Crew-5 SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch to the ISS | LIVE

CNET via YouTube ^ | October 5 2022 | CNET

[SmokingJoe]

Watch the SpaceX/NASA launch to the ISS. There is a female Russian cosmonaut on board.

[Red Badger]

There is a female Russian cosmonaut on board.

HOW DARE YOU ASSUME ITS GENDER!!!!!.....................

[hecticskeptic]

I think that there are actually two ‘people of the female persuasion’ on board but it raises a question I’ve been wondering about.... Why are Russian space travelers called cosmonauts and American space travelers called astronauts? What’s the difference... or why are two different words used?

[SmokingJoe]

Off we go!

[nascarnation]

I believe those terms came into use during the “space race” when USSR and USA were competing. Basically just two different terms for the same thing as you said, although the cosmonaut would have been in the Cyrillic alphabet.

[SmokingJoe]

MECO and stage separation.
Everything looking nominal.

[Red Badger]

Cosmos is another name for the Universe.

Astro implies ‘star’.................

[Pollard]

[SmokingJoe]

Falcon 9 Heavy first stages landing.

[SmokingJoe]

First stage just landed!

[BenLurkin]

Sweet!

[SmokingJoe]

Dragon separation confirmed.

[llevrok]

I am amazed every time I see those recovery landings. Quite a feat!!

[Pollard]

[SmokingJoe]

Yes.
Its just wonderful.
And the SpaceX engineers have made it look routine and ordinary. Its certainly not ordinary.

[Yo-Yo]

I think that there are actually two ‘people of the female persuasion’ on board

From NASA:

The Crew-5 flight will carry NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and Mission Specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

[jimtorr]

IMHO, powered descent and landing is the future of returning from space. It makes so much sense and is more economical as well. Nearly all early Sci Fi writers used the device as well.

The only reason NASA has not used powered descent and landing from the very first was that spacecraft did not have enough fuel and could not guide the craft well enough to make the attempt.

I expect that within ten years SpaceX will begin soft landings of manned craft, as confidence grows in landers.

[PIF]

The only reason NASA has not used powered descent and landing from the very first was that spacecraft did not have enough fuel and could not guide the craft well enough to make the attempt bad & wasteful engineering.

[SunkenCiv]

the retrospective:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVo8qTg90oM&t=8520

[SunkenCiv]

I missed the good parts in the live feed, so I put the replay link just above here.

SpaceX nailed each step, I noticed a velocity/altitude data dropout on the feed during the 1st stage descent and landing, but regardless, the AI stuck the landing. This crew launch and land system is better and way cheaper than the Shuttle was.

Of course, all rockets are fun to watch. :^)