I watched the first shuttle launch as a child. I watched the tragedy of Challenger in my school's gymnasium, and I watched STS-135, the last orbiter mission, from a bridge in Florida.
This is a monumental day for our country.
SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
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Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#82I'm actually surprised they use a touchscreen interface, and they will use that for the manual docking too! https://i.imgur.com/YKiqIqO.jpg
Yes, overall Crew Dragon seems to have a very clean design in general.
Think the comments more about usability/feedback vs visual. Especially wearing thick gloves.
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is quite an achievement. This paves the way forward for eventual space colonization.
Does anyone know how on schedule crew dragon was? Apparently: Musk plans to send a SpaceX rocket to Mars, with cargo only, by 2022, according to the SpaceX website. A second mission, which would take more cargo and crew, is targeted for 2024 So, realistically, 2030?
Less than a year behind after the issue they had in Aug 2019.
However the mission to Mars isn't a direct linear descendant of this so it may slip more or less.
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#84Does anyone know what happens to the 2nd stage engine? Does it stay in orbit or does it eventually fall back to earth/go into space?
It'll do a couple orbits then fall back down to Earth.
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#85Does anyone know what happens to the 2nd stage engine? Does it stay in orbit or does it eventually fall back to earth/go into space?
burns up.
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#86It is hard to convey how "sustainable" this feels to me. For the first time, humans have gone into orbit in a spacecraft that was designed from the ground up to be a commercial venture.
All of the NASA missions prior to this have an ambience of "uneconomical but useful". Even the shuttle, which was supposed to be this cost effective space truck, turned out to be not even close.
And the last thing I'm feeling is the amazement at how much technology has evolved to get us to this point. I imagined as a child that the Apollo program would lead to a factory of rockets that launched people to orbit, to the Moon, and even to Mars on demand. And seeing what SpaceX has done to get to this point, it is clear to me that was never even close to possible. The Russian program is great in that way. It shows what that path might have looked like. And yes we could have refined the making of F1 engines, the construction of boosters, and just pushed that, but that leads to a steady state that is below what you need to run a program like this with a net positive economic outcome.
So very impressed guys, congratulations!
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#87It's absolutely incredible to see this. So much work to get us here. So much work just to organize this launch event. Seeing astronauts getting dropped off in one of the most technologically advanced automobiles on Earth and walk into the capsule sitting on top of a rocket which is the Pinnacle of humanity's biggest advancements in technology and space is astounding and goosebumps-enducing. What a time to be alive!
And the best part is that this is only the beginning! God I hope I live long enough to see human beings set foot on Mars.
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
For Kerosene/Gaseous Oxygen like Buran used, you'd need some sort of sparkplug right? That seems inherently less reliable. > so SpaceX didn't pay that much attention to it That's quite an assumption. They didn't decide as you would have, so they must not have thought about it much?
I think the whole quote is in order here. > I suspect it's a question which is considered less important so far, so SpaceX didn't pay that much attention to it, considering they had to do a lot of other things already. They had a lot of other things to work on, so they - because of that, I suspect - didn't pay that much attention to it. I don't think it's the same as what you wrote.
I strongly suspect they've given the matter orders of magnitude more engineer-hours of consideration than you have. Yes, they have many other things to consider as well; that's why they have a lot of engineers.
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#89What a moment in time! As usual, they make it look so effortless.
Surprising how the suits, simpler looking interiors and interfaces seem to be taking over the old physical buttons and wires and what not.
Hats off.
Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
#90Any idea why both Nasa and SpaceX feed both run on 720p max?
Wondering the same here. That plus Youtube compression artifacts made this a teeny bit less enjoyable to watch.