In KSP, that launch wouldn’t even be in the SOI of the “fucked up” bar.
It does actually fly after that…
…for a while.
Actually, ever since i started playing Kerbal Iron-man with no reloads. I’ve never had launch go sideways (literally and figuratively) quite so fast, since I now double check staging before hitting the space bar. Now the landings, that’s a different story.
Their announcer, has lovely voice, but she was entirely too Baghdad Bob for me. There really wasn’t anything nominal about the flight. Evidently it lost one of six engines at liftoff.
Right, she’s clearly the person from Weyland-Yutani :)
Has there ever been a failed launch that hasn’t “produced a tremendous amount of data?”
antlers
4581
I think this one erased a tremendous amount of data: N1 Second Launch Failure
That’s a great read, very sad that whatever video there were of the launch don’t seem to have reached the west.
But to Jason’s point.
“Despite the devastation, most of the telemetry tapes were found intact in the debris field and examined.” You know some Russian official tried to spin it, as “well we learned a lot” I’m guessing he got screamed at by some higher ups for making that statement.
jpinard
4584
I’m always impressed with the software engineering to control engine gimbaling, and the accuracy of said gimbled engines.
Scott Manley with the perfect explainer video on the Astra launch
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/nasa-s-james-webb-space-telescope-has-completed-testing
After successful completion of its final tests, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is being prepped for shipment to its launch site.
Anyone watching Countdown on Netflix? I’m interested if there’s good new footage of launches/tests, but I’m worried it’s going to end up as hagiography of Musk.
Menzo
4588
A video from Kevin M. Gill of CalTech NASA/JPL from a compilation of images captured by the Cassini probe. This isn’t a render.
Thanks for sharing, that’s incredible
I watched the first two episodes. The good news it is not the hagiography of Musk, he is only seen briefly. The bad news is it is a real puff piece on the inspiration 4 mission. Now, for some reason, I was only vaguely aware of the mission. For instance, I had no idea that there was a Superbowl ad telling people that you contributed to St. Judes children hospital that you were entered into a lottery to win a trip to space. I absolutely would have donated. I knew there was SpaceX commercial spaceflight, but didn’t know that was Sept 15.
The two-episode very much focused on the 4 crew members, a bit on the training involved, some nice scenes of SpaceX headquarters. Sadly also featured the Time magazine space reporter, with his over the top discussion about how important this mission is to the future of spaceflight.
Jared Issacman, the founder of Shift4, who bankrolled the flight is a pretty interesting fellow, as are both the woman. Haley, a child cancer survivor who spent years being treated at St. Jude, and now works there as a Physician Assistant, and Dr. Sian Proctor, who was a finalist for NASA astronaut back in 2009. Like most astronauts she is an impressive overachiever, only slightly less impressive than Dr. Joey Kim.
There are two more episodes which will be out in the next week and the final one is supposed to stream. when the flight launches. If you are a big SpaceX fan like myself, they are worth watching, but it is far from good TV.
jpinard
4592
How long til it opens up at the Orbital L1 Lagrange Point?
I’ll probably cry if this doesn’t work. I don’t think we’ll have anything comparable to it for the rest of my life.
