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SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

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Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To visualize one of the constraints (the orbit inclination) -- imagine holding up a hoop around a globe, with the hoop angled at 51.6 degrees. Now start spinning the globe until Florida intersects with the hoop. That is when it has to launch, to be going in the same direction as that hoop. Spin the globe a bit further, and now you can see that Florida no longer intersects with that hoop. If you were to try to launch…

> Now, you also have to launch so that you intercept the ISS when it is at the proper position on that hoop. If, when you reach the hoop the ISS is half way around the world, you won't get to it. (Technically, you can spend some time at a lower orbit, then raise your orbit at the right time, or adjust the amount of time it takes to get to the right height, but again that messes with the timing of everything and fuel…

[deleted]

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To visualize one of the constraints (the orbit inclination) -- imagine holding up a hoop around a globe, with the hoop angled at 51.6 degrees. Now start spinning the globe until Florida intersects with the hoop. That is when it has to launch, to be going in the same direction as that hoop. Spin the globe a bit further, and now you can see that Florida no longer intersects with that hoop. If you were to try to launch…

> Now, you also have to launch so that you intercept the ISS when it is at the proper position on that hoop. If, when you reach the hoop the ISS is half way around the world, you won't get to it. (Technically, you can spend some time at a lower orbit, then raise your orbit at the right time, or adjust the amount of time it takes to get to the right height, but again that messes with the timing of everything and fuel…

Here is a really good explanation of rendezvous using a lower and faster phasing orbit and how faster rendezvous works: https://spaceflight101.com/progress-ms-07/russia-to-introduc...

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#333
post #28
post #16

The cold war is back, the fashion is back and out of all the things that are back I am glad that the USA is back in space flights. Wish you the best luck and hope that this will lead to some serious competition. Soyuz is great but we need to do more as species.

> do more as species Space exploration and exploitation is awesome, but shouldn't the first items on the "do more as species" todo list be about taking care of earth?

This is like parents telling their children "If you have time to goof off and play games, you should have time to study harder / do the dishes / mow the lawn". This isn't an either /or, also even if you stopped doing X completely, and did only Y, you still won't be done with Y. Because there is always more Y to do. So as long as Y isn't fully achievable, might as do some X also.

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#334
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bet one day these damn panels are gonna kill a crew. Non haptic controls in critical systems like cars, planes, and rockets are an insane fad.

I'm thinking the same thing. SpaceX isn't to the point in this endeavor where they should be worrying about making things look "sexy". If there isn't an objective improvement in doing something in a non-flight-tested way then I'd be highly suspicious.

Part of their mission is to inspire the next generation. So if it doesn't add to the cost or make it more hazardous, making it look good / futuristic can have a positive payoff if some 10 year old kid looks at it and decides to go into a STEM field and invent something cool.

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many reddit communities are like that. Not sure what they did to collect such folks on single place, but reddit is something else.

Well, mostly, they replaced Usenet and a hodge-podge jumble of forum sites running generic interfaces where you have to click to a new page for every 50 comments (or less), which have no comment reply nesting. Reddit brought a more useful/readable interface, allowed anonymous accounts with no email address, and had a very simple & powerful (if flawed) voting system. This attracted content creators of all kinds, which…

> Also, should Condé Nast ever screw the pooch here, plenty of clones are waiting in the wings.

I'm really hoping they don't, because I don't think a replacement coulg gain traction as long as reddit is functioning.

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#336
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but is manned missions really going to achieve much. I thought there was much differing opinion about the value/lack of value of manned missions among the space community itself.

By the way, NASA style is to avoid using "manned" and use a term like "crewed" or "piloted" instead. The Manned Spaceflight Center is an exception. See https://history.nasa.gov/styleguide.html

So progressive. Now if they could only man a spacecraft

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#337
post #236
post #125

I assume the astronauts and everyone involved is tested daily for COVID-19. I am sure that bringing the virus to the IIS would be disastrous. Anyone has any insights on the measures taken to prevent it? This Verge article[0] appears to describe the preventative steps to be less severe than I'd expect. [0] https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/25/21264868/spacex-nasa-laun...

Why should it be desastrous? I hope you do know the odds. The COVID-19 fatality odd is 0.3%, the Dragon-lost odd probably much higher, maybe at around 5%. The Falcon 9 has over 80 starts now, but this is only the 3nd Dragon 2 start, and one of it failed.

I think the astronauts health makes them much less likely to die from Corona than 0.3% but exposing the current crew of the IIS does not sound like a good idea either.

Fatality rate is one thing, but being in a small space can cause high concentrations of virus and any health complication in space is a big deal.

A catastrophic failure is definitely a risk, but not sure how its magnitude should diminish our caution when it comes to bringing the virus to the space station (by your calc, it lowers the risk only by 5%).

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#338

ISS will be visible from Germany at 22:23 today, coming from north-west moving towards south-east and it will be followed by Crew Dragon and the Falcon 9 upper stage about 20 minutes later. It should pass almost straight over you in the south of Germany.

Do you know where ISS will be when Crew Dragon actually docks?

Docking is scheduled for 10:29 EDT (14:29 UTC) today (2020-05-31) at which time the ISS is predicted to be 1000km east of the Philippines, approximately 300km west of Guam.

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know where ISS will be when Crew Dragon actually docks?

Docking is scheduled for 10:29 EDT (14:29 UTC) today (2020-05-31) at which time the ISS is predicted to be 1000km east of the Philippines, approximately 300km west of Guam.

Thanks! I probably won't be up, but I did get to see them chasing each other across the sky a few hours ago.

Thanks for thinking of me!

Re: SpaceX NASA returning human spaceflight to United States today (canceled)

#340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Docking is scheduled for 10:29 EDT (14:29 UTC) today (2020-05-31) at which time the ISS is predicted to be 1000km east of the Philippines, approximately 300km west of Guam.

Thanks! I probably won't be up, but I did get to see them chasing each other across the sky a few hours ago. Thanks for thinking of me!

You're welcome!
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