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SpaceX and other space stuff

#361
Doc Blue said:
It looks to me like those are telescoping struts, and fly along for the whole rocket ride, retracted under the 'petals'. Maybe they deploy right at touchdown just prior to engine cut-off to keep that monster upright.
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You are correct. A combination of gravity and hydraulics pushes them down. Then they have to be retracted by ground crew for horizontal transport. Apparently it hasn't been too sucessful until recently.

SpaceX hits new Falcon 9 reusability milestone, retracts all four landing legs
 
#362
MJ5150 said:
Oh wow, that is so rad. I'd love to live close enough to watch this stuff in person.
Are you close enough to hear and/or feel it?

-Mike
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I'm inland maybe 75 miles or so. Saw the launch on the live video feed on my computer, then went outside and waited for a minute or 2 to for it get over the horizon. Can only see the rocket engine plume at night.

A lot of years ago I worked at a test facility that fired space shuttle main engines. Took my wife to see a test firing on a Saturday. The observation area was really close, and the low frequency sound waves beat on your chest. Then it would rain for 30 seconds. The engines engines burned hydrogen and oxygen, so the exhaust is essentially all steam. The flame deflector was water cooled, so more steam. Condensed right above us. Years later I worked the development test of the RS-68 rocket engine that powers the Delta-IV vehicle. I was always in the control room bunker during test firings. A few lucky ones could go outside on the hillside to watch it. They said it was an impressive show, and given that it's 650,000 lbs of thrust at sea level, I'm sure it was! One of my few working regrets, that I never watched it fire from the hillside.
 
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#363
I got a nice education this evening about hygiene in space. One thing I didn't know was that all liquid is recycled on the ISS, all of it. Including urine and sweat.
One of the astronauts made the comment, today's coffee is also tomorrow's coffee.
On the space shuttle, urine was discharged from the vehicle to freeze into ice particles and disappear into deep space.

-Mike
 
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#364
MJ5150 said:
I got a nice education this evening about hygiene in space. One thing I didn't know was that all liquid is recycled on the ISS, all of it. Including urine and sweat.
One of the astronauts made the comment, today's coffee is also tomorrow's coffee.
On the space shuttle, urine was discharged from the vehicle to freeze into ice particles and disappear into deep space.

-Mike
Click to expand...

I would love to know more about all that. I have picked up bits over the years, but I'd love to see a documentary with details on what they do for recycling, hygiene, and bio breaks.

I was thinking about it when I watched the two astronauts sit around for so long pre-launch. I'm thinking. Hmm, they are all sealed up in their fancy suits. I'd be good for at Least two pees for that period of time. :)
 
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#365
SBassman said:
I would love to know more about all that. I have picked up bits over the years, but I'd love to see a documentary with details on what they do for recycling, hygiene, and bio breaks.

I was thinking about it when I watched the two astronauts sit around for so long pre-launch. I'm thinking. Hmm, they are all sealed up in their fancy suits. I'd be good for at Least two pees for that period of time. :)
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This is the video I watched:


-Mike
 
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#366
MJ5150 said:
I got a nice education this evening about hygiene in space. One thing I didn't know was that all liquid is recycled on the ISS, all of it. Including urine and sweat.
One of the astronauts made the comment, today's coffee is also tomorrow's coffee.
On the space shuttle, urine was discharged from the vehicle to freeze into ice particles and disappear into deep space.

-Mike
Click to expand...
Somewhat high on the list of ''reasons not to become an astronaut''.
 
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#374
I switched to my laptop to try it.
I was sweating a few times as I got close to the ISS and realized I wasn't going to make it. I had to close my browser.
Now it all makes sense as I reflect back on watching that live. I couldn't figure out why they were moving the capsule so slow. I kept saying to the TV...can you just drive up there and dock already??? :D

-Mike
 
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#375
MJ5150 said:
I switched to my laptop to try it.
I was sweating a few times as I got close to the ISS and realized I wasn't going to make it. I had to close my browser.
Now it all makes sense as I reflect back on watching that live. I couldn't figure out why they were moving the capsule so slow. I kept saying to the TV...can you just drive up there and dock already??? :D

-Mike
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Do you remember the scene in Apollo 13 where they have to split course correction duties among the crew and one of them has to invert L and R with his toggle because it's a mashup system? Iirc it was rip poopie 'n bust with the lunar descent motor for ten sec or so which shunted them into the correct lane to reach orbit instead of doing a meteor impression, or worse heading on out. One shot.
 
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#376
Downunderwonder said:
Do you remember the scene in Apollo 13 where they have to split course correction duties among the crew and one of them has to invert L and R with his toggle because it's a mashup system? Iirc it was rip poopie 'n bust with the lunar descent motor for ten sec or so which shunted them into the correct lane to reach orbit instead of doing a meteor impression, or worse heading on out. One shot.
Click to expand...

Oh yes, now I do.
Thanks for jogging my memory. I'm going to dig that up and watch it again.

-Mike
 
#377
Stewie26 said:
Yep, SpaceX is really rocking the boat. I am sure Boeing, Lockheed Martin and the likes are not very happy about SpaceX's success.
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The crazy thing about the way this turns out is that picky paying customers pay for the entire rocket's cost on the first launch, making all the subsequent launches essentially free other than refurb and fuel. So all of their own "build a money printing machine and conquer the world" launches (aka Starlink) are basically free! What a scheme!
 
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