US Humans Back in Space

[FourFans]

  On 6/1/2020 at 2:11 PM, GrndPndr said:

I don't want to be the "another video guy," but this (short) double landing from 2018 has some entertainment value:

https://youtu.be/VBlIvghQTlI

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  On 5/31/2020 at 3:14 AM, ImNotARobot said:

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ShadyImaginativeGrison-mobile.mp4

Different angle for the Falcon recovery landing. The video of that landing cut out while I was watching on nasa.gov. Sweet shot.

Talk about the proverbial “heaving postage stamp”. Holy crap.

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If you haven't read "Space Cadet" by Robert Heinlein, you should.  He wrote about this stuff in the 40's and 50's...and here we are.  Absolutely incredible!

[ryleypav]

  On 6/1/2020 at 2:11 PM, GrndPndr said:

I don't want to be the "another video guy," but this (short) double landing from 2018 has some entertainment value:

https://youtu.be/VBlIvghQTlI

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If I didnt know better, I'd say that is was all CGI. It still doesn't seem real. That's some impressive engineering. 

[JimNtexas]

Right or wrong, Elon has made it clear he does not want humans operating machinery.  He clearly views humans in the Dragon as spam in a can.  But if you do want to apply to be a SpaceX astronaut you practice touchscreen flying here:

https://iss-sim.spacex.com/

Boeing, for all their faults, still seems to embrace the idea of having human pilots. 

Boeing Starliner cockpit:

At least there is an iPad for touchscreen fans.

Credit:  @SciGuySpace on Twitter

Edited June 1, 2020 by JimNtexas
added stuff

[slackline]

  On 6/1/2020 at 2:11 PM, GrndPndr said:

I don't want to be the "another video guy," but this (short) double landing from 2018 has some entertainment value:

So glad you posted that. I remember it happening, but hadn’t seen it. That was awesome!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[GrndPndr]

  On 6/1/2020 at 3:57 PM, FourFans130 said:

 

If you haven't read "Space Cadet" by Robert Heinlein, you should.  He wrote about this stuff in the 40's and 50's...and here we are.  Absolutely incredible!

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You're right, this is right out of any of Heinlein's books.  Funny, when I read them, having the spacecraft land on it's *ss seems so 1950's, but it works!

[SPAWNmaster]

IMHO Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipTwo (flying for Virgin Galactic) has the coolest looking cockpit. 

[FLEA]

  On 6/3/2020 at 1:59 AM, SPAWNmaster said:

IMHO Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipTwo (flying for Virgin Galactic) has the coolest looking cockpit. 

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Did Burt Rutan work on Spaceship 2? I loved the early work he did on canards and always thought the LongEZ looked so futuristic. Was not hard to see the step to space craft from there. 

[SPAWNmaster]

  On 6/3/2020 at 11:36 AM, FLEA said:

Did Burt Rutan work on Spaceship 2? I loved the early work he did on canards and always thought the LongEZ looked so futuristic. Was not hard to see the step to space craft from there. 

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Unsure. I know he worked closely with Branson at the outset but SC is such a large organization I’m guessing there were other super smart engineers that did the brunt work. His designs are legendary and I’ve heard great things about the LongEZ. Only seen one in real life and was told they all fly slightly differently due to builder differences. 

[TommyJo]

  On 6/1/2020 at 6:40 PM, JimNtexas said:

Right or wrong, Elon has made it clear he does not want humans operating machinery.  He clearly views humans in the Dragon as spam in a can.  But if you do want to apply to be a SpaceX astronaut you practice touchscreen flying here:

https://iss-sim.spacex.com/

Boeing, for all their faults, still seems to embrace the idea of having human pilots. 

Boeing Starliner cockpit:

At least there is an iPad for touchscreen fans.

Credit:  @SciGuySpace on Twitter

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Wow! I didn't know about this simulator, thanks. It surprises me that people are still needed for many space missions. It seems strange in the 21st century when they are trying to automate everything around.
People in space are a big risk. Hopefully, we'll see fully robotic missions to the Moon or Mars in 20 years from now. Robots need less to survive.

[FLEA]

  On 2/8/2021 at 4:53 PM, TommyJo said:

Wow! I didn't know about this simulator, thanks. It surprises me that people are still needed for many space missions. It seems strange in the 21st century when they are trying to automate everything around.
People in space are a big risk. Hopefully, we'll see fully robotic missions to the Moon or Mars in 20 years from now. Robots need less to survive.

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....

[pawnman]

  On 2/8/2021 at 4:53 PM, TommyJo said:

Wow! I didn't know about this simulator, thanks. It surprises me that people are still needed for many space missions. It seems strange in the 21st century when they are trying to automate everything around.
People in space are a big risk. Hopefully, we'll see fully robotic missions to the Moon or Mars in 20 years from now. Robots need less to survive.

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You're gonna need humans until AI is advanced enough to solve problems that don't have a checklist you can reference. 

[FLEA]

  On 2/9/2021 at 12:48 AM, pawnman said:

You're gonna need humans until AI is advanced enough to solve problems that don't have a checklist you can reference. 

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WALL-E is offended by this discussion. 

[ClearedHot]

Who needs spam in a can flying when you have computers.

 

 

[GrndPndr]

  On 2/9/2021 at 4:33 PM, ClearedHot said:

Who needs spam in a can flying when you have computers.

 

 

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"Ta-Ra-Ra-BOOM-Dee-Aey" (She said)

Okay, so let's configure our ideal spacecraft, which carries people - even though they don't have to go.  Mine would include:

• (One) - iPad or equiv. sized computer (to run everything, and tell those pesky humans to shut up when needed)
• (Two) - COVID-19 protective masks, to be work concurrently (maybe three if it's 2023 or later)
• (Unlimited) - Piddle packs, as a toilet (head, for you seaworthy fellows) will not be installed

Please feel free to add anything you like to my starter list

 

[ClearedHot]

  On 2/9/2021 at 4:47 PM, GrndPndr said:

"Ta-Ra-Ra-BOOM-Dee-Aey" (She said)

Okay, so let's configure our ideal spacecraft, which carries people - even though they don't have to go.  Mine would include:

• (One) - iPad or equiv. sized computer (to run everything, and tell those pesky humans to shut up when needed)
• (Two) - COVID-19 protective masks, to be work concurrently (maybe three if it's 2023 or later)
• (Unlimited) - Piddle packs, as a toilet (head, for you seaworthy fellows) will not be installed

Please feel free to add anything you like to my starter list

 

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You forgot reflective belts...

[Tonka]

Branson is an astronaut 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/virgin-galactic-space-launch-richard-branson-spaceport-america-new-mexico

[HuggyU2]

  On 7/11/2021 at 5:34 PM, Tonka said:

Branson is an astronaut 

 

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And he was flown to space by a U-2 Pilot who had already been to space.  

[Danger41]

Reading all the comments about how he should be helping the poor and solving climate change and such just makes me want to ask these people what it’s like to go through life as such a giant pussy.

[hindsight2020]

  On 7/12/2021 at 2:13 AM, Danger41 said:

Reading all the comments about how he should be helping the poor and solving climate change and such just makes me want to ask these people what it’s like to go through life as such a giant pussy.

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weird flex but ok....

[dream big]

  On 7/12/2021 at 2:37 AM, hindsight2020 said:

weird flex but ok....

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He’s not wrong you know- but more strategically danger alludes to the fact that young kids today care more about woke crap than actual science and the advancement of technology and man kind, the things you and I probably cared about growing up.