What's happening in space (that's interesting)

[Strollen]

@Tortilla

I don’t disagree, but keep in mind that SLS was a job creation project primarily and space exploration was only a secondary concern.

It is true, but that doesn’t make it right, Unfortunately, I don’t think Bill Nelson, or Biden are the kind of leaders that are going to say, this is idiotic.

[Tortilla]

@Strollen

It is true, but that doesn’t make it right, Unfortunately, I don’t think Bill Nelson, or Biden are the kind of leaders that are going to say, this is idiotic.

The problem is being handled much more quietly than that. Now that there’s a viable space industry NASA has switched to fixed price contracts for most things, so the cost-plus nonsense of SLS (and STS for that matter) will hopefully soon be a thing of the past. That ought to rein in this kind of handout to the governments favored big industries. We can already see private companies landing a lot of NASA business. Heck SpaceX getting the lander portion of the Artemis missions shows pretty clearly that NASA is trying to pivot towards more cost-effective providers.

[DTG]

@Tortilla

I don’t disagree, but keep in mind that SLS was a job creation project primarily and space exploration was only a secondary concern.

I agree, but the 60’s program was analogous in that it was a cold war project primarily and space exploration was only a secondary concern. It certainly added jobs too but then many of those faded away. USA still had the gumption from WW2 only 20 years earlier to pull out all the stops to win a war.

I am ambivalent about this project. Yes, going to the moon is great but we did that already. More than a generation ago and with tinker toys compared to what we have now in terms of tech . I’d like to think this is a reboot and we’re serious this time and it will bring us to 2001 A Space Odyssey 20+ years late but given the costs, the delays and the limited vision I doubt it.

[Matt_W]

@Strollen

Definitely challenges. I think ultimately it will be cheaper and easier just to put the astronauts in Starship, put it in orbit refuel it and the send them to the moon and back. Rather than the convoluted scheme where the transfer from Aatemis to the starship lander, and then I belief transfer back.

Rendezvous, docking and astronaut transfer happen all the time. That’s how astronauts get to the ISS. We have standard interfaces worked out for that and proven systems that can do the maneuvers autonomously if needed. OTOH, we have never stored cryogenic fuels on orbit and still have to work out how to transfer fuel safely and without leakage. Those are almost certainly solvable technical issues, and in the long term a fuel depot is probably cheaper. But in the short term, it’s cheaper and easier to use proven tech. That said, it is pretty cool that this will force development of depot technology so we can get closer to the dream of living Kerbal Space Program for reals.

I mean consider Apollo. Everything went up in one rocket, but after TLI, the astronauts had to blow the fairing on the SIV-B, undock, fly the CSM out of the rocket, spin it around, dock with the LM and extract it. Then once in lunar orbit, enter the LM, undock it, fly it down and do stuff, re-ascend to orbit with the Ascent Stage, dock with the CSM, transfer astronauts back to the CSM, ditch the AS, do TEI, ditch the SM near earth and reenter.

[vinraith]

Having a pathway to space that isn’t owned by Elon Musk seems like something of a no-brainer at this point.

[Tortilla]

@Matt_W

But in the short term, it’s cheaper and easier to use proven tech.

As a general statement I agree with that. In the specific case of Artemis, which is basically all recycled STS tech that’s decades old, it certainly didn’t pan out that way. I’m firmly of the belief that just redirecting the whole budget to SpaceX and scrapping SLS five years ago would have us further along than we are now.

[Dejin]

Here’s a shot from an external camera’s showing the European Service Module on the Orion Spacecraft.

Jason Major

[ineffablebob]

Behold, the universe!

https://mapoftheuniverse.net/

[lostcawz]

Behold, lots of little dots of various colors!

This would be super cool if it was more ‘interactive’ than a Geocities web page.

Seriously, is there a toggle or button or something where you can actually zoom in because that is what I was expecting. Not just scrolling up and down on a static image of tiny dots.

[jpinard]

I’m really thankful the SLS launch went well, and can’t believe I’m rooting for Amazon’s BE4 and ULA to be successful, because I no longer trust Elon Musk at all. I feel like he’s a step away from turning NASA’s dependence on him into a nightmare.

[Jason_Levine]

And this doesn’t do anything to ease those feelings:

SpaceX Employees Say They Were Fired for Speaking Up About Elon Musk

[vinraith]

All of SpaceX needs to resign, start a new company called SpaceEX, pick up right where they left off, and hang out a “no Elons” sign.

[Ginger_Yellow]

Nasa's Artemis spacecraft arrives at the Moon

[Menzo]

Just more round-Earth propaganda. Do your own research!

[tfernando]

Is there a camera which will show the lunar cubesat deployments? I’m not sure whether that’s already happened, or if it comes later

[Woolen_Horde]

@vinraith

All of SpaceX needs to resign, start a new company called SpaceEX, pick up right where they left off, and hang out a “no Elons” sign.

You have a fatal flaw in that plan

The Simpsons - No Homers Club

[vinraith]

@Woolen_Horde

You have a fatal flaw in that plan

What, you think there aren’t any other employees at SpaceX named Elon?

[Calelari]

They could go with Musk-free. Or do too many engineers marinate in Axe body wash?

[JMR]

Aurally stunning rocket sounds.

Artemis 1 launch from 3 miles away

Artemis Launch Sound Experience - Listen to NASA's SLS Rocket Roar with mics placed inside the pad

[jpinard]

Now if they could just cut the cost of the SLS in half we’d be good.