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vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #900 on: October 25, 2020, 02:46:26 PM »
About 3% of Starlinks Have Failed So Far
https://www.universetoday.com/148514/about-3-of-starlinks-have-failed-so-far/amp/

... To date, the SpaceX has launched over 800 satellites and (as of this summer) is producing them at a rate of about 120 a month. There are even plans to have a constellation of 42,000 satellites in orbit before the decade is out.

However, there have been some problems along the way as well. Aside from the usual concerns about light pollution and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), there is also the rate of failure these satellites have experienced. Specifically, about 3% of its satellites have proven to be unresponsive and are no longer maneuvering in orbit – which could prove hazardous to other satellites and spacecraft in orbit.

In order to prevent collisions in orbit, SpaceX equips its satellites with krypton Hall-effect thrusters (ion engines) to raise their orbit, maneuver in space, and deorbit at the end of their lives. However, according to two recent notices SpaceX issued to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the summer (mid-May and late-June), several of their satellites have lost manoeuvring capability since they were deployed.

Unfortunately, the company did not provide enough information to indicate which of their satellites were affected. For this reason, astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and the Chandra X-ray Center presented his own analysis of the satellites’ orbital behaviour to suggest which satellites have failed.

https://www.planet4589.org/space/stats/megacon/starbad.html

Naturally, some level of attrition is inevitable and 3% is relatively low as failure rates go.

But every satellite that is incapable of maneuvering (due to problems with its communications or its propulsion system) creates a collision hazard for other satellites and spacecraft.



Their latest launch took place earlier today (Saturday, Oct. 24th), which effectively brought their constellation to 835. Therefore, A 3% failure rate means that roughly 25 satellites will fail and become part of the growing problem of “space junk.”

... “I would say their failure rate is not egregious. It’s not worse than anybody else’s failure rates. The concern is that even a normal failure rate in such a huge constellation is going to end up with a lot of bad space junk.” - McDowell

... When one takes into account rates of failure and SpaceX’s long-term plans for a “megaconstellation,” the Kessler syndrome naturally rears its ugly head.

Recent filings with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) show that the company hopes to create a megaconstellation of as many as 42,000 satellites.

In this case, a 3% failure rate works out to 1,260 satellites With a mass of 250 kg (550 lbs) becoming defunct over time. As of February of 2020, according to the ESA’s Space Debris Office (SDO), there are currently 5,500 satellites in orbit of Earth – around 2,300 of which are still operational. That means that a full Starlink megaconstellation would increase the number of non-functioning satellites in orbit by 40%.

The problem of debris and collisions looks even more threatening when you consider the amount of debris in orbit. Beyond non-functioning satellites, the SDO also estimates that there are currently 34 000 objects in orbit measuring more than 10 cm (~4 inches) in diameter, 900 000 objects between 1 cm to 10 cm (0.4 to 4 in), and 128 million objects between 1 mm to 1 cm.
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #901 on: October 25, 2020, 03:21:43 PM »
Quote
About 3% of Starlinks Have Failed So Far
Quote
Unfortunately, the company did not provide enough information to indicate which of their satellites were affected.

Most of the failures appear to be from earlier versions of the Starlinks. There is no basis [except FUD] to extrapolate that percentage to newer and future versions of the satellites.

Quote
To date, SpaceX has launched 773 of the v1.0 satellites, with a half dozen of those being deorbited already and another dozen or so, mainly from the early launches, suffering impairments to their functionality.  Only 14 of the 60 test satellites from the v0.9 launch remain in orbit.
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/10/spacex-second-starlink-mission-in-week/

12 of 773 is about 1.5% — and these are “impaired,” not non-functional.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #902 on: October 25, 2020, 03:27:43 PM »
—- Starlink launch’s booster landing
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX)10/24/20, 11:44 AM
Falcon 9’s first stage lands on the Just Read the Instructions droneship
➡️ https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1320028523977846786
[10 sec scary vid: pixelated/tilted camera landing!]

Everyday Astronaut: This was the most entertaining landing in a while, I thought it was a goner, but nope!!! Just a loose, wobbly camera!!! Friendly reminder of how much force is involved here :o
< Isn’t it amazing that we’re surprised now when something doesn’t go right with the booster landings? Ten years ago the idea was considered preposterous!!
< I guess you can call that “normalization of excellence”, with a h/t to Diane Vaughan :)

—— 100 successful flights!
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 10/24/20, 6:33 PM
100 successful flights
➡️https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1320131227383365632
1 min vid, lots of quick clips.
  ⬇️ Image below.

—- Starships
SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 head of the line as other Starships wait their turn.
➡️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jd-bXaEg1E
“SN 11” sign on one section
⬇️ Screencap below.

kevin kagiri:  Daily briefings for my cat ..she [can’t] wait for it to fly
https://twitter.com/kagz100/status/1320214655353180160
⬇️ Photo below

—- Ars Rocket Report
Quote
Bank doubles its valuation of SpaceX.
In a new report released this week, the investment bank Morgan Stanley says it is raising its "base case enterprise value" of SpaceX from $52 billion to $101 billion. "The pieces are coming together for SpaceX to create an economic and technological flywheel," the report states, citing Starship, Starlink, and reuse. (The report is not online as far as we can tell).

Winner take most? ... In part, the report stated, "It is clear to investors and industry observers that SpaceX's launch cost advantages are being used to accelerate deployment of its LEO broadband network. As the company achieves pole position in LEO, which many believe is a winner take most (if not winner take all) arena."


Russia will no longer talk about the Amur rocket.
A few weeks ago we reported about the country's plans to develop what appeared to be a smaller clone of the Falcon 9 rocket, dubbed Amur. For the first time, the Russian space corporation Roscosmos was embracing a rocket design that incorporated reuse. But now? After digesting the public reaction, Roscosmos says it will no longer share details about the reusable methane rocket "since there are just 70 days left until December 31. If your company is planning a launch in 2020, you have just 10 weeks left!" reports All About Space magazine.

An about-face ... So what is really going on here? Our sense is that Russia's space program has told its citizens for years that Elon Musk and SpaceX are no different from other rocket companies and that his "low-cost" rockets are heavily subsidized by NASA and the US military. Roscosmos also downplayed the benefits of reuse. It is therefore not surprising that public reaction to the proposed Amur rocket was jaded. …
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/10/rocket-report-bank-doubles-value-of-spacex-russia-wont-talk-amur-anymore/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #903 on: October 26, 2020, 07:26:30 PM »
—- Starlink satellites are now deployed at a lower altitude, so they de-orbit more quickly if they don’t survive the launch.
Quote
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) 10/25/20, 3:50 PM
Starlink 1819, which failed shortly after launch on Oct 18, reentered over the Tibesti Mountains of northern Chad at 0221 UTC Oct 25.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1320452581966204931
Jonathan McDowell:  The V1.0 sats started with Starlink 1000. And they are production numbers not as-launched sequence numbers, so not all numbers are up.
< 1 week for DOA sats? That seems like a pretty successful debris mitigation path.
Jonathan McDowell:  Yes. It's the ones that fail at operational altitude that you worry about.


—- The Merlin engine gas generator problem
Quote
Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) 10/21/20, 10:00 AM
We are making a lot of good progress with @SpaceX on engine testing to better understand the unexpected behavior observed during a recent non-NASA launch. (1/5)
~ It’s too early to report findings at this point, as @SpaceX continues testing to validate what’s believed to be the most credible cause. (2/5)
~ Based on our current analysis, @SpaceX is replacing one Merlin engine on the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launch vehicle and one engine for Crew-1 rocket that displayed similar early-start behavior during testing. (3/5)
~ We are still targeting the Sentinel-6 launch for Nov. 10 from Vandenberg Air Force Base as we expect to complete forward work in time. (4/5)
~ We are also still working towards a mid-November launch for Crew-1. We will want a few days between Sentinel-6 and Crew-1 to complete data reviews and check performance. Most importantly, we will fly all our missions when we are ready. (5/5) #LaunchAmerica
https://twitter.com/kathylueders/status/1318914963344379906


—- Voting from space
Earlier it was thought the U.S. Crew-1 astros would also vote from space, but their launch has been delayed until mid-November, after the election.
This American astronaut voted from space. Here's how she did it
Quote
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins casting her vote from some 200 miles above Earth should be all the motivation you need to make a plan to vote this year.
Rubins, the only American voter not currently on Earth, said she was able to vote from the International Space Station last week.

This isn't the first time Rubins has cast her ballot from space: She voted in 2016 when she was also researching at the space station.

How to vote from space
Astronauts registered to vote in Texas got the right to vote from space in 1997, when Texas lawmakers ruled they could electronically cast their ballot off-planet if they'd be on a spaceflight during the early-voting period or Election Day, according to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. NASA's Johnson Space Center is located in Houston, so most astronauts are based in the city and registered to vote in Harris County, where Houston is located.

The space-voting process works like this, NASA told CNN last month: The Harris County Clerk's Office uploads a secure electronic ballot to NASA's Johnson Space Center Mission Control Center. NASA astronauts, using specific credentials, access their ballot and cast their vote, which is delivered back to the county clerk's office by email.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/10/25/us/nasa-kate-rubins-voting-space-trnd/index.html


—- Water on the Moon
Quote
Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) 10/26/20, 12:01 PM
NEWS: We confirmed water on the sunlit surface of the Moon for the 1st time using @SOFIAtelescope. We don’t know yet if we can use it as a resource, but learning about water on the Moon is key for our #Artemis exploration plans. Join the media telecon at nasa.gov/live
https://twitter.com/jimbridenstine/status/1320757460269895680
Edit: 1 minute vid at the link.  More in the Astronomical News thread.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2020, 07:52:11 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #904 on: October 27, 2020, 08:36:09 PM »
—-  Crew-1
❇️ NASA and SpaceX are targeting 7:49 PM EST on November 14 (00:49 UTC on November 15) for liftoff of the Crew-1 mission to the ISS:
❇️ Media teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 28

NASA, SpaceX Invite Media to Crew-1 Mission Update, Target New Launch Date
Quote
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 7:49 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 14, for the launch of the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

Managers of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 28, to discuss the upcoming launch, including results from recent testing of the Falcon 9 Merlin engines following unexpected data SpaceX noted during a recent non-NASA launch.

Briefing participants include:
   •   Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington
   •   Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston
   •   Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX, Hawthorne, California

Audio of the teleconference will stream live online at:
➡️https://www.nasa.gov/live 
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-spacex-invite-media-to-crew-1-mission-update-target-new-launch-date

——
As NASA & SpaceX work to clear Crew-1 for launch, teams are hard at work at the Kennedy Space Center getting Falcon9, Crew Dragon, and the launch pad & teams ready for the big day.
Great overview of where things stand:

Crew-1 mission in final preparations as launch date aligns
 Trevor Sesnic October 27, 2020
Quote
With Crew-1 just weeks away, SpaceX and NASA have entered final preparations for the first operational Crew Dragon flight that will mark the first long-duration crew rotation mission to the International Space Station to launch from a country other than Kazakhstan since 2009.

The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon with Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi is now set to liftoff from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center, FL, on 14 November 2020 at 19:49 EST (23:49 UTC) for a one-day trip to the Station.

The Crew-1 mission will be the first time SpaceX conducts a long-duration crew flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and will mark the first time since August 2009 that a regular, long-duration Station crew member will launch on a U.S. vehicle.
The mission will use a new Crew Dragon capsule: C207, which the Crew-1 astronauts have named Resilience. …
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/10/crew-1-final-preps/


—- Meanwhile, SLS…
Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight)10/27/20, 1:40 PM
Developing: We're expecting the SLS Green Run test to slip out of November and possibly farther due to issues.
This is the purpose of such testing, to find these issues on the test stand and not on 39B.
SLS Green Run Articles:  [see link below]

< Are these issues just hurricane delayed related (Zeta) or have others sprung up as well?
Chris B - NSF: Technical. We're working on it. But 100 percent technical, found during testing.

SLS Core Stage nearing home stretch for Green Run tanking test
 Philip Sloss October 23, 2020
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/10/sls-core-stage-green-run-tanking-test/#more-70843
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #905 on: October 27, 2020, 08:46:25 PM »
—- Starlink
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 10/26/20, 11:15 PM
Starlink has moved into invitation-only public beta.
Pricing is $499 for the phased array antenna and router and then a $99 monthly subscription.

reddit.com/r/Starlink/com… [ https://t.co/7EbmgWeHty ]
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1320927103575937025

Quote
Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) 10/27/20, 2:59 AM
Welcome to the App Store, SpaceX.
https://twitter.com/wholemarsblog/status/1320983337742155776
⬇️ Screencap below.

Whole Mars Catalog: for everyone trying to find it : https://t.co/w5pAyauWeE
[“Starlink is designed to deliver high-speed broadband Internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable. Under Starlink’s Better Than Nothing Beta program, initial service is targeted for the U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near global coverage of the populated world in 2021.”]

Viv:  I’ve been robbed
[Screencap: this app is currently not available in your country or region]

ALEX:  "Age 4+ years old" seems a tad optimistic to setup & connect to Starlink
< I’m saying my 4 year old could do it... I mean theoretically it’s two cables (both keyed) and as long as base is DHCP it’s fairly plug and play. #JustSayin

   —-
LeoLabs Partners with SpaceX to Track Starlink Satellite Deployments
Quote
LeoLabs is pleased to announce a commercial agreement with SpaceX to support tracking of Starlink satellites during the initial on-orbit phase of missions. Under this partnership, SpaceX utilizes LeoLabs Launch and Early Orbit service to track all Starlink satellites beginning immediately after deployment, providing SpaceX with rapid orbital location and identification support during the first few days of new missions.

“LeoLabs is excited to work with SpaceX as they launch the world’s largest constellation of satellites to provide global broadband internet access,” said LeoLabs CEO Dan Ceperley. “Our global radar network and software platform allow LeoLabs to acquire an entire batch of Starlink satellites faster than any other organization in the world and provides SpaceX with a level of certainty that was previously not available.” ...
https://medium.com/@leolabs_space/leolabs-partners-with-spacex-to-track-starlink-satellite-deployments-4e579052546f
GIF and chart in the article.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #906 on: October 28, 2020, 02:53:51 PM »
Armenian email campaign asks SpaceX not to aid Turkish regime with satellite launch
4:54 PM EDT•October 27, 2020
Quote
SpaceX staff and members of the media have been inundated this morning with emails ostensibly from concerned Armenians around the world, asking the company to cancel a launch contract with the Turkish government. The concerns are valid — and the mass-email method surprisingly effective.

In the form email, received by TechCrunch staff hundreds of times in duplicate and with minor variations, the senders explain that they represent or stand in solidarity with Armenians worldwide, an ethnic and national group that has suffered under the authoritarian rule and regional influence of Turkey’s President, Tayyip Erdogan.

SpaceX is slated to launch the Turkish satellite Turksat-5A in the next month or two, a geostationary communications satellite built by Airbus that will serve a large area of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The deal has been on the books for a long time, and SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk even traveled to Turkey to meet with Erdogan regarding the satellite in 2017.

To enter into the complexities of the long conflict in which Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and nearby countries and powers have figured is beyond the scope of this article, but it is hardly controversial to say that there have been serious human rights abuses under Erdogan’s regime and others. The word “genocide” is frequently used.

As the email plea points out, many countries and governments have opted to condemn Turkey’s behavior, and some companies have stopped doing business with the government. Will SpaceX join them?

At this stage — a month before launch, when the payload is likely already locked in — it seems unlikely that SpaceX will return the millions of dollars Turkey has no doubt already paid it, in order to appear more ethical by deplatforming, as it were, the government there.

But the campaign raises a legitimate question that is increasingly faced by new tech-focused companies growing to encompass a global community that is diverse and at times difficult to navigate. Where do companies like SpaceX — or Apple, or Google, or Facebook, or for that matter Airbus — draw the line? Should SpaceX be disinterested and mercenary, simply providing services to anyone who pays? Or are there some governments or people whose money it will not take? …
https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/27/armenian-email-campaign-asks-spacex-not-to-aid-turkish-regime-with-satellite-launch/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #907 on: October 28, 2020, 07:19:54 PM »
A collaborative agreement has been finalized between NASA and the European Space Agency. The two agencies will work together on the Artemis Gateway lunar outpost, which will act as a way station serving astronauts before they reach the surface of the moon.

NASA, European Space Agency to collaborate on Artemis Gateway lunar outpost
Quote
(CNN) It's another step in humankind's return to the moon, and eventually on to Mars.

As NASA seeks to return humans to the lunar surface through its Artemis program, the space agency is adding international partnerships to facilitate sustainable exploration of the moon -- while demonstrating that a human mission to Mars is possible in the future.

A collaborative agreement was finalized between NASA and the European Space Agency on Tuesday, and the two agencies will work together on the Artemis Gateway lunar outpost. This is also NASA's first formal agreement to launch international crew members to the moon during the Artemis missions, according to the agency.

The Artemis Gateway will act as a way station serving astronauts traveling from Earth before they reach the surface of the moon. …
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/10/27/world/nasa-esa-gateway-partnership-artemis-scn-trnd/index.html


—- Space Law
Quote
NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) 10/28/20, 11:27 AM
This is circulating from the @SpaceXStarlink TOS. Yes, people will be arguing about the Outer Space Treaty thing but it is interesting to see a company thinking ahead to providing services to people living offworld. Or maybe this is a @SpaceX lawyer having a little fun. Or both.
https://twitter.com/nasawatch/status/1321473616542863363
⬇️ Text image below
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #908 on: October 29, 2020, 06:20:50 PM »
—-  Notes from the NASA Crew-1 Update teleconference
Listen at: ➡️https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CGR4DQIyQsY
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 10/28/20, 3:58 PM
Listen Live: SpaceX Crew-1 Update

- Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program
- Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX

MB:
Stich: Due to the engine issue discovered on a previous mission, working to swap two engines on the Falcon 9 for Crew-1.
Agency-level Flight Readiness Review is Nov. 9.
MB:
Koenigsmann: Abort on the GPS III launch was caused by an early start on two of the nine first-stage engines. Auto abort prevented a potential hard start which could have damaged the engines.
MB:
Koenigsmann: Engines were sent to McGregor, Texas for testing and they were able to reproduce the issue. The problem was traced to a blocked relief valve in the gas generator. There was leftover masking material from the production process.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1321545840092049409
SpaceX reviewed their firing data looking for similar early engine starts, identifying which other engines should be examined.  Swapping a Merlin engine takes only a few days.

—- Starlink fail rates
Quote
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) 10/29/20, 11:54 AM
I have updated my calculations on Starlink failure rates. The V0.9 prototypes had a 13 percent failure rate. The first 7 V1.0 launches (420 sats) have had a 3 percent failure riate. The next 7 V1.0 launches (with visors; 413 sats) have had a 0.2 percent failure rate so far
    https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1321842804088279041
~ A large fraction of the latter cohort are still undergoing orbit raising and have only been up for a couple of months, so the failure rate for that group will likely rise a bit over time. Nevertheless it does seem that the reliability of the satellites has noticeably increased.
~ See https://planet4589.org/space/stats/megacon/starbad.html  for a revised table of the number of satellites in each group which have failed.
~ Regular readers will know that I remain concerned about the impact of Starlink and other large constellations on astronomy. But this improved reliability rate is, provisionally, good news for the space debris risk they pose - congrats to @SpaceX for this.
~ Let's see if this encouraging result holds up over the coming months (i.e. that we don't see propulsion failures in the recent group crop in the late stages of orbit raising).
~ One more thing: that 0.2 percent is based on the failure of a single satellite in the most recent 413 Starlinks launched., so there's a bit of an error bar on it! There may be a few other failures already but it takes a longer baseline to be sure they have failed.

< Given the differences in time on orbit among the groups of satellites, I would think that showing the relationship between time on orbit and percentage of failures would be more informative.
Jonathan McDowell: Yes, I haven't had time to do that yet but plan to do so. A fair number of the failures in the earlier group were in the first month or so though.

—- NASA: Spooky Sounds
NASA pulls a Twitter prank for Halloween.  Not everyone is amused.
Quote
NASA:  PSST… Uh, did anyone hear…that?
NASA Earth:  Hmmm… From here at home we’ve just been hearing a lot of creaks and distant crackling...
NASA Solar System: Did It sound intergalactic, planetary? If it’s loud and pulsating, we blame Jupiter...
 
 < Stop being cryptic NASA. We’re all a little frayed here in 2020.
 << Ha! Yeah, on the list of people saying “Uh, did anyone hear that?” NASA is tops. Followed by the mayor of Pompeii

NASA:  We didn't mean to frighten. It's just that our new @SoundCloud playlist captures all the creaks and howls of our amazing universe and we want to share it all with you! This #NASAHalloween, enter the deepest depths of space: https://soundcloud.com/nasa/sets/sinister-sounds-of-the-solar


—-  Starship
⬇️ Below: Aerial photo of Starship SN8 with nosecone & flaps. 
From:  https://twitter.com/ppathole/status/1321497565104230402
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #909 on: October 29, 2020, 09:16:45 PM »
It's Official: SpaceX Can Bid on $20 Billion FCC Rural Broadband Contract
Oct. 29 marks the opening of bids to provide subsidized broadband internet service -- including from space.
Quote
Americans want fast broadband internet service -- and SpaceX says it can provide it.

In fact, since at least March of this year, SpaceX has been petitioning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to compete for money from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) worth $16 billion initially, and eventually up to $20.4 billion. The FCC plans to choose one or more telecommunications providers to expand rural customer's access to gigabit-speed internet service. Those providers who offer the most attractive prices for the most reliable -- and fastest -- service can expect to win a lot of taxpayer money from the government.

In June, the FCC announced that it will permit SpaceX to compete for part or all of these funds in the fastest, lowest latency tier of service. Earlier this month, the FCC went a step further. Releasing the official list of 386 companies qualified to submit bids to provide low-latency (i.e. low-lag) internet service to rural locations, the FCC named all the usual suspects: 

In an A-to-Z list of 386 approved bidders, the FCC confirmed that Altice can provide broadband internet service, and Verizon Communications, too. Cincinnati Bell, Cox Communications, and Co-op Connections Consortium all made the cut. Ground-based cellular and cable companies galore, in fact, will all be permitted to bid for the most lucrative, low-latency work -- but among satellite broadband internet providers, only Hughes, Viasat, and SpaceX were approved to bid. 

What it means for the satellite companies
Questions remain concerning all three satellite bidders.

Hughes and Viasat, for example, provide their internet service from high-flying geostationary satellites. But at orbital altitudes 22,000 miles from Earth and more, their lag times are likely to be huge -- as much as 500 milliseconds or more, notes SpaceNews.com, versus the sub-100 millisecond lag times that the FCC is looking for. To remedy this deficiency, Hughes has proposed offering service from bankrupt OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit satellites instead. Viasat, meanwhile, may solve the latency problem by creating a new constellation of LEO satellites of its own. 

SpaceX, which has already begun orbiting Starlink satellites at altitudes of less than 400 miles, is promising lag times well within the FCC's threshold for low latency. Granted, SpaceX is only just now getting ready to open Starlink beta testing to the public, but private tests conducted in-house suggest its satellite constellation is already delivering lag times as low as 31 ms. …
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/10/29/its-official-spacex-can-bid-on-20-billion-fcc-rura/


########
—-  ESA’s new Ariane 6 rocket delayed
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 10/29/20, 1:36 PM
It wasn't that long ago that Ariane 6 was targeting the end of 2020 for its first flight. Now it is the second quarter of 2022.

ESA (@esa):
#VegaC and #Ariane6 are being developed by ESA to assure Europe’s independent access to space. The maiden flight for Vega-C is planned to take place in June 2021, that for Ariane 6 for the second quarter of 2022:   ➡️ https://t.co/2QjArrD2dx

Eric Berger:
ESA will ask member states for an additional 230 million euros to pay for Ariane 6 development, above existing budgets. Now targeting 2022 for debut launch of the new rocket.

[ Ariane 6 is roughly comparable in lift capacity to Vulcan or Falcon Heavy]
< If you told me two years ago that Starship had a chance to beat the Ariane, Vulcan, New Glenn, and SLS to orbit I probably would have laughed a little... now? .....
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1321868444191481856
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #910 on: October 31, 2020, 08:23:39 PM »
—- GPS III-4 Launch 
NET Nov. 4: Falcon 9 • GPS 3 SV04
Launch window: 2328-2343 GMT (6:28-6:43 p.m. EST)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s fourth third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin. Delayed from October, December, May, July and August. Moved forward from Sept. 30. Delayed from Sept. 29. Delayed from Sept. 30. Scrubbed on Oct. 2 at T-minus 2 seconds. Due to range turnaround limitations, the launch date of Nov. 4 is contingent upon the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from nearby pad 41 on Nov. 3 [NROL-101].
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 10/29/20, 8:19 PM
Busy November ahead for SpaceX...
- GPS III-4 (11/4)
- Starship SN8 15 km hop (11/?)
- Sentinel 6A (11/10)
- Crew-1 (11/14)
- NROL-108 (11/18)
- Starlink V1 L15 (11/?)
- SXM-7 or Turksat 5A?
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/agency/upcoming/1/
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1321969921203449857

Quote
Michael Baylor:
Sounds like NROL-44 is still several weeks away from launching.
NRO (@NatReconOfc) 10/29/20, 5:26 PM
LAUNCH UPDATE: The next NRO launch to watch is NROL-101 on an #AtlasV with @ulalaunch on Nov. 3 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, followed by NROL-108 on a #Falcon9 with @SpaceX NET 18 Nov, also from CCAFS. @45thSpaceWing
https://twitter.com/natreconofc/status/1321926366149959681

—- Starlink 
40 Sec video: what’s in the box sent to the Better than Nothing Starlink Beta customer.  (The base for a ground or table setup is reminiscent of a F9 booster landing legs. ;))
Quote
Adventures With Kramer (@AdvtrWithKramer)10/31/20, 1:30 PM
What’s inside #starlink box, super high quality look and feel of materials and box! Great Job!
➡️ https://twitter.com/advtrwithkramer/status/1322591716059176960
AWK: Cord that goes from the dish to the power supply seems to be 100ft long, tons of length in case people are worried.
< Are you required to use their router, or can you plug the Ethernet directly into your existing one?
AWK:  No[t] sure, but it does have an auxiliary port on the back to have another ethernet cord connection. I am going to have mine go out the back to my existing system for now and finalize things once the new roof mount comes

—-  Microgravity
Vala Afshar:
Usain Bolt is the fastest even in zero gravity.
➡️ https://twitter.com/valaafshar/status/1322521296559869952
30 sec video: Bolt & two (astronauts?) race the length of the Vomit Comet in weightlessness! ;D

—- ASTRA 1F Satellite retired
Quote
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589)10/29/20, 3:10 PM
The ASTRA 1F satellite has been moved to the GEO graveyard - it is now 320 km above GEO. The satellite belonged to Luxembourg-based SES (Societe Europeene des Satellites) and was launched on a Proton in 1996.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1321892094445834245
Jonathan McDowell:
Astra 1F was originally stationed at the main SES Astra location of 19 E to broadcast to Europe; in 2009 it was moved to 57E, adn then in 2011 to 55E to provide services for the Russian Gazprom company. In Feb 2015 it was moved to 44E where it stayed until retirement.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #911 on: November 01, 2020, 04:33:49 AM »
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Says It Will ‘Make Its Own Laws On Mars
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/elon-musk-spacex-mars-laws-starlink-b1396023.html

SpaceX will not recognise international law on Mars, according to the Terms of Service of its Starlink internet project.

Elon Musk’s space company will instead reportedly adhere to a set of “self-governing principles" that will be defined at the time of Martian settlement.

Any future colony created by SpaceX would likely use constellations of Starlink satellites orbiting the planet to provide internet connection to people and machines on the surface.

Users noted that the terms of service within the app state that Starlink services provided to Earth or Moon will be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.

Beyond our planet and its satellite, however, the laws and regulations by which it will abide are less clear

... “For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other colonization spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities,” the document reads, which was included in the Terms of Service of its ambitious Starlink project.

“Accordingly, disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.”

---------------------------------------

.... Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!

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Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #912 on: November 01, 2020, 10:43:41 PM »
—- Now Nov 5
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX)10/31/20, 8:52 PM
Static fire test complete – targeting Thursday, November 5 for Falcon 9 launch of GPS III-4 from SLC-40
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1322702955007541249

SpaceX operational astronaut launch debut back on track after “nail polish” delay
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-1-astronaut-launch-debut-nail-polish-delay/

—- Starship SN8 big hop
Quote
Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) 11/1/20, 4:03 PM
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the company will provide a livestream for the upcoming Starship test flight to 50,000 feet, promising that viewers “will see every frame that we do.”

Austin Barnard(@austinbarnard45) 11/1/20, 12:15 PM
Hey @elonmusk will SpaceX livestream the 15km hop. The excitement for this flight is unlike anything ive ever seen. Understandably its a test, but it would be a great way to help get more people excited about the program! More people have seen the 150m hop than the ITS animation!

Elon Musk  (@elonmusk) 11/1/20, 3:57 PM
Sure, although it might be quite a short livestream! Lot can go wrong, but we’ll provide video, warts & all. You will see every frame that we do.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1323006223298551812

—-
Quote
Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut)10/31/20, 2:05 PM
How far into flight / landing do you think SN8 will make it for its 15km hop?
https://twitter.com/erdayastronaut/status/1322600671103901697
[Poll at the link]

Chris B - NSF:
A stable bellyflop and a Raptor relight would be a huge win. More than enough data to sort out any subsequent wobbly landing attempt.
However, it's going to be on all of us regulars to set expectations as a preemptive strike against drive-by media "Elon rocket boom" headlines.
Elon Musk:
Stable, controlled descent with body flaps would be great. Transferring propellant feed from main to header tanks & relight would be a major win.
Elon Musk:
But, a RUD right off launch pad is also possible. Fortunately, SN9 is almost ready.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1322659784210960390
< Are SN8 & SN9 identical or does SN9 have minor tweaks already?
Elon Musk: Minor

< Is the bellyflop the part of the flight that you’re most concerned about? Or the flight in general?
Elon Musk:
Understanding exactly how the body flaps control pitch, yaw & roll during descent, such that the ship is positioned well to relight, flip & land, would be a big win

Everyday Astronaut:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a very novel control scheme, right? I mean controlling aerodynamically purely with drag only while completely perpendicular to the wind stream is something new, correct? Landing on target seems hard to me!
Curious if there's been any sub scale little RC planes or anything tested to make sure that control scheme actually works!?
Elon Musk:
We’ve tested a sub-scale version in a wind tunnel with active aero closing the loop for stability, so it will probably work at scale, but reality tends to bite you on the ass

Thomas Burghardt:
In the event that relight doesn't occur, will SN8 splashdown offshore, or some other plan to terminate the flight?
Elon Musk:
Yeah. Although, if it fails right at the end, some landing pad repair will be needed to fill in the crater.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1322662045234454535

Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 10/31/20, 4:12 PM
Flappy flap fans. There's an aero surface for Starship SN9 being raised right now, live - with Mary (@BocaChicaGal)
➡️https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pXqiF0VF09k 
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1322632606459011072
Clip at the Twitter link. ⬇️ Screencap below.

—-
Quote
RGVAerialPhotography (@RGVaerialphotos)10/31/20, 6:03 PM
SH ring segments 10/29/2020  #spacex #bocachica 
Aerial pic: so many rings!
https://twitter.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1322660532244140033
Elon Musk:
Lord of the …
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #913 on: November 02, 2020, 05:44:21 PM »
—- SS/SH orbital flight animation
Quote
Elon Musk:
Very close to actual expected flight!
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1323288694955061257

Erc X (@ErcXspace)11/1/20, 7:08 PM

Starship Full Flight Animation.
Co-created with the brilliant @smvllstvrs!
#SpaceX #Starship @elonmusk
➡️ https://twitter.com/ercxspace/status/1323054237027360768
2 minute animation at the link.  Deploying Starlinks?

—- Starlink now
Quote
Kenneth Auchenberg (@auchenberg)10/31/20, 12:28 AM
Results from a StarLink beta tester in Washington state :o
"Streaming 1440p and 4K with zero buffering on YouTube."
reddit.com/r/Starlink/com…
https://twitter.com/auchenberg/status/1322394959064883200
Image at the link: Download 134Mbps  up 14.8Mbps

Elon Musk (@elonmusk)10/31/20, 2:43 AM

Latency will improve significantly soon. Bandwidth too.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1322428850526105600

Richard Ng (@GreatRootBear)10/31/20, 9:36 AM

Holy cats.
This is the best test score I had on my sat and it costs $170/month. Typically I'll roll around 2-5 mbps and often .8 upstream.
Really hoping for Starlink in Canada.
https://twitter.com/greatrootbear/status/1322532969601445892
Image at the link: download 16Mbps
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #914 on: November 04, 2020, 02:08:46 PM »
—- NASA Update
Quote
Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) 11/3/20, 6:43 PM
Update: We now are targeting Saturday, Nov. 21, for the launch of the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean-monitoring satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. 1/3
https://twitter.com/kathylueders/status/1323772868526698496
~ .@SpaceX is replacing two engines in total on the rocket’s first stage after testing and hardware inspections. 2/3
~ Work is now progressing to implement the engine change and all engine hardware replacements will finish next week. Things are still on track for the Nov. 14 launch of the agency’s Crew-1 mission to the @Space_Station. go.nasa.gov/2TPvBqH 3/3

—- Starlink
Quote
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/2/20, 2:36 PM
Several thousand more Starlink beta participation invitations going out this week
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1323348268823314432
< Europe when?
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/2/20, 3:21 PM
As soon as we get country approval. This is required for each country individually, as no EU-wide approval system exists. Probably start receiving final (there are many steps) approvals around Feb/March.
< FLORIDA!??!?!?!?!
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/2/20, 2:39 PM
Lower latitude states need more satellites in position, so probably January

Everyday Astronaut:
Oh baby!!! Fingers crossed 42.42N is the perfect latitude ;)
< Dude you talk about having like the greatest internet in the world where you live, why would you pay more for Starlink?
Everyday Astronaut:
For launches. We could use any boost we could get. We aggregate data anyway, so having anything would be game changes for the cape and Boca Chica. And someday I wanna do off grid stuff too

Elon Musk: Europe to get Starlink as early as February, more U.S. invites coming soon
https://mashable.com/article/starlink-europe-february-2021/

Pranay Pathole (@PPathole)11/2/20, 7:08 PM
Starlink unboxing video ... Speed offerings up to 100Mbps and a latency of ~20ms, and all that for $99 monthly subscription is a pretty great deal.
If you're living in the middle of nowhere — $3.3 Internet/day is a sweet deal :o
➡️ https://twitter.com/ppathole/status/1323416607188606976
[15sec timelapse at the link. Last second is attaching dish to base.]

Pranay Pathole:
Also $499 for the phased array terminal is really cheap, the components/electronics to build and run it are expensive. The Starlink engineers have a done a great job in keeping the price low and affordable
Elon Musk:
Lowering Starlink terminal cost, which may sound rather pedestrian, is actually our most difficult technical challenge

< The military would have paid tens of thousands of dollars for that exact same phased array antenna before the Starlink antenna came out. This was what people in the industry used to say was the hardest part of making Starlink work. It’s truly amazing to have it at $500!
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1323431066158452736


—- Starship
Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight)11/4/20, 12:55 AM
Vehicles heading back to the pad. Starship SN8 LOX Header Tank Cryogenic Proof test is complete. Hopefully that all went well and we can look forward to a series of Static Fire tests later this week.

Thanks to Mary (@BocaChicaGal) and the NSF Squad!

➡️ https://t.co/lc7qUFTFDu 
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1323866503033356288
➡️ Brief clip at the Twitter link.

Chris B - NSF:
While Starship SN8 waits for pre-launch testing, SN9 received her aft flaps and SN10 was stacked!
 



—- U.S. Election night
Quote
AP has called it. Former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly is headed to the U.S. Senate.

AP Politics (@AP_Politics) 11/4/20, 2:52 AM
BREAKING: Democrat Mark Kelly wins election to U.S. Senate from Arizona, beating incumbent Sen. Martha McSally. #APracecall at 12:51 a.m. MST. #Election2020 #AZelection apnews.com/Election2020
https://twitter.com/ap_politics/status/1323895995776835585
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #915 on: November 05, 2020, 03:11:01 PM »
—- Next SpaceX launch: today, 2324 GMT/ 6:24 EST.  ULA scrubbed another.
Quote
ULA: 
As we continue to troubleshoot a ground system valve, the live broadcast will be delayed until further notice.
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight)11/4/20, 5:47 PM
SCRUB! ULA has called off today's launch attempt of NROL-101 due to issues with ground support equipment. #AltasV 
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1324121241804972032

Quote
Nov. 5: Falcon 9 • GPS 3 SV04
Launch window: 2324-2339 GMT (6:24-6:39 p.m. EST)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s fourth third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin. Delayed from October, December, May, July and August. Moved forward from Sept. 30. Delayed from Sept. 29. Delayed from Sept. 30. Scrubbed on Oct. 2 at T-minus 2 seconds. Due to range turnaround limitations, the launch date of Nov. 4 is contingent upon the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from nearby pad 41 on Nov. 3. Delayed from Nov. 4. 


—- Starship 15km hop scheduled!
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 11/4/20, 7:00 PM
SpaceX is targeting Nov. 9 through Nov. 11 for Starship SN8's flight to 15 kilometers, per the latest road closures. These windows may also include static fire testing.
cameroncounty.us/spacex/ 
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1324139514495868928
At the link: Textpic of the notice. “Launch name/designation:  SN8 static fire and 15km flight”


—- Tesla owner puts SpaceX Starlink to the test in the wild
By Eric Ralph November 3, 2020
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starlink-beta-internet-tesla-model-3-test/


—- Request: Streamline FCC launch approvals
Quote
Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) 11/4/20, 11:26 AM
Blue Origin, Relativity Space, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX, and Virgin Orbit together as a launch company coalition on Monday wrote to the FCC to outline how they would like to see the regulatory process streamlined due to the increasing number of launches per year (highlights mine):
https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1324025146244554754
   [Two-page text letter at the link.  Except attached below.]
~ The letter highlights Space Policy Directive-2, which was issued in May 2018 to push agencies like the FCC to streamline regulations around how companies use space: https://t.co/xN8gP5Y6Ld
~ Notably absent from the coalition of five companies is United Launch Alliance (the joint venture of Boeing & Lockheed Martin) and Rocket Lab.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #916 on: November 05, 2020, 08:27:07 PM »
During a month-long stand down, SpaceX has investigated and corrected a manufacturing issue with some of their newer Merlin engines. New Falcon 9 boosters are now ready to make their debuts, starting with tonight's GPS-III-SV04 launch attempt.

After month-long stand down, SpaceX ready for fourth GPS III launch
by Thomas Burghardt  November 5, 2020
Quote
The eastern range is coordinating both this launch and an Atlas V with the NROL-101 mission. NROL-101 scrubbed on Wednesday due to an issue with ground system liquid oxygen valves. That launch is now scheduled for Friday, which is also the backup opportunity for Falcon 9 and GPS-III-SV04.

If Falcon 9 is does not launch on Thursday, which mission can attempt on Friday would depend on the resolution of the Atlas V ground support equipment issue, the cause of Falcon 9’s delay, and the relative priority of the two national security missions.

The potential effects of Hurricane Eta are also in play, with weather at Cape Canaveral forecasted to deteriorate over the weekend. …
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/spacex-line-launch-fourth-gps/

—-
Kathy Lueders:
News: @NASA has issued an announcement calling for submissions of potential partnerships to visually bring the public along for the ride on the #Artemis II mission.

NASA Seeks New Partners to Help Put All Eyes on Artemis Moon Missions
Quote
NASA is seeking new partners to help the agency tell the story of human exploration at the Moon with the Artemis program in ways that engage, excite, and inspire a worldwide audience. Through the end of this decade, NASA will explore more of the lunar surface than ever before and will establish a sustainable human presence with Artemis in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

The agency has released an Announcement for Proposals calling for submissions of potential partnerships to visually bring the public along for the ride in new ways, starting as early as a trip around the Moon with astronauts on the Artemis II mission, targeted for 2023. Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. EST, Dec. 11, 2020.

“We’re looking for partners to use advanced technologies, imagery applications and approaches that will go beyond our standard coverage on NASA TV,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “We want to capture the awe of Apollo for a new generation – the Artemis Generation. Just as people were glued to the TV 50 years ago as astronauts took the first steps on the Moon, we want to bring people along in this new era of exploration.”…
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-seeks-new-partners-to-help-put-all-eyes-on-artemis-moon-missions

Note: Bridenstine has admitted that he was stunned at the level of interest in SpaceX’s uncrewed Demo-1 mission.  I think he’s missing a big opportunity here by not starting this outreach with the uncrewed Artemis 1.  Unless it’s too late for that, and he sees signs that the public (or Congress) isn’t terribly interested in Artemis, and the purpose of this is to try to drum up support for future missions….

—-
Texas satellite company defends itself against NASA criticisms
Eric Berger - Nov 5, 2020
Quote
The founder of a Texas-based company that wants to put more than 200 very large satellites into low-Earth orbit has pushed back on concerns from NASA that these spacecraft pose an orbital debris threat.

“We’re not a bunch of cowboys launching satellites,” said Abel Avellan, founder of AST & Science, in an interview. "This is a serious, well-funded project."

Each of the satellites will include a large antenna, comprising an area as large as 900 meters squared. However, Avellan said the satellites will fly edge-on, "like a frisbee, but without the spinning." …
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/11/texas-satellite-company-defends-itself-against-nasa-criticisms/
Astronomy groups might have a few things to say about the potential interference from two hundred satellites each 900-meters-squared in size, facing the earth and directing "ultra-high-power generation" of 100kW, or more, at it....
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #917 on: November 07, 2020, 12:43:42 AM »
—- GPS III-4 mission success
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11/5/20, 7:54 PM
Deployment of GPS III-4 confirmed 
➡️ https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1324515570218278912
12 sec vid of the deployment at the link.

—- Crew-1 preparations
Crew Dragon “Resilience” meets Falcon 9 rocket at Florida spaceport
Quote
Fully fueled for a flight to the International Space Station later this month, SpaceX transferred the Crew Dragon “Resilience” spaceship Thursday to a hangar near pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center for attachment to its Falcon 9 launcher.

The commercial crew ship arrived in SpaceX’s hangar near the southern perimeter of 39A on Thursday. SpaceX technicians inside the building will connect the Crew Dragon with a Falcon 9 rocket before rolling the fully-assembled launcher up the ramp to pad 39A this weekend.

The commercial crew capsule is scheduled for launch Nov. 14 at 7:49 p.m. EST (0049 GMT on Nov. 15) with four astronauts aboard. The mission is known as Crew-1, and it will be the first operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft following a 64-day test flight to the space station earlier this year with astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-1 mission is named “Resilience,” a name that commander Mike Hopkins said he hopes “can be an inspiration for everybody on what’s possible when we work together.” …
https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/11/06/crew-dragon-resilience-moved-to-hangar-for-attachment-to-falcon-9-launcher/

—- Crew Dragon Version 2
Quote
Thomas Burghardt (@TGMetsFan98)11/6/20, 4:33 PM
The debut of Cargo Dragon 2 has a launch date: December 2.
(Also, this is not the first CRS launch from 39A, that would be CRS-10 in 2017)
https://twitter.com/tgmetsfan98/status/1324827254371831809
~ The first SpaceX launch from 39A ever was CRS-10.

—- Starlinks reentry
Quote
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589)11/6/20, 4:32 PM
As expected, failed Starlinks 1915 and 1950 reentered on Nov 6, 13 days after launch

< In what way did they fail?
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) 11/6/20, 4:36 PM
@aussiastronomer We don't know. Inferred from the fact that they did not raise orbit after insertion: (blue: 58 working Starlinks, green and magenta: launch debris; red: two failed sats) 
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1324827968041078786
⬇️ Chart below

—- Starship hop delay
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 11/5/20, 11:19 AM
All road closures for this week were just cancelled, meaning there is now no chance of a hop during the testing windows in the tweet below, as all of the static fire tests are moving into next week.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1324385933861380096

—- Great launch photo
John Kraus (@johnkrausphotos)11/6/20, 10:43 AM
The aftermath:
https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1324739314056597505
⬇️ Amazing photo below; fits the U.S. mood right now.

—- ULA scrubbed again
Quote
ULA (@ulalaunch) 11/6/20, 3:43 PM
Due to impending weather from Tropical Depression Eta, we are rolling the #AtlasV rocket carrying the #NROL101 mission for the @NatReconOfc back to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) to secure the payload and vehicle.
https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1324814705114910720
ULA (@ulalaunch)11/6/20, 3:43 PM

We are targeting Wed., Nov. 11, at 5:22 p.m. EST for our next launch attempt. The issue with the remotely commanded ground system liquid oxygen valves has been resolved and the rocket and payload are healthy.

—- Boeing software help
Quote
Christian Davenport (@wapodavenport) 11/6/20, 10:34 AM
Boeing says it is creating a Software Engineering Leadership role and appointing Jinnah Hosein, who worked at SpaceX and led software development for Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon, Crew Dragon, and at Tesla, where he helped develop autopilot software. 
https://twitter.com/wapodavenport/status/1324737026600673285
Pray for him!
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #918 on: November 07, 2020, 02:37:27 AM »
New, hour-long video by Tim Dodd, “Everyday Astronaut,” is an excellent explainer.
The Definitive Guide To Starship: Falcon 9 VS Starship. What's new? What's different?
Published on Nov 6, 2020



Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
05:05 - What's the same
23:05 - What's Different // Size, Capabilities, Construction, Costs
32:15 - What's Different // First Stage Reuse
41:50 - What's Different // Second Stage Reuse
53:40 - Conclusion

Article version:
https://everydayastronaut.com/definitive-guide-to-starship/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #919 on: November 08, 2020, 06:48:40 PM »
After month-long stand down, SpaceX launches fourth GPS III launch
 Thomas Burghardt November 5, 2020
Quote
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 mission with the fourth GPSII satellite at 18:24 EST (23:24 UTC) on Thursday, 5 November.

The launch followed a scrub on 2 October, when Falcon 9 aborted two seconds before liftoff. The resulting investigation identified an issue within the gas generators on some first stage engines and prompted several engine swaps across the Falcon 9 fleet and affected multiple upcoming launches. …
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/spacex-line-launch-fourth-gps/

—-
Preparing the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Satellite for Launch
Nov. 6, 2020
Quote
Inside SpaceX’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean-monitoring satellite is being encapsulated in its payload fairing on Nov. 3, 2020. Sentinel-6 is scheduled to launch on Nov. 21, 2020, at 12:17 p.m. EST, atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

A U.S.-European partnership, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft will begin a five-and-a-half-year prime mission to collect the most accurate data yet on global sea level and how our oceans are rising in response to climate change. The mission will also collect precise data of atmospheric temperature and humidity that will help improve weather forecasts and climate models.

The spacecraft is named after Dr. Michael Freilich, the former director of NASA's Earth Science Division and a tireless advocate for advancing satellite measurements of the ocean. …
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/preparing-the-sentinel-6-michael-freilich-satellite-for-launch

—- Can’t beat the price
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11/5/20, 6:15 PM
The @SpaceForceDoD @AFSMC announced an agreement with SpaceX in September to launch future National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions on flight-proven rocket boosters
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1324490429597851651

—- Starships!
Quote
Mary (@BocaChicaGal) 11/8/20, 11:46 AM   
The Super Heavy Booster aft tank section was moved into the high bay at SpaceX Boca Chica.
https://twitter.com/bocachicagal/status/1325479927060180992
⬇️ Photo below.
< why did they need it so high up ;D
<< SN9 is inside there as well!
ChristianD:
So, let me sum up:
1) We have SN8 on the pad, SN9 in the Highbay, SN10 stacked in the Midbay an first part of SN11 in the Midbay
2) First part of SHSN (?) 1 in the Highbay...
Conclusion: Wow!
> There are thousands of Starlinks to launch and billions in revenue to be made from them. That is going to be the pressure that drives Starship development. Mars can come later.
CD: Yeah, I think the first task for Starship will be launching manymany Starlink satellites. Launching 400 of them with Starship will be cheaper than launching 60 with a Falcon 9. :D

—- The “Competition”
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin venture fleshes out plans for 2023 cargo delivery to the moon
https://www.geekwire.com/2020/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-venture-fleshes-plans-cargo-delivery-moon-2023/

—-
Virgin Galactic Launching Its First Manned Flight Into Space From New Mexico This Month
https://www.unilad.co.uk/technology/virgin-galactic-launching-its-first-manned-flight-into-space-from-new-mexico-this-month/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #920 on: November 09, 2020, 03:37:29 PM »
—- Crew-1 Flight Readiness Review is set for today (which could extend to tomorrow), with a teleconference afterwards.  Article lists additional planned broadcast events.
NASA TV coverage set for Crew-1 flight on U.S. commercial spacecraft
Quote
Nov. 9
1:15 p.m. – Virtual Crew Media Engagement at Kennedy with Crew-1 astronauts:
* NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, spacecraft commander
* NASA astronaut Victor Glover, pilot
* NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, mission specialist
* JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, mission specialist

Time TBD – Flight Readiness Review Media Teleconference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Flight Readiness Review, which may continue Tuesday, Nov. 10) with the following participants:
* Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
* Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson
* Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
* Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
* Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
* Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA
* FAA representative

The launch is targeted for 7:49 p.m., EST, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station at 4:20 a.m., Nov. 15. Launch, prelaunch activities, and docking will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website. ...
https://www.aerotechnews.com/blog/2020/11/05/nasa-tv-coverage-set-for-crew-1-flight-on-u-s-commercial-spacecraft/

—- Starship
SpaceX begins assembling first Starship Super Heavy booster in South Texas
Quote
SpaceX has taken the first unequivocal step towards orbital Starship launches, kicking off assembly of the first Super Heavy booster (first stage) – a necessity for recoverable spaceship missions to Earth orbit and beyond.

Although SpaceX could technically get away with building much smaller booster prototypes to support Starship’s initial orbital test flights, perhaps going as far as simply modifying Starship’s proven tank design, rocketry really doesn’t lend itself to modularity. Be it out of confidence or necessity, SpaceX appears to be moving directly from Starship prototype development to full-scale Super Heavy booster production and testing.

The first conveniently labeled Super Heavy booster rings were spotted around September 22nd. In the six or so weeks since then, SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas factory has relentlessly churned out at least as many sections of stacked booster rings – now strewn about the ever-growing campus. No less than seven labeled Super Heavy ring sections have been spotted since the first, equating to fewer than 25 steel rings of the estimated 38-40 needed to complete each booster. …
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-first-super-heavy-booster-assembly/amp/
Article includes a recent video from Boca Chica.

—- China: reusable rockets
Quote
SpaceNews (@SpaceNews_Inc)11/7/20, 7:32 PM
China’s main space contractor is developing launch vehicles capable of learning and adapting as well as multiple technologies for recovering and reusing rockets.

China sets targets for smart, recoverable and reusable launch vehicles
https://spacenews.com/china-sets-targets-for-smart-recoverable-and-reusable-launch-vehicles/

Elon Musk:
China understands the profound importance of reusability. The era of expendable rockets will soon be over.
< "There’s a camp of space experts who think Musk is flat-out wasting his time, and that engineering calculations already prove the reusable rockets to be a fool’s errand." (a note in your bio)   These "experts" were sooo wrong...
Elon Musk:
It would appear that their calculations were incorrect
Elon Musk:
Am hoping to change booster design to land back on launch mount with no legs. Will require extreme precision.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1325467966247370755
[No legs = less weight = more performance ]
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #921 on: November 11, 2020, 02:58:34 PM »
—- Starship SN8: first static fire using header tanks. With sparks!
Quote
Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) 11/11/20, 1:18 AM
SN8 conducted a single engine static fire today, the first ever for a full Starship. Debris seen is most likely from the pad and not a concern in terms of Raptor performance.
Video + Photos by Mary (@BocaChicaGal) for @NASASpaceflight. Edited by me.

SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 Single Engine Static Fire Test
Static Fire & replays begin around 8 minutes in.


https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1326409022786981888


SpaceX Starship wraps up nosecone ‘cryo proof’ and first of several Raptor static fires
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-nose-cryo-proof-explosive-static-fire/amp/


—- Dragon certification for Human Space Flight
Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine)11/10/20, 3:36 PM
BREAKING: @NASA and @SpaceX have completed certification of #CrewDragon! I’m extremely proud to say we are returning regular human spaceflight launches to American soil on an American rocket and spacecraft.
More: go.nasa.gov/3ePQk7d #LaunchAmerica
➡️ https://twitter.com/jimbridenstine/status/1326262588175380481
3 min “how we got to this point” vid at the Twitter link
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #922 on: November 11, 2020, 09:10:33 PM »
—- Crew-1 targeting a launch at 7:49 p.m. EST on Nov. 14 (0049 GMT on Nov. 15)
 The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station at 4:20 a.m. EST, Nov. 15.  An 8.5 hour flight!  If the launch slips to Sunday, it would occur at 7:27pm EST with a 27-hour flight.  Such are orbital mechanics. ;)
  This will be the first flight with four people in a capsule, and the longest duration flight ever for the U.S., surpassing the Skylab record.

NASA Commercial Crew:
The Flight Readiness Review for the Crew-1 mission to the @Space_Station has concluded, and @NASA and @SpaceX are GO to proceed with launch on Nov. 14!

—-
#Crew1 Flight Readiness Review


Conference audio only.
Pre-flight inspection showed an anomalous reading on a Falcon 9 second stage purge valve.  Rocket was lowered horizontal and the part was replaced, prior to static fire.
SpaceX’s Human Flight Certification is the culmination of ten years of planning, testing, analysis and independent reviews.

Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX:  Every time I go to the Cape, I spend time in the grove of seven trees memorializing the Challenger crew.  It is our sacred duty, holding the lives of the astronauts in our hands as we transport them into space, provide a lifeboat while they are on the ISS, and bring them safely back to their families.  We’ll only fly when we are ready.  We’ll stop if needed.
Benji Reed:  Over the next 15 months, SpaceX has seven crew and cargo missions for NASA.  Starting with Crew-1, there will be a continuous SpaceX presence on the ISS. Starting with CRS-21, every time we launch a Cargo Dragon, we’ll have two Dragons in space for an extended period of time.

Expect spring and fall crew missions to the ISS.
Kathy Leuders: we want people to celebrate with us, but we don’t want the launch to be a COVID super-spreader event.  Wear a mask and find your six feet of social distance on the beach.

—-
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11/11/20, 8:28 AM
Crew access arm swings into place
➡️ https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1326517156301791232
15-sec time lapse at the link

Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11/10/20, 10:42 AM
Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon vertical on Launch Complex 39A
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1326188525281140736
⬇️ Two photos below.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #923 on: November 13, 2020, 03:27:22 PM »
—- Crew-1
SpaceX fires up Falcon 9 rocket after minor delay, Crew-1 launch date still on track
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-1-launch-falcon-9-static-fire-delay/

Quote
NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) 11/13/20, 9:13 AM
Tune in to @NASA TV today for live broadcasts of the Crew-1 mission prelaunch events at @NASAKennedy!

1⃣ Countdown Clock Briefing (10 a.m. ET)
2⃣ Prelaunch News Conference (Time TBD)

Liftoff is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:49 p.m. ET: go.nasa.gov/2IBvHQD 
https://twitter.com/commercial_crew/status/1327253230431059969


—- Starship SN8 static fire: two Raptors, from header tanks. At least no RUD....
Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 11/12/20, 8:16 PM
STATIC FIRE! Likely two engine Raptor ignition from the header tanks. Classic example of how fluid Starship testing is.
Mary (@BocaChicaGal) livestreaming: youtube.com/watch?v=M4jeTa…
➡️ https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1327057592057815040
[Clip with ~3 sec static fire at the Twitter link.]

Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight)11/12/20, 8:20 PM
Again, the sparks that go flying isn't an issue, but this time there's sparks falling from the aft. Could be some relight test or could be off-nominal. They haven't done the fast depress they usually do when something is off-nominal.
➡️ https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1327058617795813377
[20 sec, aftermath: Some burning/molten material dripping from the bottom of the rocket.]

Tibo:
Yes, we see the problem here i suppose. #starship #sn8 #spacex
➡️ https://twitter.com/tibopenhors/status/1327072150642184193
[20 sec zoomed in on the molten drip]

—-
Austin Barnard:
StarShip was leaking what appeared to be molten metal, the vehicle is still however standing. Thankfully did NOT RUD, @elonmusk what is the condition of SN8?

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/12/20, 9:09 PM
We lost vehicle pneumatics. Reason unknown at present. Liquid oxygen header tank pressure is rising. Hopefully triggers burst disk to relieve pressure, otherwise it’s going to pop the cork.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1327070929868914689

Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 11/12/20, 9:38 PM
Yay! Looks like a burst disk, which is better than "the front fell off" pop.
Mary (@BocaChicaGal) livestream on NSF Live: youtube.com/watch?v=M4jeTa…
➡️ https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1327078425727819777
[30 sec clip at Twitter link, no molten dripping, sudden vent at top.]

< What were the sparks produced during static fire? Concrete exploding?
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/12/20, 9:18 PM
Maybe melted an engine preburner or fuel hot gas manifold. Whatever it is caused pneumatics loss. We need to design out this problem.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1327073241693765633
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/12/20, 10:26 PM
Burst disk worked, so vehicle appears to be ok. We’ll have to swap out at least one of the engines.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1327090548478414850 

Michael Baylor:
Sounds like Starship SN8 may still fly! More static fire tests almost certainly needed before then though.


—- Crew Dragon: Ax-1! (Probably the Tom Cruise movie mission)
Quote
Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) 11/11/20, 3:48 PM
A multinational crew composed of three private astronauts and @CommanderMLA have now officially signed with Axiom.
In other words: the first private crew to go to orbit in human history – the crew of Ax-1 – has been assembled.
Mission launches NET late 2021. More details soon.
https://twitter.com/axiom_space/status/1326627951060848648


—- Starlink
SpaceX Starlink Satellite Internet Granted Canada Approval For Operation
https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/spacex-starlink-internet-service-gets-canada-approval-for-operation
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #924 on: November 13, 2020, 05:10:00 PM »
Questions arose during the Countdown Clock briefing as to whether Elon Musk might have had exposure to the astronauts or other NASA or SpaceX personel that, in light of his recent positive (& negative) COVID tests, might cause a delay of the flight.  Jim Bridenstine noted that the astronauts have been in quarantine for weeks, and that NASA and SpaceX are working together with the contact tracing, but he could not speak as to the possibility of any delay.

Earlier details here:
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,3328.0.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #925 on: November 14, 2020, 03:32:40 AM »
—- Crew-1 launch delayed to Sunday
Quote
Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) 11/13/20, 4:07 PM
Update: Due to onshore winds and recovery operations, @NASA and @SpaceX are targeting launch of the Crew-1 mission with astronauts to the @Space_Station at 7:27 p.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 15. The first stage booster is planned to be reused to fly astronauts on Crew-2. #LaunchAmerica
https://twitter.com/jimbridenstine/status/1327357510022434816

Per the Prelaunch news conference 7pm ET  Fri Nov 13: delay was caused by heavy seas preventing drone ship from leaving port [via tugboat Finn Falgout] and attaining speed needed to reach landing zone in time. They are now on their way and will be on station in plenty of time for Sunday launch.

Also: not even Elon Musk or Jim Bridenstine are permitted to break exposure protocols that have been in place for years, and begin weeks before a flight, for astronauts and critical launch personnel (including their backups).  After all, this is a long duration mission!

Quote
Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com (@SpaceXFleet)11/13/20, 8:59 PM
Crew-1 recovery update!
JRTI droneship and GO Quest are converging on the booster LZ
Dragon recovery ship GO Searcher is stationed at Port Canaveral meanwhile sister ship GO Navigator is in the Gulf of Mexico, covering the eastern splashdown range.
▶ spacexfleet.com/next
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1327431010070491138
⬇️ Map below.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #926 on: November 15, 2020, 11:31:03 PM »
Crew is in the Dragon capsule and hatch is closing for a launch about two hours from now.  Watch on https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive  and SpaceX.com.

SpaceX Crew-1 launch set for Sunday, ULA successfully launches spy satellite
November 14, 2020
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-1-launch-sunday-ula-spy-satellite-success/

Quote
Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com (@SpaceXFleet) 11/15/20, 3:05 PM
The US Coastguard has released photos showing some of the assets that will be used to secure the offshore area ahead of the Crew-1 launch later today.
USCG Sector Jacksonville
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1328066537815740416
Map and photo below.

Quote
45th Space Wing (@45thSpaceWing) 11/15/20, 3:49 PM
The 45th Space Wing and Task Force 45 are ready to support the first operational flight from the Eastern Range to the @Space_Station with astronauts on-board since 2011. Crew-1 liftoff is targeted for 19:27 EST.
https://twitter.com/45thspacewing/status/1328077584136097795
75 sec video at the link.

Weather has improved to 70% chance of launch tonight.
Gwynne Shotwell joined Jim Bridenstine in sending off the astronauts from the suit-up room.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #927 on: November 16, 2020, 01:53:53 PM »
—- Crew-1 launch.  It’s all about the temperatures…
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket nails first operational NASA astronaut launch [updated]
By Eric Ralph November 15, 2020
Quote
Update: SpaceX has successfully resolved a handful of minor thermal control issues facing the brand new Crew Dragon capsule currently ferrying four astronauts in low Earth orbit (LEO).

As previously noted, shortly after the spacecraft reached orbit, two redundant thermal control system pumps registered pressure spikes, pushing Crew Dragon to use the backup pump. SpaceX was able to resolve that issue, effectively restarting the pumps and confirming healthy operation. Several hours later, the backup pump (“Loop B”) suffered another minor issue but was again returned to healthy operations. Simultaneously, Crew-1 astronauts found themselves stuck at an (admittedly comfortable) cabin temperature of 23C (~73F).

More pressingly, three of four heaters used to warm the propellant fed to Crew Dragon’s small Draco maneuvering and attitude control thrusters were automatically disabled a few hours after liftoff. Essential for most operations in orbit and necessary for Dragon to be allowed to remain docked with the ISS, restoring the functionality of at least one of the three heaters was essential, and SpaceX was thankfully able to restore function to all three by relaxing excessively conservative limits in the spacecraft’s flight software. Thanks to SpaceX’s fast work, Dragon is now in perfect health and ready for two crucial Draco burns at 11:20 am and 12 pm EST (UTC-5) on Monday, November 16th and is still scheduled to arrive at the ISS around 11 pm EST.


Right on schedule, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has successfully lifted off on the company’s operational NASA astronaut launch debut, sending four crew members on their way to the International Space Station (ISS) in a historic moment for commercial spaceflight.

Days prior, NASA and SpaceX completed a multi-day “flight readiness review (FRR),” the results of which made SpaceX the first private company in human history to be qualified by a national space agency for routine astronaut launches. As is now more or less routine, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket assigned to NASA’s Crew-1 mission performed flawlessly over the 12 minutes it was involved in the launch, including nominal booster and upper stage performance, a successful booster landing at sea, and a smooth Dragon deployment from Falcon 9’s expendable second stage.

In a small point of concern, Crew Dragon capsule C207 (colloquially named Dragon Resilience by its crew) appeared to suffer a minor hardware or software fault shortly after orbital insertion, offering the first public glimpse behind the scenes as ground teams coordinated with Dragon’s orbiting astronaut crew to diagnose and fix the issue. …
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-operational-nasa-astronaut-launch-debut-success/
⬇️ Photo below.

—-
Quote
William Harwood (@cbs_spacenews) 11/15/20, 7:55 PM
F9/Crew-1: Upcoming events (rounded to nearest minute):
11/15
08:13pm: 1st rendezvous burn

11/16
04:10am: Crew sleep begins
12:10pm: Crew wakeup
08:00pm: Range: 30 km
10:15pm: 400m below ISS
10:39pm: 220m ahead of ISS
11:00pm: Docking at IDA-1

11/17
01:10am: Hatch opening
https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1328139559541026818

——
Quote
YODA!
Zero-G indicator revealed!
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1328185724340817920
⬇️ Photo below.

—-
Quote
Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist) 11/15/20, 7:42 PM
The four members of SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission liftoff at 7:27 toward their new home, the ISS, for the coming months!
Launch from the Cape Canaveral side was stunning! I finally captured a self portrait I’ve been dreaming of for years. So excited with this shot!
https://twitter.com/thefavoritist/status/1328136434813956098
⬇️ Photo below.

—-
Quote
< Still blows my mind that these [SuperDraco] engines are 3D-printed
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/15/20, 7:13 PM
Yeah, with cooling channels integrated into the chamber walls
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1328128923683545088
⬇️ Photo below.


—- SpaceX History
How SpaceX became NASA's go-to ride into orbit
An early gamble from NASA and SpaceX's willingness to push the envelope have produced the first human-rated commercial spacecraft.
November 12, 2020
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/11/how-spacex-became-nasas-go-to-ride-orbit/
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Tor Bejnar

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #928 on: November 16, 2020, 07:22:01 PM »
Because of your "in 2 hrs" post, Sig, I watched my first space liftoff ("live", albeit on screen) since John Glenn's first space flight in Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962.  It was scheduled for very early in the morning, and although 'my' (borrowed) alarm clock went off, my dad had to come in and wake me up.  He asked if I really wanted to watch and I did.  (He went back to bed.)  I remember watching the (nighttime) static (I was 5 [edit: I was 6] and didn't read [technically I could read, but I wasn't a reader for another 6 years]), then TV test signal (in black & white) for a very long time before the TV network woke up.  Reading in Wikipedia, I would have sat there watching 'nothing interesting' (static, test signal plus 'delays') for over 2 hours. 

There were no delays yesterday evening (albeit there were problems to be solved, one involving hardware) before Crew Dragon Resilience lifted off.  I doubt I'll be remembering this experience in 59 years.  ::)
« Last Edit: November 17, 2020, 02:45:51 AM by Tor Bejnar »
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #929 on: November 16, 2020, 07:40:35 PM »
Wow, Tor, Tor father must be an old timer!
How is he doing?

oren

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #930 on: November 16, 2020, 10:27:25 PM »
Tor's father woke him in 1962, not yesterday, unless I am completely mistaken in my reading comprehension.

kassy

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #931 on: November 16, 2020, 10:36:42 PM »
Tor was 5 so it cant be yesterday since his ASIF age is 7.  :)

I remember watching Giotto and that was sort of 3 big pixels but we filmed them from up close!
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vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #932 on: November 17, 2020, 12:25:30 AM »
I had the good luck to witness 2 shuttle launches; one from Florida and a polar insertion I watched from Connecticut. I also had a part to play regarding crew safety on John Glenn's final flight - Space Shuttle mission STS-95.

I also had all the Mercury and Gemini astronaut trading cards, along with a nearly complete set of Mars Attack cards.

Alas, mom pitched them in the bin.  :'(  Can't imagine why
« Last Edit: November 17, 2020, 12:31:24 AM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #933 on: November 17, 2020, 01:43:23 AM »
Because of your "in 2 hrs" post, Sig, I watched my first space liftoff ("live", albeit on screen) since John Glenn's first space flight in Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962.  ...

There were no delays yesterday evening (albeit there were problems to be solved, one involving hardware) before Crew Dragon Resilience lifted off.  I doubt I'll be remembering this experience in 59 years.  ::) 

Yes, the pre-launch cabin pressure leak due to “FOD in the door seal” was a nail-biter, considering that seal has to hold in space not just for the trip up, but for six months, plus the ride home!  :o

And I went to bed last night wondering if they would even get to the ISS, due to the prop line heater problem.  From what I was seeing, if the problem were not resolved, the mission might have to be scrubbed and the capsule would be back on earth by the time I got up.  Whew!

Resilience will be docking to the ISS in about three hours!
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #934 on: November 17, 2020, 03:41:43 AM »
Crew-1 Timeline Updates
Chris G - NSF, 11/16/20, 7:26 PM:
Crew Dragon #Resilience is nearing the International Space Station ahead of docking tonight at 23:00 EST (04:00 UTC).
Thomas Burghardt (@TGMetsFan98) breaks down the timeline... and what the parking situation is gonna be like at Station into next year:

Crew Dragon Resilience to expand ISS crew to seven
November 16, 2020
Quote
After a 27.5 hour commute, Resilience and its crew are planned to dock to the International Space Station at approximately 23:00 EST Monday (04:00 UTC on Tuesday), increasing the Station’s crew from three to seven.
The expanded crew on the orbiting laboratory will mean more time for Station maintenance and scientific research.


The CRS-21 Dragon spacecraft will stay at the station for about a month.  Once it departs in early January 2021, the schedule of Boeing’s uncrewed OFT-2 Starliner mission will determine where Crew Dragons Resilience and Endeavour (flying the Crew-2 mission) will need to maneuver, as OFT-2 Starliner will dock at the IDA-2 port.

Presuming OFT-2 is ready to fly prior to Resilience’s departure in April 2021, the Crew-1 astronauts will board Resilience and reposition the spacecraft to the IDA-3 port, after CRS-21 Dragon’s departure.  All Crew-1 members will need to be on board in the unlikely event that an issue prevents Resilience from re-docking to the Station and needs to return to Earth.

In this scenario, assuming no issues during the repositioning, Crew Dragon Endeavour would dock to IDA-2 prior to Resilience’s return to Earth, marking the first Crew Dragon spacecraft to make a second visit to the ISS.  SpaceX will operate a fleet of Crew and Cargo Dragon spacecraft, all flying multiple missions to the ISS for both NASA’s Commercial Crew program and private customers.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell says Crew-1 should be the beginning of a continuous presence of Dragon spacecraft on orbit.
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/resilience-expands-station-crew/

With Resilience, NASA & SpaceX begin operational Commercial Crew flights
November 15, 2020
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/crew1-launch/

—-
The Mandalorian’s ‘Baby Yoda’ becomes SpaceX’s zero-G indicator in Crew-1 mission
https://www.teslarati.com/the-mandalorian-baby-yoda-zero-g-indicator-spacex-crew-1-video/

—-
Quote
Supercluster (@SuperclusterHQ) 11/16/20, 11:54 AM
You have spoken.
Baby Yoda is being added to the Astronaut Database.
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1328380863088893960


—- Meanwhile, back on earth, and out at sea:
Quote
Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com (@SpaceXFleet)11/16/20, 1:54 PM
Recovery teams are still working to secure and prepare the Crew-1 booster for the voyage back to Port Canaveral aboard Just Read the Instructions Droneship.
They have not left the LZ yet. These ops do not take place at night so they will have had to wait until dawn to start.
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1328411055010308096
To be clear, this is all totally normal. I only mention it because this was a high profile launch and people are asking for an update!
< It's unsecured while they wait? Seems like a long time to be bobbing around in the ocean without any tethers.
Gavin:  No, they have a robot to secure it whilst they wait   spacexfleet.com/octagrabber 

   —-
Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com (@SpaceXFleet) 11/16/20, 9:14 PM
Tracking data suggests that Just Read the Instructions droneship got underway from the landing zone around 6pm ET.
JRTI is heading for Port Canaveral, Florida. Arrival time TBD.
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1328521963158048768   
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #935 on: November 18, 2020, 03:05:41 AM »
—- Crew-1
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 11/16/20, 11:05 PM
SpaceX has successfully delivered Baby Yoda to the International Space Station along with four ride-alongs.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1328549905154015233

Chris G - NSF: 
Can I just say... THANK YOU, NASA/SpaceX for using the metric system for velocity and distance! #Crew1
Elon Musk (@elonmusk)11/17/20, 10:54 AM
Special permission received from Stonecutters Guild!

We Do (The Stonecutters' Song) - YouTube
Emmy-nominated song from The Simpsons.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1328728296587227143

Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 11/17/20, 2:17 AM
"No issues whatsoever" are currently being worked with Crew Dragon, according to Vin Feng, the Deputy Program Manager Commercial Crew Program at the post-docking press conference.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1328598006887821314

——
Quote
Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) 11/15/20, 9:54 PM
SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell says that beyond Endeavour and Resilience, "we will have three additional Crew Dragon capsules, and they're all in some extent of production right now."
https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1328169622382796801
Michael Sheetz: 
SpaceX also plans to have 3 second-generation Cargo Dragon capsule, the first of which is set to launch on the CRS-21 mission on Dec. 2.


—- What’s Next:  Two SpaceX launches are scheduled for Saturday!
SpaceX lining up two Falcon 9 launches and landings in ten hours
 

By Eric Ralph November 17, 2020
Quote
SpaceX appears to be on track to attempt two separate Falcon 9 launches and landings within the same ten-hour, also marking the company’s 14th Starlink mission this year and first West Coast launch in a year and a half.

After overcoming a range of minor issues, replacing two Falcon 9 booster engines, effectively reactivating a dormant orbital launch complex, and doing all of the above to a standard capable of satisfying NASA’s strict expectations, SpaceX is officially set to launch the Sentinel 6A oceanography satellite no earlier than (NET) 9:17 am PST (16:17 UTC) Saturday, November 21st. The twist: Falcon 9 will be launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), California for the first time since June 2019.

Meanwhile, back on the East Coast, SpaceX has successfully completed Crew Dragon’s operational astronaut launch debut, clearing the company to focus on its third November mission – Starlink V1 L15. Set to be SpaceX’s 14th dedicated Starlink launch in 2020 alone, Starlink-15 is currently scheduled to lift off NET 10:17 pm EDT (03:17 UTC) on November 21st – coincidentally exactly ten hours of Falcon 9’s Sentinel 6A launch.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-two-falcon-9-launches-ten-hours-2020/

Nov. 21: Falcon 9 • Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich
Launch time: 1717 GMT (12:17 p.m. EST; 9:17 a.m. PST)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Sentinel 6A, or Jason-CS A, satellite. The satellite is also named Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich in honor of the late director of NASA’s Earth science division. The satellite is a joint mission between the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, CNES and Eumetsat to continue the sea level data record previously collected by the Jason series of satellites. Sentinel 6A, built by Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space in Europe, will also join the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite network. Delayed from Nov. 10 by Merlin 1D engine issue.

—-
Quote
Michael Baylor:
SpaceX's next Starlink mission – currently set for Saturday evening Eastern time [Nov 21]  – will be the first SpaceX launch to feature the seventh flight of a booster.

B1049's Flight History
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/reuse/41

Nov 21: Falcon 9 • Starlink V1.0-L15
Launch time: 10:17 pm EDT (03:17 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 16th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L15. Delayed from October.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #936 on: November 18, 2020, 03:08:28 AM »
—- Starship
Quote
Austin Barnard:
Raptor Serial #32 after being removed from StarShip SN8.
https://twitter.com/austinbarnard45/status/1327659432029933573
⬇️ Photo below.

Elon Musk (@elonmusk)11/14/20, 5:43 PM
Just a scratch. We can buff it out.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1327743939621703681

< What caused a raptor melting on sn8? Are you planning to recommence testing this week?
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/17/20, 11:49 AM
About 2 secs after starting engines, martyte covering concrete below shattered, sending blades of hardened rock into engine bay. One rock blade severed avionics cable, causing bad shutdown of Raptor.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1328742122107904000
Elon Musk:
Avionics cables moving to steel pipe shields & adding water-cooled steel pipes to test pad

< Martyte is a ceramic filled epoxy used for patching holes and thermal protection on the pad afaict:
Pdf:  https://t.co/QKt6zEGQwv

< When’s the Starship update blog post coming?
Elon Musk (@elonmusk)11/17/20, 12:08 PM
Maybe making some notable changes. Will wait until figurative & literal dust settles.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1328746726489018368


Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 11/16/20, 8:45 PM
Starship SN9 has a great collection of TPS tiles! The most extensive to date on a prototype Starship! You can see from the stud attach points for additional TPS going forward.

SN9 departed the High Bay today.

⬇️ Photo via Mary (@BocaChicaGal) …
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1328514492414746630


—- Starlink beta
SpaceX Starlink has some hiccups as expected, but users are impressed
"Link stability is a little rough," but Netflix works great, one user says.
11/12/2020, 3:18 PM
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/11/spacex-starlink-has-some-hiccups-as-expected-but-users-are-impressed/

Quote
< Starlink is looking epic would be really cool if you'd let people around me try it where internet is garbage and best speeds are 25 - 50 mbps . Just saying bruh. I signed up, and everything. Really cool Elon.
Elon Musk (@elonmusk)11/14/20, 11:10 AM
Big expansion of beta program in 6 to 8 weeks! 
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1327645031100940288

Quote
Pauline:
Woah, just found out theres the Starlink Germany GmbH since a few days  :o!!!
How long will it take till it’s fully available in Germany?
TimTri:
Hans Königsmann, who’s been at SpaceX for 18 years, recently told the WirtschaftsWoche the German beta could potentially start this year if everything goes according to plan. Two ground stations are being built right now! There’s a realistic chance Starlink could be coming soon!
https://twitter.com/appletimtri/status/1327664793868771328
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #937 on: November 19, 2020, 07:44:27 PM »
—- Crew-1 booster is returned to port… :o Even octagrabber could not keep it centered!
Quote
Farrielle (@FarryFaz) 11/19/20, 12:00 PM
Booster 1061 is coming in to @PortCanaveral today. Looks like it just a little bit tilted @SpaceXFleet
https://twitter.com/farryfaz/status/1329469551126437892
⬇️⬇️ Photos below.

Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com (@SpaceXFleet)11/19/20, 12:16 PM
Only three of the four landing legs are making contact with the droneship.
The leg closest to the center of JRTI is in the air because the expended crush cores on the opposite legs have made the booster lean such that the leg cannot make contact, even when fully extended.

On a normal, but hard, landing the crush cores are worn down evenly across all four landing legs.
This particular landing must have been uneven for the crush cores to only be used up on one side. This could be because the landing happened during a big wave.
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1329473601293185030


—- Starship SN15!
Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 11/18/20, 10:14 PM
SN15 was introduced to the Starship family on Wednesday, amid a mass of vehicle and nosecone processing flows - and even outfitting of the HLS Lunar Starship mock up.

Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Nic Gautschi (@NGautschi).

SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN15 appears amid SN11 Stacking and Lunar Mock Up outfitting - YouTube
➡️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ2kswg6N8
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1329261732750036995
Musk has said he expects a mid-teen SN Starship to be the first to reach orbit.


—- Dragon Ax-1
Quote
Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space)11/19/20, 11:48 AM
Welcoming Eytan Stibbe of Israel to the historic crew of Ax-1!
https://twitter.com/axiom_space/status/1329466605399642114
⬇️ Photo below.
Not gonna lie. Was expecting a (non-American) actress.  Too soon to fly a spacecraft without at least two aerospace professionals on board?

Israeli fighter pilot joins SpaceX’s first private flight for Axiom next year
Quote
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — Former Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe is the second member of the all-private crew that SpaceX is scheduled to launch late next year for Axiom Space, the company confirmed to CNBC on Monday.

President of Israel Reuven Rivlin made the announcement shortly after SpaceX launched its Crew-1 mission for NASA on Sunday evening.
“Eytan Stibbe will fly with the blue and white flag his uniform, reminding us that the sky is no longer the limit!” Rivlin said in a tweet.

Stibbe is set to become Israel’s second astronaut. The nation’s first astronaut was Ilan Ramon, a payload specialist on board Space Shuttle Columbia. He and the other six members of the NASA crew were killed on Feb. 1, 2003 when Columbia broke apart during re-entry.

The Axiom AX-1 mission is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2021, which the company unveiled in a deal with SpaceX earlier this year. Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who previously worked for NASA and flew to space four times, will be the AX-1 mission commander, with Stibbe set to serve as a mission specialist.

AX-1 would be the first fully private mission to the International Space Station, with Lopez-Alegria and Stibbe flying with two other yet-to-be-named people.

While NASA announced earlier this year that the agency is working with actor Tom Cruise to make a film on board the ISS, Axiom has not confirmed that Cruise is one of the other two passengers for AX-1. …
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/16/israeli-eytan-stibbe-second-member-of-spacex-private-flight-for-axiom.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #938 on: November 20, 2020, 05:45:10 PM »
Crew Dragon is the best,  latest arrival to the ISS tells earthlings
https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/crew-dragon-is-the-best-latest-iss-arrival-tells-earthlings/

Expedition 64 & SpaceX Crew-1 Astronauts answer Questions in Conference


Published on Nov 19, 2020
Today, November 19th 2020, SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts of Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Soichi Noguchi and Shannon Walker as well as Expedition 64 crew member Kathleen Rubins answered questions from members of the media about life on the Space Station now there is a 5 member US segment crew for the first time.
00:00 Welcoming remarks
02:35 How does Dragon compare to Soyuz & Shuttle
03:45 Which experiments will be most surprising or us on Earth
04:40 How was the ride to orbit?
07:40 What was your biggest surprise during Launch
09:15 For Victor, What do you hope to share with kids from the mission?
10:55 Does 7 members feel extra crowded? What will extra member they accomplish
12:20 How did you choose Baby Yoda as Zero G indicator
14:10 For Victor, How did it finally feel to reach ISS
16:00 How will having 5 US crew members effect ISS
18:05 For Mike, How did Dragon perform as a bedroom
19:45 For Soichi, What makes Dragon the best?
21:20 What would be your advice for future space travellers
22:20 Who choose to sleep in Dragon? How will it work
24:30 For Mike, Will they send another crew quarters?
26:15 For Victor, How does circling Earth every 90 minutes change your opinion on social justice

Shannon Walker’s advice for Tom Cruise:  be organized, or you will lose things. :)

—-
ISS and SpaceX Crew-1 Resilience Flying By Jupiter!
➡️https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=5UL0y4ZF-8c


—- Crew-1 booster being removed from JRTI
Quote
Kyle Montgomery (@Kyle_M_Photo)11/20/20, 7:55 AM Work at the port started fairly early today and the cap is already on B1061.1 #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX
https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1329770374557560833
⬇️ ⬇️ Photos below.

Kyle Montgomery (@Kyle_M_Photo)11/20/20, 10:01 AM

Octograbber is retracting #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX
https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1329802046162296832
⬇️ Photo below.
 


—- SpaceX sea fleet positions for next missions
Quote
Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com (@SpaceXFleet)11/19/20, 7:55 PM

OCISLY is en-route to the Starlink LZ. GO Quest is resupplying in North Carolina.

GO Searcher and Ms. Chief - who just departed - are both en-route for fairing recovery.

In the Pacific Ocean, NRC Quest is en-route to the Sentinel-6A fairing recovery site.
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1329589084331909120
[ Marine tracker maps (both US coasts!) at the link.]

—- Starlink
SpaceX wants to test its Starlink satellite internet network inflight with a Gulfstream jet
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/18/spacex-asks-to-test-starlink-satellite-internet-with-a-gulfstream-jet.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #939 on: November 21, 2020, 02:47:18 AM »
—- Dragon & Crew-1 on the ISS
Quote
Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz)11/20/20, 10:48 AM
.@Astro_Soichi selfie with Crew Dragon Resilience from inside the International Space Station's cupola:
https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1329813944316387333
⬇️ Photo below.

—- Two SpaceX Launches this weekend (?)
SpaceX still eyeing back-to-back East and West Coast launches this weekend
Quote
Update: Three days later, there’s still a chance that SpaceX will be ready to attempt back-to-back East and West Coast Falcon 9 launches on Saturday, November 21st, potentially launching twice in exactly ten hours if schedules hold.

On the West Coast, a new Falcon 9 rocket has successfully completed a routine static fire test and is likely just hours away from rolling out to SpaceX Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E). The rocket is scheduled to place the international Sentinel 6A oceanographic satellite into a polar orbit, followed by booster B1063’s first landing attempt at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4).

On the East Coast, Falcon 9 and 60 more Starlink v1.0 satellites went vertical at SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) pad. It’s unclear if SpaceX will perform a prelaunch static fire test despite the fact that the Starlink-15 mission will be booster B1049’s seventh flight – a first for SpaceX and orbital-class reusable rocketry.

Oddly, SpaceX has yet to update its website with details or confirmation of the two back-to-back launch attempts, raising the possibility of one or both being delayed, but hardware at the pad remains an unequivocal confirmation that at least one of the missions is close to liftoff. As usual, whenever Sentinel 6A and Starlink-15 do launch, SpaceX will host an official webcast on its YouTube channel. …
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-two-falcon-9-launches-ten-hours-2020/amp/

—-  JRTI accoutrements
Quote
Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com 
Can you spot the Starlink terminal on JRTI droneship...?
Jared-Base:
Leg Tilt - B1061.1 Return
High Res: flic.kr/p/2k8ivYB
https://twitter.com/baserunner0723/status/1329535399501443076
⬇️ Photo below.  Close-up in the replies.

Julia (@julia_bergeron) 11/20/20, 6:09 PM
At sea internet access just got an upgrade. I spy not one, but two #Starlink terminals onboard Just Read the Instructions- one on the bow and one on the stern. Durability testing was taken to a whole new level when B1061 came in for a landing. #SpaceXFleet #JRTI
➡️ 3 photos at the link

—-
Quote
Julia (@julia_bergeron)11/20/20, 6:13 PM
An up close look at the arms of Octagrabber, the workhorse of the Crew-1 recovery mission. B1061 was nearly taken overboard, presumably by a broadside wave, while Octa was attached. Additional chains were used to further secure the booster until it's safe return. #Crew1
https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1329925875110916097
⬇️ ⬇️ Photos below.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #940 on: November 21, 2020, 02:50:28 AM »
—- Starship flight scheduled!
Quote
Mary (@BocaChicaGal) 11/20/20, 4:19 PM
Some new road/beach closures posted on the Cameron County website for Starship SN8 15km flight. Woohoo!!
https://twitter.com/bocachicagal/status/1329897086947643392
Text image at the link.
“SN8 15km flight,” Nov 30, 7am to 5pm, backup date Dec 1 & 2.


—- Small rocket reusability
Rocket Lab recovers booster after launch in major step toward reusing its small rockets
Quote
“This is the first time we’re actually going to do everything but catch it under a helicopter,” Beck told reporters before the launch.
The recovery happened in the ocean about 400 kilometers off the coast of New Zealand.

“The strongest driver [of the recovery program] is not having to rebuild rockets, so being able to increase production rate is really the key driver,” Beck said. “The ultimate goal here is to get it back in such a condition that we can put it back on the pad, gas it back up, charge the batteries and go. And if we can achieve that milestone then the economics certainly do change quite significantly.”

The benefits and economics of reusing rockets remains a contentious issue in the space industry. SpaceX’s Musk recently blasted competitor United Launch Alliance as “a complete waste of taxpayer money” because its rockets are not reusable. SpaceX has steadily pushed the boundaries of reusing rockets, most notably by landing the booster – which makes up the largest and most expensive part. 
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/20/rocket-lab-recovers-electron-booster-in-major-step-toward-reusing-rockets.html


—- SLS core stage testing
NASA reschedules final SLS Core Stage Green Run tests for December
November 20, 2020
Quote
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Program rescheduled the final two tests that will culminate the Core Stage Green Run campaign for December after successfully repairing one of the liquid hydrogen (LH2) prevalves inside the engine section of the stage.
The Wet Dress Rehearsal is now targeted for the week of December 7, and if that goes well the Hot-Fire test of the stage could occur two weeks later during the week of December 21. …
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/sls-green-run-for-december/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #941 on: November 21, 2020, 05:29:46 PM »
Vandenburg launch in an hour:
Nov. 21: Falcon 9 • Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich
Quote
Launch time: 1717:08 GMT (12:17:08 p.m. EST; 9:17:08 a.m. PST)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Sentinel 6A, or Jason-CS A, satellite. The satellite is also named Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich in honor of the late director of NASA’s Earth science division. The satellite is a joint mission between the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, CNES and Eumetsat to continue the sea level data record previously collected by the Jason series of satellites. Sentinel 6A, built by Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space in Europe, will also join the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite network. Delayed from Nov. 10 by Merlin 1D engine issue.
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

—- Starlink launch delayed
Quote
Nov. 22/23: Falcon 9 • Starlink V1.0-L15
Launch time: 0256 GMT on 23rd (9:56 p.m. EST on 22nd)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 16th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L15. Delayed from October and Nov. 21.


    —- But there’s a Starlink Reddit AMA today:
Quote
Hi, r/Starlink!
We’re a few of the engineers who are working to develop, deploy, and test Starlink, and we're here to answer your questions about the Better than Nothing Beta program and early user experience!
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1330168092652138501
We'll be here answering your questions on Saturday, November 21 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. PST.

By DishyMcFlatface
https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/jybmgn/we_are_the_starlink_team_ask_us_anything/ 
(Read it anytime.)

Edit:
Quote
Well, almost anything 
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1330186879040368640


—- Starship
Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight)11/20/20, 10:05 PM
With Starship SN8 now receiving a preliminary launch date, the appearance of a labeled CH4 Header Tank finally confirmed there will be a Starship SN13.

Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Theo Ripper (@theoripper).
➡️youtu.be/h1zIRhVAEqw   
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1329984206219456512
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #942 on: November 21, 2020, 07:44:00 PM »
SpaceX (@SpaceX)11/21/20, 1:18 PM
Deployment of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich confirmed
➡️ https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1330213906640465920
15 sec NASA/SpaceX webcast clip with the deployment

Booster landing at Vandenberg AFB in California:
SpaceX (@SpaceX)11/21/20, 12:28 PM
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on Landing Zone 4
➡️ https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1330201338593095684
34 sec NASA/SpaceX webcast clip of landing
<  This is SpaceX’s 66th booster landing and the 16th consecutive landing in a row!

Watch at  https://www.spacex.com/launches/
We are awaiting confirmation of the solar array deploy and Acquisition Of Signal from the satellite.

Note that Spacex hasn't launched from VAFB in well over a year. After a delay from Nov. 10 by Merlin 1D engine issue, today's launch went off on time. That's a big reliability and mission assurance win for being able to "re-start" the site and go.

Compare:  ULA’s Delta Heavy NROL—44, originally scheduled for June, still hasn’t launched, mostly due to ground service issues.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #943 on: November 23, 2020, 01:12:50 AM »
—- Falcon 9's 100th flight tonight!
The new #Starlink mission is set to launch at 21:56 EST (02:56 UTC).
It will be booster B1049’s seventh flight.

Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX)11/21/20, 5:31 PM
Static fire test complete – targeting Falcon 9 launch of Starlink from SLC-40 in Florida on Sunday, November 22
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1330277683234746368
⬇️ Photo below

With multi-milestone flight, Falcon 9 ready to launch 16th round of Starlinks
Quote
Just over a day after a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried the American-European Sentinel-6A oceanography satellite into orbit from the U.S. West Coast, SpaceX has returned its focus to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, ahead of the Falcon 9 rocket’s 100th launch.

With the Starlink V1.0 L15 mission (or the 16th flight of Starlink), SpaceX’s latest batch of 60 satellites are scheduled to be lofted into orbit by booster B1049 — marking the company’s first-ever 7th flight of a Falcon 9 first stage. Liftoff is set for 21:56 EST on Sunday, 22 November (02:56 UTC on Monday, 23 November). …
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/starlink-falcon9-100-flights/

—- More on yesterday’s mission
Quote
William Harwood:
F9/Sentinel-6: ESA confirms acquisition of signal through Alaska; Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich has phoned home, confirming solar array deploy, good orbit
https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1330222767564795908

Quote
Supercluster:
Round trip composite image showing the #SpaceX Falcon 9 blasting off with Sentinel-6 and then returning home to Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Captured by @w00ki33 for Supercluster
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1330242469557121029
⬇️ Photo below

Supercluster:
Graceful touchdown
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1330251282490257409
⬇️ Photo below

Quote
Michael Baylor:
Falcon 9 blew some rings on ascent. 
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1330581118991515648
⬇️ Photo below

Quote
Jack Beyer:
Looks like SpaceX recovered both fairing halves from yesterdays launch, even without a fancy giant netboat on the west coast. NRC Quest has the skills to lay the bills!

Code Curmudgeon (@CodeCurmudgeon) 11/22/20, 5:25 PM
The SpaceX fairings from yesterday’s launch @SpaceXFleet thanks for the tip @thejackbeyer 
https://twitter.com/codecurmudgeon/status/1330638558252568576
➡️Photos at the link.

===========
—- SpaceX’s NASA Falcon Heavy launch debut a step closer as interplanetary payload powers up
By Eric Ralph November 20, 2020
Quote
Maxar Technologies says it’s powered on NASA’s Psyche spacecraft for the first time, pushing the asteroid explorer a step closer to the space agency’s SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch debut.

Despite the many challenges and disruptions posed by the global coronavirus pandemic, Psyche principal investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton recently noted that the mission to the spacecraft’s namesake metallic asteroid (16 Psyche) remains on track for a narrow 20-day launch window beginning on August 6th, 2022.

Expected to cost approximately $970 million including a relatively relatively affordable $117 million SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch contract, Psyche represents a fairly unique approach to deep space exploration, leaning on commercial off-the-shelf hardware and services as much as possible. To that end, the satellite ‘bus’ – essentially the brain and structural and propulsive backbone of the spacecraft – is moderately tweaked version of Maxar’s SSL 1300 design, proven over some four decades of continuous spaceflight and more than 100 completed satellites. …
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-nasa-psyche-mission-power-on-milestone/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #944 on: November 23, 2020, 03:40:24 AM »
—- Scrub!
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 11/22/20, 7:56 PM
Falcon 9 is venting. Not sure what is going on, but this is way too early for the scheduled launch time.
Watch live: youtube.com/watch?v=gnt2wZ…
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1330676675076505601
NSF clip at the twitter link.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

William Harwood (@cbs_spacenews) 11/22/20, 9:22 PM
F9/Starlink16: SpaceX says the team is standing down for "additional mission assurance;" no other details yet
https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1330698236043071491

Edit:
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11/22/20, 9:45 PM
Standing down from today’s launch of Starlink. Rocket and payload are healthy; teams will use additional time to complete data reviews and are now working toward backup opportunity on Monday, November 23 at 9:34 p.m. but keeping an eye on recovery weather
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1330703923259211776


—- That Starlink AMA
SpaceX Engineers share details about the Starlink Internet Network
Quote
SpaceX says the dish features technology "more advanced than what's in fighter jets." The technology enables the dish to search for an optimal view of the sky and is capable of reorienting itself. SpaceX engineers shared how the dish is capable of locating the satellites in orbit-- "The Starlink actually has no knowledge of the satellites when it powers on; the constellation is updating all the time so this would be difficult to keep up to date," they said, "The Starlink is able to electronically scan the sky in a matter of milliseconds and lock into the satellite overhead, even though its travelling 17,500 mph overhead. When it detects a satellite the Starlink hones in on its position and makes a request to join the internet. After that, the dish is able to download a schedule of which satellites to talk to next and with that, it can point right at the satellites when the time comes," the engineer(s) wrote via Reddit.

"We’re continuously improving all of the parts of the system. We update all of our satellites weekly, and push software updates to the Starlink dishes, WiFi routers, and phone app every couple weeks.” …
https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/starlink-reddit-ama-1
« Last Edit: November 23, 2020, 03:57:24 AM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #945 on: November 25, 2020, 01:23:47 AM »
—- Starlink launch in two hours!
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11/23/20, 4:45 PM
Now targeting Tuesday, November 24 at 9:13 p.m. EST for Falcon 9’s launch of Starlink, when weather conditions in the recovery area should improve
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1330990917608632321

—- Just now:  Starship 3-Raptor static fire complete
Quote
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/24/20, 6:59 PM
Good Starship SN8 static fire! Aiming for first 15km / ~50k ft altitude flight next week. Goals are to test 3 engine ascent, body flaps, transition from main to header tanks & landing flip.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1331386982296145922
⬇️image below: screencap from NSF replay. It was short, only 2 or 3 seconds.

LIVE: Starship SN8 Static Fire #4 - YouTube
➡️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_-Wu_S2qTA

< How are you feeling about Starship’s chances of landing in one piece?
Elon Musk:  Lot of things need to go right, so maybe 1/3 chance

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1331388984023461888
Elon Musk:  But that’s why we have SN 9 & SN10

—- Cargo Dragon FRR complete, Dec. 5 launch targeted
NASA and SpaceX “Go” for Dec. 5 Cargo Resupply Launch
November 23, 2020
Quote
NASA and SpaceX managers conducted a Flight Readiness Review (FRR) Monday, Nov. 23, for SpaceX’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission to the International Space Station.

To enable additional time to evaluate flight data from Crew-1 and close out certification work ahead of this first flight of the cargo version of Dragon 2, teams are now proceeding toward a planned liftoff at 11:39 a.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 5, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Dragon spacecraft arriving to autonomously dock at the orbiting laboratory on Sunday, Dec. 6, at approximately 11:30 a.m.

The science to be delivered on this mission includes a study aimed at better understanding the effects of microgravity on cardiac function in human heart tissue, research into how microbes could be used for biomining on asteroids, and a tool being tested for quick and accurate blood analysis in microgravity.

The first commercially owned and operated airlock on the space station, the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock, will arrive in the unpressurized trunk of the Dragon spacecraft. Bishop will provide a variety of capabilities to the orbiting laboratory, including CubeSat deployment and support of external payloads.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2020/11/23/nasa-and-spacex-go-for-dec-5-cargo-resupply-launch/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #946 on: November 25, 2020, 01:52:42 AM »
—- Rocket Re-use —-
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) 11/24/20, 7:30 PM
The NASASpaceflight broadcast for the Starlink mission will begin in 45 minutes. This launch will be the first time that a Falcon booster flies for the seventh time!
➡️youtu.be/Hc0kVyhmut8
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1331394719465701379

—- Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket was recovered after its recent launch
Quote
Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) 11/22/20, 1:44 PM
Electron is home. Engineers will now begin poring over the stage to assess its condition and will use the data to inform future recovery efforts. More updates soon!
https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1330582890938204160

Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) 11/23/20, 11:51 AM

Before and after the journey to space
https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1330916778365501440
⬇️ Two photos below, another at the link.
< Some of the soot got washed away, but the booster is probably unusable due to the salt water, isn't it?
<< I don't think they planned to reuse this booster anyway. They just wanted to look at it and learn if it could be reused if caught by a helicopter. So they don't care about salt water damage just the damage that occured from the re-entry.

This begins a discussion thread about what constitutes a “reusable orbital class rocket;” whether just parts of it being recovered count; also does the part recovered need to be reused to be counted?  And what of rockets in the same family, like F9 and Falcon Heavy?  Space Shuttle is a special case.  Excerpts:
Quote
Everyday Astronaut:
Am I right in thinking this is only the third orbital class rocket in history to be returned in one piece?! (Buran doesn’t count because it was purely a spacecraft and not part of the launch vehicle, Energia, which on both flights wasn’t reusable)
https://twitter.com/erdayastronaut/status/1330583960984952833

[Here’s one summary:]
Jrcraft (@Jrcraft__)11/22/20, 4:13 PM
Shuttle: Reusable boosters, partially reusable upper stage
Ariane V: Recoverable boosters, expended core & 2nd stage
F9: Reusable 1st stage, expended 2nd stage
FH: Reusable boosters, recoverable core, expended 2nd stage
Electron: Recoverable 1st stage, expendable 2nd stage

~ Both Electron stage one & FH core stage have not demonstrated reusability, but have been recovered. Ariane V boosters are recoverable, but have not demonstrated reuse.
https://twitter.com/jrcraft__/status/1330620400359800832


—- Starship refueling
Quote
Marcus House (@MarcusHouseGame) 11/24/20, 8:08 AM
What what!? My new video is up!
Recently granted funding for SpaceX to develop refilling tech will go a long, long way. Here is a video talking about why this is so important. This tech alone would change the world in many ways.
➡️youtu.be/Q91ujUhQ7BA
https://twitter.com/marcushousegame/status/1331223240207863809
Elon Musk:
Rapid & complete rocket reuse, low cost propellant, orbital refilling & propellant production at destination are the four essential elements of making life multiplanetary

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1331308907797630982

< When will you start utilizing / practicing ISRU and sabatier fueling at the pad? Are you actively engineering portable fueling plants yet for Mars?
Elon Musk:  Maybe start on that a year from now. Depends on how Starship progress goes.

< I see Starship enabling so much growth & innovation: humongous space stations, space telescopes, space-based solar power, space tourism, etc.  What a great time to be alive!
<< Totally agree with you there! Just need things to get back to normal human connection wise.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #947 on: November 25, 2020, 05:55:55 PM »
—- Yesterday’s Starlink mission
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 11/24/20, 9:29 PM
Deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed
➡️ https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1331424769632215040
30-sec webcast clip: retention rod is freed; unusual view of back row of sats.

• First time for the 7th flight of a booster (B1049)
• 2nd flight of one fairing half, 3rd flight of the other half
• 67th time the Falcon 9 booster has landed successfully
• 100th Falcon 9 launch
• 23rd launch of this year

SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket on its seventh trip to space
Nov 25, 2020, 9:32am EST
https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/25/21718940/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launch-reusability-trips-flights-starlink

Starlink competitor Xfinity launches data caps, which SpaceX says it will not use
https://www.teslarati.com/starlink-data-caps-comcast-xfinity/


—- Chang’e 5
I posted an article in astro news.  But here’s a fun launch video.  Elon approves.
Quote
China Xinhua News (@XHNews) 11/23/20, 4:37 PM
China launches #ChangE5 spacecraft to collect, return samples from the #moon. It's one of the most complicated and challenging missions in China's aerospace history. #LunarProbe
➡️ https://twitter.com/xhnews/status/1330988756434706432

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/23/20, 5:45 PM

@XHNews Exciting mission!
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1331005909112397824


—-  If the composite photo of the Vandenberg launch & landing isn’t sufficiently inspiring, here’s a video (actually, two) combining them:
Quote
Jay L. DeShetler (@jdeshetler) 11/23/20, 11:57 PM
SpaceX's Plan vs Elon's Plan
➡️ https://twitter.com/jdeshetler/status/1331099637038477313
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vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #948 on: November 26, 2020, 02:40:20 PM »
Starship design specs - 8 years before Elon Musk was born ...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Dragon_(rocket)#Design




Composite of two NASA technical drawings, of the Saturn V rocket and the proposed Sea Dragon rocket, to the same scale

... The rocket would have been able to carry a payload of up to 550 tonnes (540 long tons; 610 short tons) or 550,000 kg (1,210,000 lb) into LEO. Payload costs, in 1963, were estimated to be between $59 to $600 per kg (roughly $500 to $5,060 per kg in 2020 dollars[5]). TRW (Space Technology Laboratories, Inc.) conducted a program review and validated the design and its expected costs.[6] However, budget pressures led to the closing of the Future Projects Branch, ending work on the super-heavy launchers they had proposed for a crewed mission to Mars.

"Study of Large Sea-Launch Space Vehicle," Contract NAS8-2599, Space Technology Laboratories, Inc./Aerojet General Corporation Report #8659-6058-RU-000, Vol. 1 – Design, January 1963
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #949 on: November 29, 2020, 08:40:59 PM »
—- Starship
Quote
Michael Baylor:
An alert notice has been given to the residents of Boca Chica village for Starship testing on Monday, but before you panic, it appears to be the standard static fire (or similar) notice. There is no requirement of temporarily leaving the village.

Elon Musk (@elonmusk)11/29/20, 1:58 PM
Just a static fire tomorrow. Flight no earlier than Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1333123173815087111

Quote
< What are the minor differences between SN8 & SN9/10 that you’ve mentioned? Anything in particular that you’re testing different versions of, or just smaller improvements in general?
Elon Musk: Many small improvements, but overall similar. Wiring is more robust, engines are more mature, nosecone is sealed better, etc.
Elon Musk: Major upgrades are slated for SN15

< Is the 15km flight using the main tanks?
Elon Musk: Yes, but only slightly filled
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1331391765694263299

Waiting for the TFR:
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight)11/28/20, 2:47 PM
Still no temporary flight restrictions for Starship SN8's 15-kilometer hop which was scheduled for no earlier than Monday. I understand that the target launch date is now later in the week. #SpaceX

< A insider told me it is now Thursday due to high winds expected during the Mon-early Wed and FAA review of flight plans and emergency coordination in the event of a RUD.

——-
SpaceX issues a 'self-destruct zone' in the Gulf of Mexico in case Starship SN8's debut test flight fails
Quote
Developing a new spacecraft comes with many challenges. The company has destroyed a couple of stainless-steel prototypes during proof testing in the past. SpaceX has safety measures in place in case Starship SN8’s debut test flight fails. KRGV Channel 5 news, a local media outlet in South Texas, reports the United States Coast Guard is collaborating with SpaceX to prepare for an emergency situation. SpaceX provided a map to the Coast Guard called the “Self-destruct Zone,” located in the Gulf of Mexico along Boca Chica Beach (pictured below), “There is a good chance of failure on this test vehicle with debris falling into the ocean. We will need everyone to stay out of the self-destruct zone in case there is an incident,” Jason Cross, with the U.S. Coast Guard's Corpus Christi Sector told emergency responders in an e-mail obtained by KRGV Channel5.

According to Cameron County Boca Chica Beach closure announcements, SpaceX could attempt to perform Starship SN8’s debut test flight sometime on November 30th from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST. Back-up launch opportunity dates are scheduled for December 1st and 2nd from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. You can watch SpaceX South Texas launch operations Live 24/7 in the video below [in this article], courtesy of LabPadre via YouTube.
https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/self-destruct
⬇️ Image below.

Quote
Brendan (@brendan2908) 11/28/20, 8:38 AM
The current status of SpaceX's Starship & Superheavy prototypes. 28 November
https://twitter.com/brendan2908/status/1332680353039847426
⬇️ Graphic below.

——
FAA To Begin Environmental Review at SpaceX Texas Launch Site
November 23, 2020
Quote
SpaceX has informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it plans to apply for licenses for suborbital and orbital launches of its Starship spacecraft powered by the Super Heavy rocket at its launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.

The proposed update to Starship/Super Heavy operations falls outside of the scope of the existing final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision for the launch site and requires additional environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). …
https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=96139


—- Vandenberg touchdown
Quote
Amazing footage from the USAF 30th Space Wing of a Falcon 9 booster touchdown. Note the shadow before it glides into frame. The footage is from the launch of the NASA/ESA Sentinel 6 satellite. Credit: USAF 30th SW/Mark Mackley/Aaron Taubman
➡️ https://twitter.com/rocketrundown/status/1332062496274984960


—- Returning to Port Canaveral
Quote
John Kraus  (@johnkrausphotos)11/28/20, 9:10 AM
Seven flights to space — and back.
Here’s a closeup look at Falcon 9 B1049, the new Falcon fleet leader.
➡️https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1332688301157965824
Two photos. “49”

Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight)11/28/20, 8:58 AM

And both drone ships got in on the Starlink Beta!
➡️https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1332685186216157184
Vid clip, zoom in on Starlink dish antenna

Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight)11/28/20, 9:31 AM

Fleetcam is going to want a bonus today. Now we're getting to see the recovered fairings being lifted. Getting the boosters back is huge, but the fairings cost millions of bucks, so also a big deal.
youtube.com/watch?v=rKdT0h…
➡️https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1332693681602764800
30 sec. “Water recovery mark” on the end of the fairing half.

—- Starlink
New Brunswick, Canada
Elon Musk's satellites now streaming to some rural N.B. homes | CBC News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/satellite-internet-low-earth-orbit-streaming-video-conferencing-1.5817966
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