SpaceX just did a test hop of SN5 and it was badass!!


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EenXLj5W...jpg&name=small
And it landed!!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EenXy7JW...g&name=900x900

Today's Starlink 10/SkySats 19-21 launch marks the successful reuse of a falcon 9 booster for the sixth time. The same rocket has launched six different payloads into space.

It's life, Jim, but not as we know it... What has Venus just burped!!!

Refueling in space sounds fun.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020...aft-refueling/

SpaceX response video is neat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Jy...ature=youtu.be


SN8 50k test flight should be real soon.

SN8 just got stacked! Looking very nice. The people in the lift give a great scale for reference.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ek-LIl8W...jpg&name=large

I love how it looks like a prop in a 50's B SciFi movie.

I have a 55" monitor on the wall I use for team meetings. When not in a meeting or needing it for some other purpose I've taken to streaming this to it. Love just watching the Earth go by.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEIk7gwjgIM

Couple of cool pictures of the ISS.

https://petapixel.com/2020/11/05/pho...-his-backyard/

https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads...at-800x420.jpg

Anyone watching the Chinese launch to the Moon today (unmanned mission to gather and return rocks).

Launch is about 3:30EDT 11/23.

Better link.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-11-2...YOI/index.html

I think we need a voting thread... Bot or Not

Oh it is bot. The only reason I haven't reported it is I want to see it's end game!

Also, RIP Arecibo.

https://apnews.com/article/technolog...f0c752348e712e

Bout damn time.
Why we let Russia have Goldeneye for so long beats the hell outta me.

Never actually seen the movie...

:scared0016:

Me neither


:23:

Annnnnd there we have it!


A nice specific bot focused on the word "space" in order to push their app.

You know, we all knew it was a bot too.

I know you knew. Was just waiting for it to expose itself

That's kind of pervy

Why is Bender next to a TARDIS?

Because they are on a holodeck.

:clap:. Well done.

How long before there's a "Go Fund Me" page selling M.A.G.A. merchandise? Make Arecibo Great Again


https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/w...Collapse-2.jpg

SN8 test was scrubbed yesterday. Fingers crossed the 12.5K test goes off today. Vehicle is looking good.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eo0KKGJW...g&name=900x900

Looks sort of Fireball XL5 ish, eh!


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/59/c7...3ef53c3ffd.jpg

Launch now scheduled for 3pm Central
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky5l9ZxsG9M

Its older tech than that,,,,,,,,,


https://static.turbosquid.com/Previe...ce87fLarge.jpg




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVIp0m86nZ0

Dat landing! Ouch... Other than that, pretty amazing.

Musk had predicted a 2 in 3 chance of a crash landing - painful to be right some times.

Got to love the delay caused by boaters entering the restricted area.

A bit more (unverified but matches the video) information:

- Two engines failed on the way up, one a little while after the other. The launch vehicle weighs 122 tons so making it to the proper 12.5km altitude with only two, and eventually one, engine is impressive in itself.

- It managed to perform the belly-flop fall and righted itself correctly. All three engines fired but two failed again in quick succession, not one. The single engine couldn’t provide enough thrust to slow the vehicle down enough, so the legs did not have time to deploy.

- It hit the pad too hard with no legs and burst. It was more of a pressure explosion rather than a fuel explosion because all of the liquid methane would have been used by that point.

and this:

They were THIS close.
Other than that great launch and descent.

Man, for a first flight that was awesome! Good thing they have more stacked up ready to go!!

Got to love a good acronym...

The RUD that Musk uses is actual rocket science slang:

Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly!:bellyroll:

And just for fun... be sure to check out:

https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/

If you are in California, you should get a great view in about an hour!

Barely discernable as a fast moving H in the sky with the naked eye, very distinct with binoculars.

Yard sale!

That will buff out...

It's fun until you get three acronyms nested within each other and it takes 5 minutes to explain it to a newbie...

I designed something I wanted to call a CommE but program management started getting mad at me. Capitalist pigs.

lol nice. I'm involved in the upkeep of my customer's Production Image Store. They weren't pleased when I got sick of typing out the whole name.