Watchlords

Artemis I will send the unmanned Orion module to the moon. They are filling the fuel tanks now.



the module will be carrying lots of momentos and other items. A bolt from Apollo 11, a bit of moon rock, seeds from earlier "moon trees", lego characters?, etc. Snoopy will be onboard as a zero gravity indicator. Snoopy has been a part of NASA since the Apollo days. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/snoopy-to- ... on-mission

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis-i- ... round-moon

Lots of info. and videos here if you are interested. I know there won't be much work done at MSFC today.

https://www.nasa.gov/content/live-cover ... o-the-moon

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And scrubbed for the day






Another $93 billion dollar taxpayer funded boondoggle.

https://www.cnet.com/science/space/bill ... stainable/



Fuck that shit

I didn't major in this stuff but 93 billion to go back to the Moon seems ridiculous, but everyone's going so I can only assume there is much yet to be learned there towards achieving Mars.

Perspective: we spent 28 billion (280 billion of today’s dollars) on the space program from Gemini through Apollo in 1973. Including the robotics program, Fisher space pens, Tang, etc.

Yeah, but for 280 billion we got space pens and Tang. Best 280 billion ever spent.

bbattle wrote: ↑

August 29th 2022, 3:58am

Artemis I will send the unmanned Orion module to the moon. They are filling the fuel tanks now.



the module will be carrying lots of momentos and other items. A bolt from Apollo 11, a bit of moon rock, seeds from earlier "moon trees", lego characters?, etc. Snoopy will be onboard as a zero gravity indicator. Snoopy has been a part of NASA since the Apollo days. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/snoopy-to- ... on-mission

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis-i- ... round-moon

Lots of info. and videos here if you are interested. I know there won't be much work done at MSFC today.

https://www.nasa.gov/content/live-cover ... o-the-moon

Are you in my neck of the woods?? I was at the Cape and will be back on launch day

I never understood that Simpsons gag until today.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/PAms2TkpVy0[/youtube]

I'm at MSFC, in Huntsville, Alabama. A lot of workers here went to KSC to see the launch.

NASA got in a jam when the Ares mission got canceled. Thousands of contractors got fired and went and found jobs elsewhere. Then they came up with SLS, which is basically a rehashed Ares 5 rocket but they got stuck with Boeing having a cost-plus contract. Boeing been in no hurry to finish their work, of course but I can't see NASA giving Boeing any more contracts anytime soon. Blue Origin, SpaceX, and a bunch of other space companies you've not heard of are doing all sorts of cool stuff in the commercial space business(satellites). NASA also politically crippled by the fear of failure; especially if somebody dies. So, paralysis by analysis continues.

SLS is currently the only rocket capable of getting to the moon without a refuel on the way. That's why, I think, Gateway became a thing. SpaceX may get Starship going in a year or two; we'll see.

I don't like the fact that Artemis is way over budget and way behind schedule but the situation is what it is. Let's get all three Artemis rockets launched and gone and NASA can hopefully move forward with other partners.

And oh yes, vitally important to get to the moon before going to Mars. Plus, NASA has tons of projects concerned with having a permanent base on the moon. Recovering water and metals from the lunar regolith to building structures, growing food, habitat, recycling, etc.

I'm beginning to wonder if this damn thing is ever going to be launched — a fuel leak today grounded the mission for at least 4 weeks.

Only 4 weeks? I'd say more like 4 months. Boeing is working that cost-plus contract for all its worth. NASA got stuck with this nightmare. Ares got canceled then it was decided by Congress that NASA needed to make its own rocket. Probably because it looked pretty bad we were shelling out hundreds of millions to ride a Russian rocket into space. Congress couldn't care less what something costs; it's not their money. Plus, it's "SCIENCE".

speaking of cool stuff, here's a video about the vehicle that hauls the Artemis rocket to the launch pad. and back.

I suppose an abundance of caution is inevitable when we’re still seeing documentaries including Thiokol’s SRB whistle blower accompanying a stink that hasn’t quite dissipated around the hubris that gave us MCAS.

I’d almost rather see Airbus/ESA and Musk on the case.

Somehow the Boeing / MD merger causes this to blow across the deviant windmills of my mind:

https://youtu.be/JvHqZzrBMDw

Wherein we see the relocation of Boeing’s corporate headquarters.

bbattle wrote: ↑

September 4th 2022, 8:15am

Only 4 weeks? I'd say more like 4 months. Boeing is working that cost-plus contract for all its worth. NASA got stuck with this nightmare. Ares got canceled then it was decided by Congress that NASA needed to make its own rocket. Probably because it looked pretty bad we were shelling out hundreds of millions to ride a Russian rocket into space. Congress couldn't care less what something costs; it's not their money. Plus, it's "SCIENCE".

speaking of cool stuff, here's a video about the vehicle that hauls the Artemis rocket to the launch pad. and back.

So cool! Thanks for the link!

bbattle wrote: ↑

September 4th 2022, 8:15am

speaking of cool stuff, here's a video about the vehicle that hauls the Artemis rocket to the launch pad. and back.

TMMLH

At least some component(s) of the project functions.

Lift off!! Just a few moments ago…

https://apple.news/AnHcnMfy7QSSjbujNSd_1kQ

Good to see.

I wish the space race hadn't moved private. Let's return to the 1950's and actually do something.

smellody wrote: ↑

November 17th 2022, 2:35pm

I wish the space race hadn't moved private. Let's return to the 1950's and actually do something.

I’m old enough to remember that time. There was considerable taxpayer resistance once it fell off the front pages. I doubt that would change. Adjusted for inflation Apollo was 260 billion.

Artemis is estimated to be 4.1 billion per launch and 93 billion overall. I would expect overruns but not of the order associated with a Cold War imperative.

If you were serious about the 1950s that would be the International Geophysical year. Worthwhile in my opinion but cheaper and lower profile than subsequent stuff.

^^ I just don't trust this Musky guy.

Then take comfort that the primary contractors are Boeing, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Northrop Grumman. Lockheed Martin has the (un)crew module.

Elon is pretty much on the bench until 2027 and Artemis 4. Assuming he doesn’t liquidate to fund Twitter.

Artemis is more or less getting the band back together like the old days.

They should have included Majors Nelson and Healey.

It’s 2022 for cryin out loud. That means Barbara Eden.

But they better get a move on - she’s like 92.

Hawk wrote: ↑

November 17th 2022, 6:06pm

It’s 2022 for cryin out loud. That means Barbara Eden.

But they better get a move on - she’s like 92.

It doesn't mean I have to like 2022.

Apparently that muskee guy is broke now and Twitter is broken or dead.

smellody wrote: ↑

November 17th 2022, 6:08pm

It doesn't mean I have to like 2022.

Yeah, I kinda got a hint of that from the James Bond thread but it was only a hint.

smellody wrote: ↑

November 17th 2022, 7:38pm

Apparently that muskee guy is broke now and Twitter is broken or dead.

Twitter is a chaotic shitshow but it’s fun to watch. I’ve been there in “read only” mode for some time.

The latest is everybody locked out of the HQ building. They fired the guy in charge of physical security and the next guy accidentally disabled all the badges. They’re on the way with a sawsall. Is this true? Beats the hell out of me.

Could be as real or bogus as Eli Lilly announcing insulin was free, GWB saying he missed killing Iraqis or Pepsi saying Coke was better (followed by Coke promising to put cocaine back in the drink if they got 1,000 retweets which was followed by Don Jr. retweeting it a thousand times)

Right now it appears their only big advertiser is SpaceX.

It couldn’t be better if The Onion ran it.