importantly money and delays and other issues are likely.

Bad news, it is the middle of 2020 right now!

josip · 02-06-2020 4:00pm

iLikeWaffles wrote: »

Bad news, it is the middle of 2020 right now!

"middle of 2020" != "middle of the 2020s"

namloc1980 · 02-06-2020 4:22pm

iLikeWaffles wrote: »

Bad news, it is the middle of 2020 right now!

It says middle of the 2020s. As in, the middle years of the next decade.

Quantum Erasure · 02-06-2020 5:04pm

just watched this again... next stop, Mars

iLikeWaffles · 02-06-2020 5:24pm

namloc1980 wrote: »

It says middle of the 2020s. As in, the middle years of the next decade.

2030's

namloc1980 · 02-06-2020 5:54pm

iLikeWaffles wrote: »

2030's

What??

Gooey Looey · 02-06-2020 5:56pm

namloc1980 wrote: »

What??

He's right, the next decade is the 2030s. This current decade is the 2020s

namloc1980 · 02-06-2020 6:15pm

Gooey Looey wrote: »

He's right, the next decade is the 2030s. This current decade is the 2020s

I think it was quiet clear what I was saying. He made an error with the first comment by claiming it was the middle of this year I was referring to and instead of acknowledging that he tried to score points. It would be best if we could be a bit more civil and discuss the topic at hand and not resort to cheap and unnecessary shots. Thanks.

iLikeWaffles · 02-06-2020 7:20pm

namloc1980 wrote: »

I think it was quiet clear what I was saying. He made an error with the first comment by claiming it was the middle of this year I was referring to and instead of acknowledging that he tried to score points. It would be best if we could be a bit more civil and discuss the topic at hand and not resort to cheap and unnecessary shots. Thanks.

What does it matter?? I misread the comment in the first place. Not sure where you are coming from everyone has been civil here.

Itssoeasy · 02-06-2020 8:51pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doN4t5NKW-k

Some posters were asking how big the ISS is. I've watched this video several times over the years and it's great. You also get to see how cramped a Soyuz is at the very end.

Muahahaha · 02-06-2020 10:08pm

Mollyb60 wrote: »

Ha that's a really nice one!
Did anyone manage to dock successfully with that simulator? I spent ages at it but just couldn't get it.

I got the target lined up with the cursor keys but couldnt figure out what button was needed to thrust it forwards, the space bar didnt do anything.

Adyx · 03-06-2020 12:00am

I've had years of practice in KSP.

Mollyb60 · 03-06-2020 10:23am

Muahahaha wrote: »

I got the target lined up with the cursor keys but couldnt figure out what button was needed to thrust it forwards, the space bar didnt do anything.

Yeah I think that was my problem too. I'm no pilot!

I saw that Space X's heavy rocket exploded during a test last Friday too. Surely that'll put a big dent in the Mars/Artemis program? Kept out of the news too with all the hurrah about the Crew Dragon launch.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-sn4-prototype-explodes.html

josip · 03-06-2020 10:34am

Mollyb60 wrote: »

...

Surely that'll put a big dent in the Mars/Artemis program? Kept out of the news too with all the hurrah about the Crew Dragon launch.
...

Not necessarily.
Explosions like this aren't exactly a failure or a setback when it's part of the testing program.
That's the purpose of the testing, to find weaknesses such as these.
The SN5, mentioned in that article will be finished in June, so that means at most a 4-6 week delay compared to still using SN4.

Westernyelp · 03-06-2020 10:54am

Yes. SpaceX have a totally different ethos with Starship compared to others. Rapid prototyping and development will lead to failures of the test articles like this. SN5 is pretty much ready. SN6 is also stacking in the high bay and. Parts of SN7 are already around the complex.

'Rapid unscheduled disassemblies' are a hazard of the process. But not a huge deal. All the previous test articles had a similar enough fate. From Mark1 up to the last boom.

namloc1980 · 03-06-2020 11:44am

Mollyb60 wrote: »

Yeah I think that was my problem too. I'm no pilot!

I saw that Space X's heavy rocket exploded during a test last Friday too. Surely that'll put a big dent in the Mars/Artemis program? Kept out of the news too with all the hurrah about the Crew Dragon launch.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-sn4-prototype-explodes.html

Spacex have a completely different design philosophy to traditional aerospace development. They push the boundaries and rapidly learn from failures and implement improvements from what they learn. Their mantra is, if you're not failing in development then your not innovating or trying hard enough. I would bet they learned more from the SN4 test article exploding than if it didn't. They are already assembling the next 2 test articles and bits of the one after that on site.

.

They comfortably beat Boeing to get the first commercial crew delivered to the ISS this week by having a much more agile and rapid development approach. This despite Boeing having decades head start of aerospace engineering experience.

Thargor · 03-06-2020 2:38pm

Itssoeasy · 30-07-2020 10:58pm

Just a reminder that the crew dragon will be undocking from the ISS and returning to earth with coverage starting on nasa tv at 10:15 pm Irish time Saturday night.

star gazer · 31-07-2020 11:46am

Return trip for the Crew Dragon.

Following a comprehensive review of the latest weather forecast in the areas surrounding each of seven potential splashdown locations, NASA and SpaceX have decided to move forward with plans to bring NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley home to Earth with a splashdown off the Florida coast on Sunday, Aug. 2, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft.

Teams will continue to closely monitor Tropical Storm Isaias and evaluate impacts to weather around the Florida peninsula, including the potential splashdown sites in the Gulf of Mexico and along the state’s Atlantic coast. NASA and SpaceX will make a decision on a primary splashdown target approximately 6 hours before undocking Saturday.

It's Hurricane Isaias now and it's forecast to head along the East Coast of Florida on Sunday.

10 things to know about the return.

ESA

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet has been assigned to the second operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, launching to the International Space Station in 2021. Thomas’ second mission to the International Space Station will be called Alpha. This is after Alpha Centauri, the closest stellar system to Earth, following the French tradition to name space missions after stars or constellations.

josip · 31-07-2020 1:17pm

star gazer wrote: »

Return trip for the Crew Dragon.

It's Hurricane Isaias now and it's forecast to head along the East Coast of Florida on Sunday.

10 things to know about the return.

ESA

Interesting.
It says there that it will take between 6 and 30 hours for Crew Dragon to return (depending on site) but the Soyuz used to do it in 3 hours flat.
Does anyone know the reason why the Soyuz could/had to return at least twice as quickly?

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2018/12/How_do_astronauts_return_to_Earth

Westernyelp · 31-07-2020 5:48pm

josip wrote:

It says there that it will take between 6 and 30 hours for Crew Dragon to return (depending on site) but the Soyuz used to do it in 3 hours flat. Does anyone know the reason why the Soyuz could/had to return at least twice as quickly?

It's still a test vehicle. I presume they will be putting through its paces

Itssoeasy · 01-08-2020 1:55am

josip wrote: »

Interesting.
It says there that it will take between 6 and 30 hours for Crew Dragon to return (depending on site) but the Soyuz used to do it in 3 hours flat.
Does anyone know the reason why the Soyuz could/had to return at least twice as quickly?

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2018/12/How_do_astronauts_return_to_Earth

Well yeah I mean they put it through its paces going up so it stands to reason they'd do the same on the way back. Spacex and NASA will only get one first crew test mission reentry. I think this will be the first Crewed NASA flight to land in the Atlantic since Apollo 7.

Westernyelp · 01-08-2020 9:45am

Itssoeasy wrote:

Well yeah I mean they put it through its paces going up so it stands to reason they'd do the same on the way back. Spacex and NASA will only get one first crew test mission reentry. I think this will be the first Crewed NASA flight to land in the Atlantic since Apollo 7.

Ithink so. t's looking like the gulf of Mexico for splash down.to avoid weather.

Westernyelp · 01-08-2020 9:46am

The capsule can orbit up to 48 hours or so if needs be after it undocks.

star gazer · 01-08-2020 5:56pm

Still on course to proceed. All going well, they undock in under seven hours. The choice of splashdown site should be made in under an hour.

The bags are packed
https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1289576302333145089

Return conditions remained “Go” at several of the needed target locations for splashdown and recovery after teams received a weather briefing Friday evening from the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron. NASA and SpaceX will make a decision on a primary splashdown target approximately 6 hours before undocking.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 7:34 p.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 1, for undocking of the Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft from the space station and 2:42 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, for splashdown, which will be the first return of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft carrying astronauts from the space station.

nasa

MonkieSocks · 01-08-2020 10:22pm

un-docking around 12.15am---12.30am

Itssoeasy · 02-08-2020 12:36am

We have separation of dragon at 00:35 Irish time.

Jeff2 · 02-08-2020 6:09pm

De-orbit soon.

Discodog · 02-08-2020 7:20pm

When is splashdown & who is showing it ?

Ha Long Bay · 02-08-2020 7:23pm

Discodog wrote: »

When is splashdown & who is showing it ?

Live here and slashdown in around 25 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GvIjkmIN4w

Itssoeasy · 02-08-2020 7:56pm

The lads are home as we have splashdown.

Discodog · 02-08-2020 7:58pm

I guess Jeff can't afford a carrier for helicopters

Jeff2 · 02-08-2020 8:18pm

There is a helipad on the boat.

I wonder will the be flown from it.

Discodog · 02-08-2020 8:31pm

I am old enough to remember the divers jumping from choppers.

Ha Long Bay · 02-08-2020 8:33pm

Jeff2 wrote: »

There is a helipad on the boat.

I wonder will the be flown from it.

I think they said a few minutes ago they would be taken to land by helicopter.

Jeff2 · 02-08-2020 8:53pm

john4321 wrote: »

I think they said a few minutes ago they would be taken to land by helicopter.

Yeah they did about five minutes after I posted.

That ship is doing some knots, I guess the crew want the get to Pensacola fast to celebrate.

Ha Long Bay · 02-08-2020 8:57pm

Jeff2 wrote: »

Yeah they did about five minutes after I posted.

That ship is doing some knots, I guess the crew want the get to Pensacola fast to celebrate.

They might not need the helicopter if they dont get them out of the capsule soon!

Jeff2 · 02-08-2020 8:59pm

This is live on RTE news now.

Edit : it's gone now.

MonkieSocks · 02-08-2020 9:11pm

Welcome back Bob and Doug

First bit of fresh air in 64 days :P

MonkieSocks · 02-08-2020 9:49pm

Moment before splashdown

Jeff2 · 02-08-2020 10:34pm

It's amazing how they get the timing so well.

At least Doug kept his helmet on leaving the capsule.
Don't want another incident like when he entered ISS and bumped his head.

Spacex first human launch 27th May

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