685 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

SpaceX launches huge Starship rocket into orbit on third test flight, but loses spacecraft on its return to Earth

 

 

In the rocket’s most ambitious test flight yet, it achieved two milestones: Starship successfully reached orbit and reentered Earth’s atmosphere for the first time.

 

https://www.nbcnews....sday-rcna143286

 

 

My EDIT:   it never entered "orbit", nor was it intended to.  "Orbit" would mean it has enough altitude and velocity to circle the earth, it did not have that.  It simply "entered space" (on a trajectory similar to that of an orbital flight), then gravity pulled it back down.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 March 2024 - 07:10 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

I'm not sure if I see one missing heat shield tile.

 

I guess we might find out in about 8 minutes!

 

 

 

 

[Victoria Watcher]

https://twitter.com/...290734443254138

 

[lanforod]

Whats so different about these tiles vs how they've done in for tons of other rockets? Why do they even come off so 'easy'?

[lanforod]

Is it for reuse of the rocket, so they can just replace tiles and go again?

[Victoria Watcher]

Let’s see you hold onto anything at 27,000kmh.

[Mike K.]

Just reading this latest series of posts. Thanks Watcher, that was great to follow! I hadn’t seen the videos or paid much attention, but those posts were great!

[Victoria Watcher]

As North America prepares for a once-in-a-lifetime solar event, school districts across eastern Canada are weighing potential learning opportunities against possible risks, with most coming down solidly on the side of safety. 

 

Many school boards are making arrangements to ensure students are not at school during the total solar eclipse on April 8, cancelling classes or opting for early dismissal. They cite concerns that kids might damage their eyes by looking directly at the sun, or that the mid-afternoon darkness will make their trek home dangerous.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...lipse-1.7159674

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solar eclipse: State of emergency declared in Niagara Region

https://globalnews.c...niagara-region/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 31 March 2024 - 03:29 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Solar eclipse expected to bring largest tourist crowd in Niagara Falls history: mayor

 

The mayor of Niagara Falls, Ont., says the city is expecting the largest crowd of visitors it has ever seen on the day of a celestial event that will turn daylight into darkness for a few fleeting minutes early next month.

 

Jim Diodati says close to a million people are expected to flock to the iconic southern Ontario city known for its waterfall on April 8 to observe a total solar eclipse, and the municipality of Niagara region has declared a state of emergency so visitors remember to be prepared.

 

https://www.cheknews...-mayor-1197330/

 

 

 

So if they normally get 13 million visits a year, but on this day they expect 1 million, that's gonna be kind of tight.  So 13M / 365 days = 35,316 per day, but let's just say that summer is 10x busier than other times of the year.  That's still only 353,000 on a busy day or weekend.  Compared to 1M expected just one day next week.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 31 March 2024 - 06:31 AM.

[lanforod]

Forecast looks ok, but imagine if it ends up cloudy.

[Nparker]

... close to a million people are expected to flock to the iconic southern Ontario city known for its waterfall on April 8 to observe a total solar eclipse...

https://youtu.be/lcOxhH8N3Bo

[Victoria Watcher]

Elon Musk SpaceX Presentation Leaves Audience SPEECHLESS

 

https://youtu.be/Off...FWNHHl5ttin4EJi

 

Edited and blanks cut out.  For speed.

 

27 minutes of his speech to Spacex employees.

 

He wants to have 10 launches - per day.  And build several thousand rockets each year.

 

 

So hundreds or thousands of them will be sitting in space in earth orbit, then when the planets align (about every two years) they will all at once go to Mars.

 

 

 

SpaceX could attempt to land a Starship booster as soon as the vehicle’s fifth flight as Elon Musk outlined plans to increase both the flight rate and the performance of the launch vehicle.

SpaceX posted on social media April 6 the video of an undated, but apparently recent, presentation the company’s founder and chief executive gave at its Starbase facility at Boca Chica, Texas. The presentation focused on the Starship vehicle built and launched there.

 

https://spacenews.co...nd-performance/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 April 2024 - 07:50 AM.

[dasmo]

Meanwhile we are drinking out of paper straws and owning nothing.

[Victoria Watcher]

Musk says if flight #4 works well (about a month away) and the booster lands on a "virtual tower", then before the end of the year they will try catching it with the mechanical arms on flight #5.

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 April 2024 - 09:02 AM.

[Mike K.]

What’s he going to be launching 10x per day? What the heck is he doing?

[Victoria Watcher]

Trying to have a 1-million person colony on Mars.

 

Then longer-term they can terra-form the planet and make it more like earth.  One day you will even be able to go outdoors without special breathing equipment.

[Nparker]

Been there; read that. 

https://en.wikipedia...ki/Mars_trilogy

[dasmo]

Clown world….

[Mike K.]

It’ll be Clown World, actually.

[Victoria Watcher]

If and when Mars gets people, folks will wonder what took so long.