Space - Spacex, NASA, Rocket Lab

[canefan]

https://stuff.co.nz/business/industries/121820640/rocket-lab-mission-blasts-off-us-spy-agencys-satellites-deployed

[Kirwan]

Here is "Zeus", the Boston Dynamic robot dog checking out the destruction of the latest test to failure of the Starship tank.

[Donsteppa]

This morning was one of those sad reminders of just how tough space flight is.

[Bovidae]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300063842/rocket-lab-peter-beck-defends-spy-satellite-work-exdirector-speaks-of-leaving

[Kirwan]

Hopper test in a few minutes

[Kirwan]

Bummer scrubbed

[Kirwan]

Made the hop. Pretty cool

[Kirwan]

[Paekakboyz]

@Kirwan ooh that is awesome. The control they are showing now is amazing. I wonder how many engine/fuel/thrust tech projects they have on the go - loving how they just keep one upping themselves! and how they are all about repeated use as well.

[Kirwan]

@Paekakboyz this thing is going to land on the moon, then come back and land. Nuts.

[nzzp]

@Kirwan that's insane.

Fascinating hearing the original options for landing on the moon. Lunar rendezvous wasn't even a considered option at the time - it seemed to come in quite late to the party. This is just redefining lunar work completely, SpaceX are nuts in a good way. Our kids are growing up in a golden age of space exploration -- and all appears to be sustainably privately funded.

Roll on 2021 I say!

[NTA]

@nzzp said in SpaceX:

Roll on 2021 I say!

Especially after this shit show of 2020.

SpaceX has been one of the few highlights of this year.

[Kirwan]

The section of the rocket being tested;

[nzzp]

it's like they have an actual plan to put spaceships on the moon and Mars. Weird, like there's a series of steps they'll go through and they're just ticking them off one by one.

Feels ... odd?

[canefan]

@Kirwan said in SpaceX:

The section of the rocket being tested;

Looks like something out of the Thunderbirds. In a good way

[nzzp]

@canefan said in SpaceX:

Looks like something out of the Thunderbirds. In a good way

Looks like a rocket comapred to the Space Shuttle.

Also, engineering wise looks really good, with the thrust behind the centre of gravity. Who woulda thunk it?

[nzzp]

thought this was good

[Kirwan]

These fairings had already been used as well.

[Stockcar86]

@Kirwan Wasn't the first stage landing back on the barge the 6th launch with them?

[Kirwan]

@Stockcar86 said in SpaceX:

@Kirwan Wasn't the first stage landing back on the barge the 6th launch with them?

Yep, 6th landing for that particular booster, 100 landings in total. Incredible really.