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Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

bbc.com

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Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#81

Post by nine_k »

nixon_why69 wrote: post #67
nasretdinov wrote: post #9

I like how most people's reactions at this point are "yeah, whatever", as if it's every day that humans observe the far side of the moon with a naked eye through a window :). We do know what it looks like and we have photos from the surface, yes, but seeing the reaction from real people who're actually there does hit different, at least for me

I'm not being a hater, but we landed on the moon 55+ years ago and now we're doing a flyby with 35+ year-old engine tech. It's good that we're doing something but we should be doing better.

In 2-3 years we should expect a Starship mission to Moon, at a much more sensible scale, as in the amount of scientific gear and actual researchers delivered to the surface (and then back).

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#82

Post by implements »

_fw wrote: post #39

Am I losing it? They can’t be seeing the far side of the moon right now, because they haven’t adjusted course to go round the far side of the moon yet… So does this suggest the BBC is wrong and it’s the side of the moon we’re used to seeing, but just it’s “dark”? But then the astronauts are saying it’s weird seeing the moon in a whole new light (excuse the paraphrasing pun). I don’t understand.

Remember that they’re not flying towards the Moon but to a point in space where they and the Moon will be closest together in a day or two, hence the Moon is now ‘off to their side’ and they can see a segment of it that is hidden to Earth observers … I think.

Also, the dark side of the Moon is often illuminated but we call it dark because it’s also hidden from earth due to the Earth and Moon being tidally locked (the same side of each always faces the other body).

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#83

Post by dreamcompiler »

_fw wrote: post #39

Am I losing it? They can’t be seeing the far side of the moon right now, because they haven’t adjusted course to go round the far side of the moon yet… So does this suggest the BBC is wrong and it’s the side of the moon we’re used to seeing, but just it’s “dark”? But then the astronauts are saying it’s weird seeing the moon in a whole new light (excuse the paraphrasing pun). I don’t understand.

> they haven’t adjusted course to go round the far side of the moon yet

No course adjustment is necessary (at least in the sense of an engine burn). The moon's gravity will sling them around and back toward Earth.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#84

Post by pierrec »

_fw wrote: post #39

Am I losing it? They can’t be seeing the far side of the moon right now, because they haven’t adjusted course to go round the far side of the moon yet… So does this suggest the BBC is wrong and it’s the side of the moon we’re used to seeing, but just it’s “dark”? But then the astronauts are saying it’s weird seeing the moon in a whole new light (excuse the paraphrasing pun). I don’t understand.

>they haven’t adjusted course to go round the far side of the moon yet

They did, 3 days ago! Maybe this is being pedantic (?) but the trans-lunar injection burn they did on April 2 put them on the complete trajectory including return to Earth. Though there are still possible correction burns that can be done to increase precision (the first 2 of these were already canceled).

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#85

Post by layer8 »

dust42 wrote: post #28
nkrisc wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The moon is tidally locked with the Earth, which means the same side always faces the Earth. So, for example, when the moon is between the Earth and the sun, the far side (from the perspective of Earth) would be fully illuminated by the sun. The “far side” of the moon refers to the hemisphere that can’t be seen from Earth.

Yes, and right now is full moon, thus the far side is only illuminated by stars.

And a little bit by asteroids like 20 Massalia and comets like 24P/Schaumasse.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#86

Post by brabel »

davidw wrote: post #54
dust42 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, and right now is full moon, thus the far side is only illuminated by stars.

I wonder why they decided on that timing? If it were better illuminated by the sun, couldn't they get some better photography?

My guess is that this mission is not about imaging the far side of the Moon at all as that has been done already.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#87

Post by dotancohen »

b00ty4breakfast wrote: post #16
nasretdinov wrote: post #9

I like how most people's reactions at this point are "yeah, whatever", as if it's every day that humans observe the far side of the moon with a naked eye through a window :). We do know what it looks like and we have photos from the surface, yes, but seeing the reaction from real people who're actually there does hit different, at least for me

it's amazing, but I'll refer you to Gil Scott-Heron for my feelings on the matter A rat done bit my sister Nell With whitey on the moon Her face and arms began to swell And whitey's on the moon I can't pay no doctor bills But whitey's on the moon Ten years from now I'll be payin' still While whitey's on the moon The man just upped my rent last night Cause whitey's on the moon No hot water, no toilets, no lights But w…

The author of this poem went to great lengths to show his racism. It reminds me of a post, probably on Reddit, of a similar racist nature. Just when it's going in the other direction it's clearer.

The post was by a man, supposedly white, who had to pull his child or children from private school because he could not pay for it. His frustration was based on the fact that his taxes were higher than the school tuition, and that another student at the school, a black student, was having his tuition paid by the government. He implied that he was paying for another person's education, and could not afford his own child's education. He saw the same dichotomy as that expressed in the poem, in the other direction.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#88

Post by ryandrake »

al_borland wrote: post #65
GolfPopper wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking for myself (who has been fascinated with the space program since I was a small child), any joy I might feel around Artemis II feels tainted, by the immense amount of pork involved (SLS is called "Senate Launch System" for good reason) to the point where Artemis is more corporate welfare that happens to involve the Moon than a real space program, and by my belief that it is intended to be little more than a q…

I ran across this video[0] yesterday with Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about how it’s always been political. The first moon landing was more about global politics than science. As a child you likely weren’t concerned about that side of it, or were shielded from it. It isn’t always the purist motivations that push the human race forward, but forward it moves us. [0] https://youtu.be/j_AlXChA9F4

I don't think OP's problem with it is that it's "political" but that it's a product of pork and corporate welfare. The political thrust of the Apollo program was more "beat the Russians" and less "funnel money into dozens of already-rich corporations in favored districts." Even thought there was a lot of that, too. Modern space (and defense) projects seem to be almost 100% "pork funnel" and zero anything else.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#89

Post by NooneAtAll3 »

davidw wrote: post #54
dust42 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, and right now is full moon, thus the far side is only illuminated by stars.

I wonder why they decided on that timing? If it were better illuminated by the sun, couldn't they get some better photography?

current 2nd stage is underpowered, so it has to be compensated by 1st stage right from the start

and since launchpad is in the north hemisphere, Moon has to be at the south part of its orbit

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#90

Post by dotancohen »

delecti wrote: post #77
kklisura wrote: post #69

On one of Apollo missions they've read from Bible, Book of Genesis [1]. I wish they did something like that here - and I'm not even a Christian, let alone religious. They did relay some beautiful message [2] though. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4tDZye57D4 [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELslc6O4UVk

I sure hope they don't. Even just the hint of connecting this achievement to the supposed Christian nature of the US would reinforce a lot of the bad things in the world right now. Namely, that we're actively at war in the middle east (Christianity and Judaism vs Islam), in a burgeoning cold war with China (more Christianity vs "godless" communists), and run by an increasingly fascistic administration (the ties betwe…

I am not a Christian, but it was arguably the Christian value system which forged the government and institutions that made these achievements possible. Such progress happens only in high trust societies.
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