SpaceX and other space stuff

[StereoPlayer]

Here's a neat animation of Perseverance starting about 1000 miles high, 2,250 miles from landing site, about 17 minutes to landing. All done in real time (1 sec = 1 sec).

You can zoom in/out, rotate view. Landing site is marked on the planet. Interestingly, the craft isn't pointed at the landing site. Heading adjustments start after atmospheric interface.

Altitude, distance, speed, and times to milestone events at lower left. Lower right has different controls, such as speeding up from real time. I enjoyed watching Mars move serenely below me, though, so kept it real time LOL.

Mars 2020 Entry Descent Landing

I didn't look to hard in here to see if previously posted. If so...well...nevermind then.

That is too cool! Thanks!

 

[fig]

So, I was messing with the viewing angles of the Perseverance animation and put the camera directly under the heat shield, viewing back along its travel path. Behind the craft is the Sun, a marker for Earth's position, and a marker for the cruise stage after separation (tracks even when out of sight.)

Looking around the starry background, I found a moving marker for the Maven spacecraft, findable when animation starts. It'll be monitoring all events until landing, but not transmitting back to Earth until after the landing.

Still looking around, 'cause why not, 8 to 10 minutes before landing, a moving marker for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) pops over the horizon. It's expected to relay events near real time back to Earth.

Just cool they added those details in the animation.

Purposes for Maven and MRO here:
Link Removed.

 

[RayWithFlats]

The ESA is recruiting soon...

https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Press_..._astronauts_-_applications_open_31_March_2021

... I might apply, there’s never been a better time to leave the planet!

Seriously though, the Parastronaut Feasibility Project is very interesting, opening space to as wide range of people as possible is a big step forward if the aim is to become a “space-faring species”, to quote Mr. Musk.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Kinda missing my daily fix of the Boca Chica SpaceX YouTube feed. I guess they got hit hard in Texas. All feeds are down.

 

[bholder]

Well, it has finally happened:

SpaceX loses a Falcon 9 on landing in first of two Starlink missions this week

SpaceX landing boosters has become so commonplace and frequent now that it's only considered "news" when one misses!

 

[fig]

Well, they got their money's worth out of that booster. I think it was the 5th or 6th flight.

The seagulls on the deck of the recovery barge didn't seem too concerned LOL.

 

[ahc]

Public Service Announcement: Perseverance lands tomorrow at 3:55 PM Eastern time. Be there (NASA TV or NASA Youtube channel) or be square. I think NASA starts the broadcast about 2 hours earlier.

 

[bholder]

"7 minutes of flaming hell" hehe... I am reminded of this little ditty from the Curiosity landing years back:

 

[StereoPlayer]

Public Service Announcement: Perseverance lands tomorrow at 3:55 PM Eastern time. Be there (NASA TV or NASA Youtube channel) or be square. I think NASA starts the broadcast about 2 hours earlier.

I see they are broadcasting it at 3:30pm on network tv too.

 

[Winslow]

I see they are broadcasting it at 3:30pm on network tv too.

Whoa, really? What networks?

 

[StereoPlayer]

Whoa, really? What networks?

I wanna say ABC...check your local listings!

edit: I saw the ad for it on one of the big three. ABC, NBC,CBS. Not sure...

 

[Winslow]

I wanna say ABC...check your local listings!

Cool, thanks! I doubt any network these days will stick with it as long as they really should (side-eye ), so I'll have the stream going too, just in case.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Cool, thanks! I doubt any network these days will stick with it as long as they really should (side-eye ), so I'll have the stream going too, just in case.

I’m sure I’ll be looking at everything I can find.

 

[StereoPlayer]

LabPadre is back online.

 

[bholder]

LabPadre is back online.

The tanks are even pre-cooled already! lolz

 

[SBassman]

Can't wait.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Can't wait.

Yes!

 

[sleddogn]

just few hours till mars landing live!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Winslow]

A today-only heads-up, if you're near one of these places:

 

[Winslow]

NASA's Mars landing channel, for anyone who wants to have a window open and ready. Not active yet, but hey... "be prepared," and all that: