The Space Race

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

China has launched its first cargo spacecraft which is set to bring six tonnes of supplies to the country's space station.

The launch took place today at 7.41pm Beijing time (12.41am BST) and the cargo would be sent to China's space station, the Tiangong 2.

Tianzhou 1 is also expected also carry out experiments before it falls back to earth, reports the People's Daily Online.

Tianzhou 1 is able to carry cargo and satellites and would conduct a gravitation experiment on its journey to the Tiangong 2.

It was carried into orbit today by a Long March 7 rocket.

Measuring 34 feet long and 10 feet in diameter, Tianzhou 1 is expected to operate in orbit at 236 miles above the earth before then docking with the Tiangong 2 space station.

 

[Drone]

Tianzhou 1

Atlas V OA-7 Launch Highlights & Rocket CAM

 

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Soyuz MS-04 (rollout, launch, highlights)

 

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new videos:

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson has just broken the record for the longest time spent in space by any American.

The 57-year-old astronaut has previously broken records for being the oldest woman in space and for being the woman who has taken the most space walks.

The Nasa flight engineer is currently in the midst of her third stint at the International Space Station, where she is investigating the medical implications of space travel.

Dr Whitson broke the record at 1.27AM ET (6.27AM BST) today, logging 535 days in orbit.

She is expecting a call from Donald Trump and Ivanka from the Oval Office on Monday later today.

Dr Whitson has overtaken US astronaut Jeff Williams, who spent a total of 534 days in space.

By the time she lands back on Earth in September, Dr Whitson will have spent 666 days in orbit.

 

[dorsetknob]

Dr Whitson will have spent 666 days in orbit.

"Doom" 666 sign of the Beast

, where she is investigating the medical implications of space travel.

Will she come back Mutated beyond Belief only kidding ( i hope )

 

[Drone]

latest stuff:

 

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SpaceX 10th rocket for top secret mission

space junk

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Two test shuttles were found inside a derelict Soviet warehouse near the Cosmodrome Baikonur, 125 miles east of the Aral Sea.

They were both developed as part of Moscow's Buran programme which was shut down in 1993 - but neither of the craft were sent to space.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft)


In the same building, photographers pictured a vast Energia rocket, designed to propel the Buran, an unmanned space plane, into orbit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

i just found this and its awesome

 

[Drone]

Here's full documentary it covers absolutely everything about Buran. It's from Discovery Channel Russia.

You can turn on subtitles and change them from Russian to English.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

New Zealand will launch its first ever test rocket tomorrow as the nation makes plans to join the commercial space race.

The nation has never had a space programme - but could soon be launching commercial rockets more often than the US.

Commercial space company Rocket Lab plans to launch 50 rockets a year from New Zealand within just a few years.

The company's Electron rocket is unusual in many respects. It carries only a small payload of about 150 kilograms (331 pounds).

It's made from carbon fiber and uses an electric engine. Rocket Lab says each launch will cost just $5 million, a tiny fraction of a typical rocket launch.

Unlike SpaceX, which aims to build a rocket that's fully reusable, Rocket Lab's rockets are disposable.

Beck said they are light and use relatively little fuel. Customers who have signed up so far include NASA and Moon Express.

Electron Rocket (pictured) was designed by the California-based company Rocket Lab and features a 3D-printed engine


https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/05/rocket-labs-electron-inaugural-flight-new-zealand/

 

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New Zealand has launched a rocket

The rocket, with 3D printed engines, was fired into space from a remote part of the North Island on Thursday afternoon.

Californian aerospace company Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket from the Mahia Peninsula, which reached space three minutes after it was launched at 4.20pm local time. While it didn't reach orbit, as hoped, Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck said the early stages of the mission went well, with the rocket reaching space after three previously failed launches.

 

[dorsetknob]

Did the Sheep Astronaut survive

no Seriously good to see Another country achieve some form of Space Capability

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

The flight plan for the ill-fated 1970 Apollo 13 mission which had to be altered following the an emergency on board has been unearthed.

The 352-page document bears the annotations made by all three crew members recording in detail the actions they had to take after an explosion ripped off part of their space ship.

Apollo 13 was to be the third mission to land on the moon, but just under 56 hours into flight, an oxygen tank explosion forced the crew to cancel the lunar landing and move into the Aquarius lunar module to return back to Earth.

The incredible document from the mission will be sold next month at auction, where it is predicted to fetch between £23,343 and £31,124 ($30,000 — $40,000).

The mission notes include the crucial changes made to the flight plan that ensured the stricken craft defied the odds and returned to Earth rather than float out to space.

Just under 56 hours into the mission, an oxygen tank explosion resulted in a major loss of electrical power to the command and service module.

The crew had to cancel the lunar landing and move into the Aquarius lunar module.

They used it as a lifeboat in order to survive a four day journey around the moon and return back to Earth.

With Nasa experts working around the clock and under tremendous pressure, an alternate flight plan had to be rapidly developed which resulted in the safe return of the crew despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

The flight plan, which measures 8.5in by 10in, is divided into seven sections consisting of timelines, consumables and food logs.

The notations in black felt-tip pen were by Lovell, in blue ball-point pen by Swigert and in pencil by Haise.

There is an element of foreshadowing as a problem with the tank gauge is noted nine hours before the oxygen tank exploded.

The pre-ordained flight plan for hours 55 to 56 - the time of the explosion - has been crossed out with annotations made in haste as alternative plans were developed in light of the disastrous event.

The meal log at the back of the flight plan was altered because the loss of power caused by the explosion meant they could not boil water to rehydrate food.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...atures-crew-notes-explosion-article-1.3291509

 

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Today marks 48 years since man first set foot on the Moon

 

[dorsetknob]

Today marks 48 years since man first set foot on the Moon

watched it "LIVE on Black and white TV"

 

[RealNeil]

watched it "LIVE on Black and white TV"

Me too.
My whole family did.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

watched it "LIVE on Black and white TV"

Me too.
My whole family did

My Dad tells me we were on holiday during the first landing and we watched it through the window of a TV rental shop in Aberaeron. I can remember holding my Dads hand.


I was 3 and a half

 

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NASA has completed flight preparations for the four engines of the massive rocket that could one day carry astronauts to Mars.

According to the space agency, the engines are now ready to be integrated into the rocket’s core stage – the largest ever built.

The enormous rocket, dubbed the Space Launch System (SLS), will fly with the Orion spacecraft’s Exploration Mission-1 in 2019, in an unmanned test journey ahead of future crewed missions.

‘NASA’s priority is to deliver hardware for the first flight of the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft,’ said John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

‘This year, the SLS team has constructed major parts of the rocket, such as the in-space stage, which is already at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the four RS-25 engines, core stage structures, and solid rocket booster segments.’

The five structures that make up the huge core stage are now complete, NASA says.

This includes the section where the RS-25 engines will be installed.

The SLS rocket will use upgraded RS-25 engines, which have proven their capabilities over 135 shuttle missions.

Those to be used for EM-1 have supported a total of 21 missions so far, according to NASA.


They’ll be attached to the core stage ahead of green run testing, which will be the final test before the first mission.

‘NASA has transformed these phenomenal engines that served so well in the past for a new bold mission – the first integrated launch of SLS and Orion,’ said Steve Wofford, the SLS liquid engines manager at Marshall.

‘For engines needed beyond the first four flights, we are working with our industry partner Aerojet Rockedyne to streamline manufacturing and make future engines more affordable.’

NASA recently completed the welding on the liquid hydrogen tank, marking the last of the five parts to be built for the rocket’s core stage.

The enormous core stage will be taller than a 20-story building, and carry more than 700,000 gallons of propellant.

‘To make these massive propellant tanks, NASA and our industry partner Boeing have used the largest robotic rocket welding tool to build the thickest pieces ever welded with self-reacting friction stir welding,’ said Steve Doering, SLS stages manager at Marshall.

‘Now, we are moving from manufacturing major structures for the core stage to outfitting them to do their jobs and make the rocket fly.’

To test the liquid oxygen flight tank’s weld strength, the space agency filled the tank with 200,000 gallons of water, and subjected it to pressures and forces similar to those of a real flight.

Soon, the tank will be subjected to proof testing using gaseous nitrogen.

‘This rocket is happening now,’ said Honeycutt.

‘The Space Launch System team has made great progress and has an exciting year ahead as NASA conducts crucial structural tests at Marshall, assembles the core stage and the four RS-25 engines at Michoud and delivers more hardware to the launch pad at Kennedy.’

 

[RealNeil]

‘This rocket is happening now,’ said Honeycutt.

Thanks for the post. It's a good read.

Having worked on the Space Shuttle Orbiter builds, one thing that I learned before I retired was that they never stop trying to make what they do better than before.
They're always trying new ideas, and nothing is too far-fetched for serious consideration.
That they'll succeed is only a matter of time and effort. They have the proper mindset and lots of talent.

My youngest son is working for a company that provides robotics for the Tesla Automobile Assembly lines.
He has an internship with NASA (in his spare time) working on the development of colonialization on Mars.
This is volunteer work, but he says it's exciting.

 

[Irony]

How did I never discover this thread until now! Oh my god I love every bit of this, I found it this morning and already read thru most of it. Keep it coming

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

The firm that sent the first inflatable space module to the International Space Station has revealed an even bigger project - a space station orbiting the moon.

Bigelow Aerospace has revealed it is working with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to send an inflatable habitat to low lunar orbit by 2022.

http://www.ibtimes.com/bigelow-aerospace-ula-announce-inflatable-lunar-orbit-habitat-2022-2603432

 

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Packing Dragon timelapse

NASA Tests RS-25 Flight Engine for Space Launch System

ATLAS V NROL-52 Launch Highlights, Aerial View & full broadcast