Spacex launch: Excited? Nervous? Optimistic or not for future of space travel?

[Nik]

Maybe more in the context of further colonization missions: Arguably, the extreme and demanding conditions necessitate more communal and equal organization, aimed at survival. At least at first they might not be able to afford better/bigger share to a more prominent/rich/strong (your choice) member to have a privileged position. It's the excess that allows a leeway in distribution. Maybe the corona, breathing down our necks, brings us closer to more severe conditions when the dust settles down...

[Philip]

The cooperation angle is surprising given rhetoric. US astronauts using Russian launchers for years. China notable by absence (as far as i know). Focus on moon as stepping stone to Mars. Note UAE launching probe to Mars.

A lot of other countries have potential to join and therefore share (however small) in costs

[Philip]

In amongst the madness Space X launched a GPS satellite yesterday and then casually landed their launch rocket back on their drone barge

Still takes my breath away.

[Nik]

Hope the astronauts got their mail-in votes stamped correctly

[Graeme]

Philip wrote: "In amongst the madness Space X launched a GPS satellite yesterday and then casually landed their launch rocket back on their drone barge

Still takes my breath away."

Australian's were building hovering rockets decades ago....

REF (WIKI): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nulka

[Philip]

Graeme wrote: "Philip wrote: "In amongst the madness Space X launched a GPS satellite yesterday and then casually landed their launch rocket back on their drone barge

Still takes my breath away."

Australian's w..."

Yes appreciate its not new but to do it so casually so often is the impressive thing and barely a mention in the news

[Scout]

I agree, Philip. It's an astonishing feat.

[Graeme]

Now certified by NASA for use/deployment.

"Years of design, development, and testing have culminated in NASA officially certifying the first commercial spacecraft system in history capable of transporting humans to and from the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA completed the signing of the Human Rating Certification Plan Tuesday for SpaceX’s crew transportation system after a thorough Flight Readiness Review ahead the agency’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission with astronauts to the space station.

“I’m extremely proud to say we are returning regular human spaceflight launches to American soil on an American rocket and spacecraft,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “This certification milestone is an incredible achievement from NASA and SpaceX that highlights the progress we can make working together with commercial industry.”"

REF: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-and...

[Graeme]

Scout wrote: "I'm pretty excited to see manned space travel in the U.S. again. I'm also a little nervous, even though there's an option for the astronauts to separate if things go wrong. And so many things can g..."

Great thread idea, Scout. Well done.

[Scout]

Thanks, Graeme. Hope you're doing well.

[Philip]

Latest SpaceX ended with a big bang but the demo flight was stunning. Rocket is half of the planned monster for Mars/Moon launches - fuel flow identified as issue on prototype 50m pie from top to bottom

At same time SpaceX had docked cargo ship at ISS returning boosters etc to earth. Now they have two ships docked at same time.

Also we had NASA announce astronaut list for Moon - I didn't make it - again :-)

[Scout]

:-) I see that Elon is moving from liberal California to conservative Texas.

[Philip]

Scout wrote: ":-) I see that Elon is moving from liberal California to conservative Texas."

He already had a major facility there and Texas offered further tax breaks. Plus I believe Musk fell out with local Ca county authority when his factory was locked down

[Philip]

I continue to be stunned

https://twitter.com/i/status/13382552...

25th launch this year but the landings....

[Nik]

Scout wrote: ":-) I see that Elon is moving from liberal California to conservative Texas."

In a global village I'd say the famous "location, location, location" changed to a "taxation, taxation, taxation" :)
As of political affiliation, as far as I remember Elon was contributing to both Dems and Reps, but this year stepped aside (in order maybe not to meddle with Putin): https://www.texastribune.org/2020/12/... :)

[Philip]

So SpaceX took 4 paying civilians up last night and up is significantly more than Virgin or Blue Origin

Virgin - 90 mins - peak 85k
Blue Origin - 10 min - peak 105k
SpaceX - 4 days - peak 575k that's also further out than ISS

Currently it's not even a contest

[Nik]

Hope while I'm still flightworthy, they'll offer a reasonable trip for 20K. That's something I'd save funds for

[[deleted user]]

Aren’t the people running the various space-exploration companies the same ones who keep lecturing us about CO2 emissions? Now we know why they want us to reduce our carbon footprint - so they and their clients can increase their own.

[J.]

Philip wrote: "So SpaceX took 4 paying civilians up last night and up is significantly more than Virgin or Blue Origin

Virgin - 90 mins - peak 85k
Blue Origin - 10 min - peak 105k
SpaceX - 4 days - peak 575k tha..."

One of the advantages of ambition is that when you set your goal on Mars low Earth orbit is just one small step.

[Ian]

Beau wrote: "Aren’t the people running the various space-exploration companies the same ones who keep lecturing us about CO2 emissions? Now we know why they want us to reduce our carbon footprint - so they and ..."

Not sure what fuel these guys use, but from a weight basis, which is critical in these launches, hydrogen gives the best power to weight ratio, and hydrogen leaves no carbon footprint.

[[deleted user]]

The LA Times tries its best to act as apologists for it too but there's still no skirting around those carbon emission levels. And that's before we even get to the logistics involved in manufacturing the crafts and preparing everything for launch.

https://www.latimes.com/business/stor...

Give up eating meat, lockdown your business, stop driving your car and put on that face muzzle so I can take my rich, spoilt customers up to the stars.

[Philip]

There is a clash of outcomes but by putting satellites in space and human observers we know more about the earth than we did before. Weather reporting (See reduction in lives lost to major storms) is just one notable outcome. TV, and other activity is also another big gain.

Human exploration remains difficult because of the weight and environment systems needed to keep Humans alive. You have the same issue for undersea exploration and all those scientific mission in Antarctica don't have a zero CO2 footprint.

Yes rocket launches unleash CO2, but so does you driving to the shops when you could walk. Me typing this creates electricity use - I try and offset my use with solar - its sunny this morning and my software tells me I am net contributing to the grid :-)

I think there are currently 8 people in space (ISS and SpaceX as Chinese 3 returned yesterday after several months).

The recent G7 in Cornwall had several thousand flying in for a two day conference that achieved nothing but a COVID hotspot

I will allow the space explorers their little bit of carbon (compared to the rest of us) - in the aim of improving science. That includes allowing the rich to junket because every launch is still an experiment.

[[deleted user]]

Bezos predicts only limited number of people will get to remain on Earth:

https://www.rt.com/usa/540203-bezos-e...

Hopefully, he won't be one of them.

[Ian]

What Bezos may not realize is not everyone is as rich as he is. It is extremely expensive to move to space.

Equally, in logic if the population is not infinite it is limited.

[J.J.]

Slightly unrelated, but one of the passengers on the Blue Origin flight that took William Shatner up died last week in a plane crash.

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/13/105552...

[Nik]

J.J. wrote: "Slightly unrelated, but one of the passengers on the Blue Origin flight that took William Shatner up died last week in a plane crash.

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/13/105552......"

Yeah, heard about it - one of those plays of fate... On the other hand, he's been to space before embracing eternity