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SpaceX and other space stuff

#281
For anyone else watching the NASA debrief right now on YouTube, that first reporter question is proof some people just look for reasons to be offended and/or upset.
A masterful response from NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.
Then he gets hit with it again on the third question. Bridenstine masterful again.
I have no idea why people want to turn this NASA space program discussion into a racial debate.

-Mike
 
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#282
Winslow said:
Re: the "star field" that isn't moving, it most likely isn't a star field. For the camera to expose correctly to see the capsule clearly, the stars wouldn't be visible. However, digital cameras can exhibit a phenomenon called "hot pixels," which are individual pixels in the optical sensor that malfunction, and read at their highest available level. One of the signs of a hot pixel is that it doesn't move in the frame relative to the sides. On a black background, hot pixels can look like stars.

Why are there no stars in most space images?

https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/why-do-photographs-taken-in-space-not-have-stars-in-them.html

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...


I guess there's a slim chance of cosmic rays damaging the camera sensor, over time.

But the fact that it was limited to one specific camera, and appeared to form constellations, leads me to think it's by design (and that a camera with a sensor that damaged, would be overdue replacement).

Hot pixels are really associated with long exposures, and high ISOs - neither of which would have been the case here.


In any case, I don't know the answer, but maybe NASA's Twitter feed might respond (I'm not on Twitter, so can't ask), or there may be an FAQ on their website, that covers this???
 
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#283
One thing I found interesting is how clean and uncluttered the interior of the SpaceX capsule is compared to previous capsules by NASA. Even the lighting is all indirect and looks like a luxury car interior.
I am thinking SpaceX might have had the Tesla interior engineers design the finishing touches. The Tesla Design Center building is just a 100 yards or so away from SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA. I have had the good fortune to visit there many time on business and it is very impressive to see these guys and gals at work.
space x.jpg
 
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#284
Wood and Wire said:
In any case, I don't know the answer, but maybe NASA's Twitter feed might respond (I'm not on Twitter, so can't ask), or there may be an FAQ on their website, that covers this???
Click to expand...
I wish you had a screengrab or time mark of what you saw, because I don't recall seeing anything that looked like constellations during the feed from any of the cameras. Constellations are spread across too wide a field of the sky for them to be discernible in a shot zoomed in to something as small as a capsule.

The only thing I saw that could be construed as a "starfield" was when they were in orbital dark, and the sensor of the camera was cranked all the way up. But that's just sensor noise, not stars:

Dragon Capsule ISS 1.jpg


Even so, the only thing behind the capsule at this point was Earth. The capsule was only against the dark of space as it got close for docking, by which point, the cameras were exposed for the capsule, making the stars impossible to see (per the previous link).

If you can find what you saw in a replay of the footage, I'd be curious to see it.

ahc said:
Question for any interstellar optical experts out there... In the camera shots in darkness of the Dragon approaching the ISS (with stars, galaxies and planets in the background), when the camera moves to center the Dragon image on the screen, the stellar background DOESN'T move. Why??? And no, I'm not proposing any conspiracy theories.
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@ahc, since you specifically mentioned the capsule being in darkness in your original question, I'll ask you: Is the above screenshot what you were talking about?
 
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#285
MJ5150 said:
For anyone else watching the NASA debrief right now on YouTube, that first reporter question is proof some people just look for reasons to be offended and/or upset.
A masterful response from NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.
Then he gets hit with it again on the third question. Bridenstine masterful again.
I have no idea why people want to turn this NASA space program discussion into a racial debate.

-Mike
Click to expand...

(Without getting too political, I hope) I think it's perfectly reasonable for reporters to ask the NASA Administrator tough questions about race. Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, but NASA didn't send a black astronaut into space until 1983! And the current crew of the ISS consists exclusively of white men. If Jim Bridenstine is going to make on-the-record statements like "this mission is meant to bring people together and unite America" then it's reasonable to ask him follow-up questions to clarify what, exactly, he means by that statement. Jim Bridenstine opened the door to that conversation, not the reporter. I like Bridenstine, but he's not a "unifying" figure. He is a career politician (you can look up his political affiliations if you're curious; I don't want to break forum rules by mentioning names here) and he got the job at NASA on a 50-49 partisan vote.

ps Marina Koren (the reporter) is a senior editor at The Atlantic, formerly of the National Journal and Smithsonian Magazine. She is a legit journalist, using her freedom of the press to ask a legit question of an appointed public official.
 
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#287
SBassman said:
Cmon. Yesterday and today aren’t about politics, race tensions, or politics. Let’s celebrate what was accomplished.
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I'm with you buddy.

I hope they are able to show the various drills they have planned in the coming weeks. In particular, I want to see the one where they put four people in the Dragon to test using it as a safe spot in the event of a problem in the ISS.

-Mike
 
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#288
MJ5150 said:
I'm with you buddy.

I hope they are able to show the various drills they have planned in the coming weeks. In particular, I want to see the one where they put four people in the Dragon to test using it as a safe spot in the event of a problem in the ISS.

-Mike
Click to expand...
I can’t see how they’ll fit four lol. Looked pretty tight when Bob and Doug were maneuvering to disembark to the ISS.
 
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#294
Winslow said:
I wish you had a screengrab or time mark of what you saw, because I don't recall seeing anything that looked like constellations during the feed from any of the cameras. Constellations are spread across too wide a field of the sky for them to be discernible in a shot zoomed in to something as small as a capsule.

The only thing I saw that could be construed as a "starfield" was when they were in orbital dark, and the sensor of the camera was cranked all the way up. But that's just sensor noise, not stars:

View attachment 3850393

Even so, the only thing behind the capsule at this point was Earth. The capsule was only against the dark of space as it got close for docking, by which point, the cameras were exposed for the capsule, making the stars impossible to see (per the previous link).

If you can find what you saw in a replay of the footage, I'd be curious to see it.


@ahc, since you specifically mentioned the capsule being in darkness in your original question, I'll ask you: Is the above screenshot what you were talking about?
Click to expand...

Yes. That's it. I blew up your pic and those are the "stars" I saw that didn't move as the camera did or as time advanced. I agree it could be sensor noise, hot pixels or a camera that's somewhat degraded over time. The High Definition Earth-Viewing System (HDEV) camera stopped sending data about a year ago after about 5 + years in orbit. Which was the point of that experiment: to see how long the camera would function. For more info on the HDEV and see recorded footage go to HDEV
 
#297
Stewie26 said:
One thing I found interesting is how clean and uncluttered the interior of the SpaceX capsule is compared to previous capsules by NASA. Even the lighting is all indirect and looks like a luxury car interior.
I am thinking SpaceX might have had the Tesla interior engineers design the finishing touches. The Tesla Design Center building is just a 100 yards or so away from SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA. I have had the good fortune to visit there many time on business and it is very impressive to see these guys and gals at work.
View attachment 3850398
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I was amazed how simple and modern the seats look.
Stewie26 said:
Yep, we have come a long ways since Apollo.
View attachment 3850515
The SpaceX instrument panel looks a lot less complicated than what I fly.

View attachment 3850545
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When I walked through a mock up of the space shuttle crew area, I was surprised by how everything was bolted into place with that analog look.
 
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#298
ahc said:
Yes. That's it. I blew up your pic and those are the "stars" I saw that didn't move as the camera did or as time advanced. I agree it could be sensor noise, hot pixels or a camera that's somewhat degraded over time.
Click to expand...
Ok, good deal. Then yes, that's just sensor noise. It didn't move because it's part of the sensor, not the scene. :thumbsup: You can get the same thing from pretty much any digital camera where the sensitivity is dialed up high enough that the electrical "background noise" in the sensor becomes visible. It's particularly apparent in very dark pictures.
 

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