Posted on 08/30/2022 2:58:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin
On Monday, NASA failed in its first attempt to launch the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission, with engineers struggling to resolve an engine cooling issue. It’s a wholly unsurprising result, given that NASA was unable to complete a single wet dress rehearsal, of which four were attempted earlier in the year. The space agency appears to be winging it, with the botched launch attempt effectively serving as the fifth wet dress rehearsal, in what is a troubling sign.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) was supposed to take flight on Monday morning, but instead we’re left wondering about the state of the program as a whole. NASA will provide more updates about the rocket later this evening, including whether a launch on Friday or Monday might be possible, or whether the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) rocket will have to make its now-familiar 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) trek back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs.
The unflown SLS megarocket is critical to NASA’s Artemis program, which seeks a permanent and sustainable return to the Moon. For the Artemis 1 mission, an uncrewed Orion rocket will be sent on a multi-week mission to the Moon and back. A successful integrated test of SLS and Orion would set the stage for a crewed Artemis 2 mission in roughly two years, and a crewed mission to land on the lunar surface later this decade.
A launch on Friday seems unlikely, and not just because of the grim weather forecast. NASA’s launch attempt on Monday came nowhere near to succeeding, with the countdown clock proceeding no further than T-40 minutes. An “engine bleed” issue prevented one of the rocket’s four RS-25 engines from reaching the required ultra-cold temperature for liftoff, resulting in the scrub.
(Excerpt) Read more at gizmodo.com ...
Need
Another
Seven
Astronauts
I was half expected a spectacular explosion on or near the launch pad.
“All over Florida.”
Both the USA and the USSR, now Russia, have had plenty of disasters over the years, from the late 1950s, through loss of life for cosmonauts and astronauts, explosions on the ground resulting in the deaths of ground personal, and explosions in the air, in space itself and upon reentry.
I would rather see us learn from these mistakes, and without any more loss of life. But frankly, that would be naïve on my part.
The problem with NASA is it is a government organization.
Once SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin—and other private companies like them—get their feet firmly in the door, NASA should step out of the way.
ALL EYES ON SPACEX AND THEIR ROCKET IS ALMOST 100 FT. TALLER!
The Russians laughed then said, "We just use mechanical pencil".
Strap-ons and a reference to whose rocket is longer.
Hmmmm......
I see the trouble! They didn’t take the caps off the engines.
I agree wholly....
Carmela? Dont get all excited now. 🤢
All this so they can land the first black woman on the moon
Apply for a job at NASA.
Do it NOW!
...with the countdown clock proceeding no further than T-40 minutes. An “engine bleed” issue prevented one of the rocket’s four RS-25 engines from reaching the required ultra-cold temperature for liftoff, resulting in the scrub.
—
Fire control? Check!
Primary ignition system? Check!
Engine coolant temp? Check!
Telemetry? Check!
Gender pronouns? Negative!
This is Flight Control. We’re holding at T -40 requesting pronouns.
Roger Flight.
I think we should focus on blind astronauts. We can plop them down on Luna as easily as we can anyone else.
Oh wait! LOL
Call from the White House: “You’re making the President look bad. Get it done.”
Seriously?
If your property was found to have a gold mine or oil field underneath it would you dig it up or drill it?
Most would.
The same applies to the moon. It is a veritable gold mine and oil field to those who get there and start consuming it.
-24/7 solar energy for Earth
A lunar-based solar power system would actually be cheaper than Earth-based solar power implemented on a global scale. The Moon’s lack of atmosphere and weather means that photovoltaic cells built by robots from lunar materials can be paper thin, in contrast with the heavy structures needed in Earth-based solar arrays. Ringing the Moon, such a system would be in perpetual sunlight, making it cheaper to collect solar power there and beam it down to Earth in the form of microwaves.
-A source of helium-3 for clean, safe nuclear fusion power and other uses
The gas helium-3 is extremely rare on Earth, but plentiful on the Moon, and could be used in advanced nuclear fusion reactors. Helium-3 also has anti-terrorism and medical uses, especially in the diagnosis of various pulmonary diseases.
-A place to offload industrial pollution
Since there are minerals and oxygen in lunar rocks and dust, and frozen water in certain locations, the Moon is an ideal home for factories. Thus, billionaire Jeff Bezos has proposed relocating large segments of heavy industry there, reducing the amount of pollution that is produced on Earth.
-Radio Astronomy without interference from Earth
Constructed on the Moon’s far side (the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth), radio telescopes advancing human knowledge of the Cosmos, and searching for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations, could operate with increased sensitivity and efficiency.
-Lunar Tourism
Using the Moon as a destination for tourists may not sound helpful initially, given that only the very wealthy would be able to afford such journeys in the foreseeable future. However, the economic payoff could be substantial in terms of jobs that lunar tourism could provide on Earth. Furthermore, short of actual tourism, companies are gearing up to provide lunar entertainment to fun-seekers here on Earth in the form of mini lunar rovers that people could control from their living rooms, just for fun.
-Lunar Colonies
Similar to lunar tourism, lunar colonization sounds initially like a development that would help only those people who go. But, located just three-days’ travel from Earth, the Moon would be an excellent place for humanity to become a multi-planet species. The Moon could be a place for colonists to get their space legs before humans put down roots on more distant locations like Mars. With hundreds or thousands of humans thriving on the Moon, Earthlings might find some level of peace of mind knowing that humanity is in a position to outlive a planetary catastrophe.
Lastly, the ChiComs are all in and are going for it. Let’s not let them get rich while we worry about gender and threats to democracy from Republicans down here! Letting the Chicoms get the moon under production would be like Sears thinking Internet sales and Amazon.com was just a fad that could be ignored.
“Get-there-itis.”
It’s what doomed the crew of the Challenger.
NASA Artemis 1 moon rocket ‘stress crack’ in tank’s foam isn’t mentioned
“...-24/7 solar energy and beam it down to Earth...”
(Science Fiction Fantasy)
“...-A source of helium-3...”
(Science Fiction Fantasy)
“...-A place to offload industrial pollution...”
(And you think diesel fuel is not already high,
and the supply chain is not already broken?)
“...-Radio Astronomy without interference from Earth
advancing human knowledge of the Cosmos...”
(To learn what?
The things we can get to are dirt and rocks,
whatever else is out there is too far away to matter.)
“...-Lunar Tourism...”
(Ha Ha Ha!)
“...-Lunar Colonies
for colonists to get their space legs before humans put down roots on more distant locations like Mars...”
(Not the place to raise your kids, it’s cold as hell)
“...-the ChiComs are all in and are going for it,
let’s not let them get rich while we worry...”
(let them go broke trying.)
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