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dando
09-06-13, 07:16 PM
Even being the space geek that I had no idea about Wallops Island.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/wallops-island-the-little-spaceport-that-could-15892294?click=pm_latest

Looks like a great night for viewing. Just not here. :saywhat:

Andrew Longman
09-06-13, 11:33 PM
Perfect night. Just saw it. Man was it fast. Doing Mach 4 80 seconds after launch as it went by. :D

nrc
09-06-13, 11:34 PM
Stupid curvature of the earth. :irked:

SteveH
09-07-13, 09:27 AM
Stupid curvature of the earth. :irked:

Richard, might I recommend this (http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskopf/Flatearthsociety.htm)?

Elmo T
09-08-13, 06:34 PM
I was in central MD near Gettysburg, PA. I was able to see it - more impressively you could make out a tail of flames as it went. Watched it wink out for a bit, then another flash of flame and it continued. :thumbup:

dando
09-08-13, 10:46 PM
I was in central MD near Gettysburg, PA. I was able to see it - more impressively you could make out a tail of flames as it went. Watched it wink out for a bit, then another flash of flame and it continued. :thumbup:

Yeah, but I saw a shuttle launch from Fantasyland. :p

dando
09-11-13, 01:15 PM
Coming to skies near you...

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/09/10/if-the-sun-doesnt-blast-it-comet-ison-will-soon-light-up-the-sky/

And one just did...

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/baseball-sized-meteor-blows-over-alabama-195847817.html

TKGAngel
09-12-13, 10:06 AM
A frog photobombed NASA's LADEE launch.

http://instagram.com/p/eKZ8DMt_N5/


The photo team confirms the frog is real and was captured in a single frame by one of the remote cameras used to photograph the launch. The condition of the frog, however, is uncertain.

dando
09-12-13, 03:17 PM
http://www.nature.com/news/voyager-1-has-reached-interstellar-space-1.13735

Veeger (sic) has left the building.

Gnam
09-12-13, 03:43 PM
A frog photobombed NASA's LADEE launch.

http://instagram.com/p/eKZ8DMt_N5/
:D

http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/unlucky-frog-launched-into-space-by-nasa/story-fn5fsgyc-1226717501121

http://s24.postimg.org/bhkyhnyz9/510546_b6624170_1b3f_11e3_9173_d25ba40433e7.jpg

dando
09-14-13, 11:51 PM
As only Jeanne Moos can put it....

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/09/12/tsr-dnt-moos-frog-photobombs-liftoff.cnn.html

:D

SurfaceUnits
09-16-13, 10:18 PM
Gigantic Galaxy Cluster Blazes in Amazing New Hubble Photo

A new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows an enormous collection of galaxies and star clusters in stunning detail.

Hubble spied 10,000 or so of the estimated 160,000 globular star groupings thought to reside in the huge galaxy cluster Abell 1689, which lies about 2.25 billion light-years away from Earth. For comparison, our own Milky Way galaxy has only about 150 globular clusters, which are spherical clumps of old stars tightly bound by gravity.

The telescope's new observations — which focused on the center of Abell 1689 and incorporated both visible and infrared data — could help shine a light on dark matter in the galaxy cluster's region. Dark matter is a mysterious substance believed to make up much of the universe but which can only be seen through its effects on other objects. [Take a video tour of the massive group of globular star clusters]


http://www.space.com/22821-hubble-photo-galaxy-cluster-dark-matter.html?cmpid=514648

dando
09-30-13, 10:07 AM
Sonofa...

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/09/29/meteor-lights-up-night-phone-lines.html

http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/316092/226/Meteor-explodes-over-Ohio-late-Friday-night

I missed this. :(

Gnam
09-30-13, 12:13 PM
"The fireball was so bright our meteor-detection software ‘went home to momma’ and thought it was seeing lightning,” Cooke wrote. “The fireball lit up the sky, so the detection software thought it was lightning and did not flag it as a meteor/fireball.”
Excellent Hunt for Red October reference. :thumbup:

dando
10-11-13, 11:53 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/tech/space-new-planet/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Lonely planet in the sky... :eek:

Gnam
10-11-13, 12:19 PM
That's no moon.

dando
10-11-13, 12:53 PM
That's no moon.

You forgot the </Star Wars> tag. ;)

KLang
10-11-13, 12:53 PM
Somebody needs to 'shop some Mickey ears on it.

dando
10-11-13, 01:00 PM
Somebody needs to 'shop some Mickey ears on it.

Looks @ Elmo. ;) :D

TravelGal
10-11-13, 05:04 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/tech/space-new-planet/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Lonely planet in the sky... :eek:

I'm glad I took the time to read this one. Wow. Nice shots of the Namib Desert too.

dando
10-11-13, 05:47 PM
I'm glad I took the time to read this one. Wow. Nice shots of the Namib Desert too.

Astronomy/space nerd @ your service. ;)

Gnam
10-17-13, 07:30 PM
Rocks from space.

Mark August 26th, 2032 on your calendar, folks. Ukrainian astronomers have just detected a 1,350-foot-wide (410 meter) minor planet that’s headed our way. The impact risk is minimal, but it’s now the most serious near-term celestial threat to face our planet.

http://io9.com/astronomers-discover-a-massive-asteroid-that-could-hit-1447068835

Also, comet Ison is now inside the orbit of Mars.
http://wtvr.com/2013/10/16/amateur-astronomers-spot-comet-ison/

emjaya
10-17-13, 10:37 PM
Also, comet Ison is now inside the orbit of Mars.
http://wtvr.com/2013/10/16/amateur-astronomers-spot-comet-ison/

August 26th, 2032!!!

Awww crap, that is one month before I retire from work and go on the pension. It's gonna hit for sure... :cry:


:gomer:

gjc2
10-18-13, 06:40 AM
August 26th, 2032!!!

Awww crap, that is one month before I retire from work and go on the pension. It's gonna hit for sure... :cry:


:gomer:

I'll be 81, so it's up to my cardiologist whether or not it affects me!

dando
10-18-13, 08:42 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/asteroid-near-pass/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Juuuust a bit outside. :gomer: :eek:

-Kevin

dando
11-10-13, 01:50 PM
Heads up!

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/23924553/heads-up-a-2000-pound-satellite-may-crash-in-your-backyard-sunday-night


A defunct satellite from the European Space Agency the size of a Chevy Suburban is set to plunge to Earth somewhere between Sunday night and Monday afternoon -- and experts say there's no way to precisely determine where it will crash

Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/story/23924553/heads-up-a-2000-pound-satellite-may-crash-in-your-backyard-sunday-night#ixzz2kGZ9ZkuU
Follow us: @myfoxny on Twitter | Fox5NY on Facebook

TravelGal
11-17-13, 02:36 AM
Comet ISON. The comet is rapidly approaching its Nov. 28 perihelion and as a result it is becoming more and more difficult to observe low near the east-southeast horizon in the dawn sky. Still, observers with access to a clear horizon may be able to follow ISON for about another week. [Not too likely for those of us in the west southwest but some of you'uns might have a shot at it.]

Next Monday morning (Nov. 18), ISON will be passing close to the bright 1st magnitude star Spica in Virgo. Using the handle of the Big Dipper, sweep an arc to the brilliant orange star Arcturus. Then continue that arc on to Spica. Using binoculars, ISON should still be readily be visible as a fuzzy star with a short tail.

Carl Hergenrother, acting co-coordinator of the comet section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, "The latest observations put the comet around magnitude 5.7 to 6.1 which is a 2+ magnitude increase from this weekend. My own observations from this morning in 10x50 and 30x125 binoculars show a nice 'lollipop' comet with a very condensed blue-green head and a long narrow tail. The tail was over 1 degree in length even in the 10x50s. The comet may continue to brighten as the outburst is still in its early stages."

SurfaceUnits
11-17-13, 02:05 PM
Heads up!

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/23924553/heads-up-a-2000-pound-satellite-may-crash-in-your-backyard-sunday-night

Had nice fireball flash across the northwestern sky the other evening.

cameraman
11-18-13, 06:32 PM
Wow, wow, wow:eek:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1311/auroraiceland_vetter_960.jpg



What's happening in the sky? On this cold winter night in Iceland, quite a lot. First, in the foreground, lies the largest glacier in Iceland: Vatnajokull. On the far left, bright green auroras appear to emanate from the glacier as if it was a volcano. Aurora light is reflected by the foreground lake Jökulsárlón. On the far right is a long and unusual lenticular cloud tinged with green light emitted from another aurora well behind it. Just above this lenticular cloud are unusual iridescent lenticular clouds displaying a broad spectral range of colors. Far beyond the lenticular is the setting Moon, while far beyond even the Moon are setting stars. The above image was captured in late March of 2012.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

G.
11-19-13, 01:34 AM
Wow, wow, wow:eek:





What's happening in the sky? On this cold winter night in Iceland, quite a lot. First, in the foreground, lies the largest glacier in Iceland: Vatnajokull. On the far left, bright green auroras appear to emanate from the glacier as if it was a volcano. Aurora light is reflected by the foreground lake Jökulsárlón. On the far right is a long and unusual lenticular cloud tinged with green light emitted from another aurora well behind it. Just above this lenticular cloud are unusual iridescent lenticular clouds displaying a broad spectral range of colors. Far beyond the lenticular is the setting Moon, while far beyond even the Moon are setting stars. The above image was captured in late March of 2012.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

First time I changed my desktop pic since I set the thing up.

Very nice! Thanks!

Elmo T
11-19-13, 07:34 AM
Wallops Island launch tonight at 1930ish:

http://i40.tinypic.com/34fxt2e.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/index.html#.UotM4-KKYQM

dando
11-19-13, 09:48 AM
Wallops Island launch tonight at 1930ish:

http://i40.tinypic.com/34fxt2e.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/index.html#.UotM4-KKYQM

I hope you don't have the cloud deck we have now for lunch. :gomer:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=206&map.y=115&site=tbw&zmx=1&zmy=1#.UotrUGTF0ng

:(

Elmo T
11-19-13, 10:13 AM
I hope you don't have the cloud deck we have now for lunch. :gomer:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=206&map.y=115&site=tbw&zmx=1&zmy=1#.UotrUGTF0ng

:(

Reports are clear and cold this evening. :thumbup:

Elmo T
11-19-13, 09:21 PM
Reports are clear and cold this evening. :thumbup:

Nice view - watched the 1st stage go out and 2nd light. Pretty amazing given the distance.

SurfaceUnits
11-22-13, 01:13 PM
Scientists witness massive gamma-ray burst, don't understand it

Scientists have studied gamma-ray bursts, which are triggered by the collapse of massive stars, for three decades. Now, one is forcing them to reconsider what they thought they knew.

http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2013/1121-gamma-ray-burst/17503473-1-eng-US/1121-gamma-ray-burst_full_600.jpg

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1121/Scientists-witness-massive-gamma-ray-burst-don-t-understand-it

SurfaceUnits
11-22-13, 01:19 PM
Record-breaking star explosion is most powerful ever seen

Two NASA space telescopes have captured what appears to be the most powerful star explosion ever detected, a cosmic event so luminous that scientists dubbed it 'eye-wateringly bright' despite being 3.6 billion light-years from Earth.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0506/Record-breaking-star-explosion-is-most-powerful-ever-seen

cameraman
11-22-13, 01:55 PM
"eye-wateringly bright" is an interesting term for something invisible to the naked eye:say what:

There is some visible light but you still need a massive telescope to see the thing.

SteveH
11-24-13, 11:46 PM
Comet ISON, if it survives trip around the sun, could bring spectacular sky show (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/comet-ison-if-it-survives-trip-around-the-sun-could-bring-spectacular-sky-show/2013/11/24/f544103a-53b6-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html)


On Thanksgiving, when the comet rounds the sun, professional and amateur astronomers alike will await ISON’s fate with bated breath. Its tail may get ripped off by a cloud of solar particles, or the sun’s brutal radiation and pressure may demolish it completely.

If ISON survives its close shave with the sun, it will pass close to Earth in early December.

But if ISON makes it out alive, stargazers say it could provide a breathtaking show visible to the naked eye and possibly live up to the name “Comet of the Century,” as some astronomers have dubbed it.



The century is still kind of in its infancy..... Yeah, it could be really cool to see this.

Napoleon
11-26-13, 06:15 AM
The century is still kind of in its infancy..... Yeah, it could be really cool to see this.

This sounds like the comet I listened to an entire segment of NPR's Science Friday on and the astronomer they had on basically said in summary "new comets we have never tracked around the sun before are famously hard to predict how much of a good show they will give you".

SteveH
11-26-13, 06:20 PM
Much anticipated comet may be in trouble (http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/26/tech/comet-ison-update/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)


When ISON was first discovered, hopes were high that it might become visible to the naked eye, meaning everyone might be able see it, not just those with good telescopes who took the trouble to find it. There was talk it might even rival some of the Great Comets like Halley's or Hale-Bopp and spread a huge tail across the sky.

But some observers on Tuesday reported online that the comet is not nearly as bright as it has been in recent days and that it may be pouring out dust.


or not...


But other observers say images taken by NASA's STEREO spacecraft are "encouraging evidence that the comet still exists,"

c'mon comet! do it!

Saw Hale Bopp while at the southern rim of the Grand Canyon during a full lunar eclipse. Talk about awesome night sky viewing.....

dando
11-26-13, 09:26 PM
SpaceX launching Falcon 9 Thanksgiving evening @5:37. 22 storey rocket with the first communications sattelite being launched from The Cape in years.

Napoleon
11-28-13, 07:35 PM
The comet may have broke up:

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/comet-ison-fizzles-as-it-rounds-the-sun/#.UpfSVMRDtJs

dando
11-28-13, 10:39 PM
Launch scrubbed (again) due to a malfunction. Good time trying to find the best location to view it from the beach from Fort Wilderness in WDW.

Gnam
11-30-13, 03:59 AM
The comet may have broke up:

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/comet-ison-fizzles-as-it-rounds-the-sun/#.UpfSVMRDtJs
ISON is I-GONE? Stupid Sun. I really wanted to see a comet during the day.

gjc2
11-30-13, 07:54 AM
ISON is I-GONE? Stupid Sun. I really wanted to see a comet during the day.

Now it appears that it may have survived. I can't take this suspense. I want to see a damn comet!

dando
12-11-13, 10:33 AM
Meteor go BOOM over AZ.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/11/us/arizona-meteor-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Andrew Longman
12-11-13, 11:12 AM
Now it appears that it may have survived. I can't take this suspense. I want to see a damn comet!USA Today said today it is gone. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/10/comet-ison/3897623/

gjc2
12-11-13, 01:57 PM
USA Today said today it is gone. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/10/comet-ison/3897623/

Shortly after ISON was pronounced dead there was a story that possibly a chunk of it would continue on, however now apparently that piece has evaporated.

There's is another comet now in the inner solar system named Lovejoy. I’ll try to see it

I saw Halley back in the eighties but I won’t be around to see it next time!

nissan gtp
12-11-13, 05:45 PM
Shortly after ISON was pronounced dead there was a story that possibly a chunk of it would continue on, however now apparently that piece has evaporated.

There's is another comet now in the inner solar system named Lovejoy. I’ll try to see it

I saw Halley back in the eighties but I won’t be around to see it next time!

I saw Halley (as a dinky little smuge) and am still pissed off.

The universe owes us a big, dramatic comet (one that doesn't hit the Earth and kill all of us.

Andrew Longman
12-11-13, 06:29 PM
Yeah Haley was a bit disappointing. But between light pollution (e.g., I have never seen a star after twilight in Houston) and multimedia distractions I need to be reminded how much attention humans have given the night sky for a few thousand years. Now it just can't seem to compete unless you are on the far edges of the planet.

gjc2
12-11-13, 07:16 PM
I saw Halley (as a dinky little smuge) and am still pissed off.

The universe owes us a big, dramatic comet (one that doesn't hit the Earth and kill all of us.

Hale Bopp was nice, but I agree the universe owes us big time. We're treated like a minute speck of dust orbiting an average star at the edge of a run of the mill galaxy. Who do they think they are?

cameraman
12-11-13, 07:24 PM
Yeah well think of the volcanos that we are missing out on. Turns out all of central Nevada was a series of ~30 mile wide super volcano calderas with lava flows the size of Connecticut. The things ran as a series of over a hundred eruptions over 18,000,000 years and we managed to miss all of them. Where's the excitement anymore?

KLang
12-11-13, 08:37 PM
Yellowstone is supposed to be about due for another eruption. Don't think I want a front seat for that one. :eek:

cameraman
12-11-13, 08:59 PM
Sure if by "due" you mean sometime in the next 200,000 years...

KLang
12-12-13, 01:20 AM
Sure if by "due" you mean sometime in the next 200,000 years...

According to the USGS, Yellowstone blows it's top every 600,000 to 800,000 years. The most recent was 640,000 years ago. We are in the window.

dando
12-12-13, 08:43 AM
Ruh roh...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/iss-cooling-system-fails-report-article-1.1544962

dando
12-12-13, 04:50 PM
Dancing with the stars....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzBlSXgzqI#t=48

dando
12-12-13, 08:17 PM
Help Connor save NASA.

http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/09/connor-johnson-petition-to-save-nasa/3918121/

Gene Cernan actually called him to support his effort.

Elmo T
12-12-13, 08:42 PM
Dancing with the stars....




OK - that's cool. :thumbup:

dando
12-12-13, 10:16 PM
OK - that's cool. :thumbup:

But not quite as cool as watching a launch from the beach @ Fort Wilderness. :(

dando
12-14-13, 02:32 PM
The Chinese have landed, the Chinese have landed!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_SPACE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-12-14-08-20-17

Note: this comes from the AP, so hopefully it passes Camera Dude's muster. :gomer:

dando
12-21-13, 08:56 AM
Walking in space....

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#.UrWPd2RDtyc

dando
12-24-13, 08:35 AM
Walk, walk like a spaceman...

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#.Url-3WRDtyc

dando
01-10-14, 08:57 AM
The 'Hand of God' spotted by NASA's NuStar:

http://www.space.com/24225-hand-of-god-photo-nasa-telescope.html

Elmo T
01-10-14, 09:40 AM
So glad we can watch high altitude grainy views of the Chinese moon rover actually on the moon. :rolleyes:


China's Moon Rover and Lander Spotted by NASA Spacecraft (Photos)
(http://www.space.com/24145-china-moon-rover-lander-nasa-photos.html)

Insomniac
01-10-14, 06:24 PM
So glad we can watch high altitude grainy views of the Chinese moon rover actually on the moon. :rolleyes:


China's Moon Rover and Lander Spotted by NASA Spacecraft (Photos)
(http://www.space.com/24145-china-moon-rover-lander-nasa-photos.html)

What % of the data used to do that mission was stolen from NASA?

cameraman
01-10-14, 06:30 PM
From the Why we can't have nice things file.

In the current issue of Popular Science:eek:

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdpDlm3CUAA1bZf.jpg:large

Napoleon
01-10-14, 06:36 PM
^^^

I don't know, I smell a troll. The guys name is Quackenbush, after all.

dando
01-10-14, 08:33 PM
Speaking of night sky viewing...

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-northern-lights-20140109,0,4762412.story


A solar storm may cast colored lights – known as the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights – in the sky over parts of the northern Plains, the Great Lakes region and Northeast on Thursday and Friday, forecasters say.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-northern-lights-20140109,0,4762412.story#ixzz2q2skxLzZ

TravelGal
01-11-14, 01:12 AM
^^^

I don't know, I smell a troll. The guys name is Quackenbush, after all.

Perhaps a contributor to the Journal of Irreproducible Results? It's their type of humor.

Elmo T
01-11-14, 07:40 AM
What % of the data used to do that mission was stolen from NASA?

Probably 110%?

I just hope we already have a secret base of the Moon or something cool like that. Exploration and travel driving technology is important. Even if it is part of the "catch up" game for them.

Insomniac
01-11-14, 01:55 PM
Probably 110%?

I just hope we already have a secret base of the Moon or something cool like that. Exploration and travel driving technology is important. Even if it is part of the "catch up" game for them.

I have mixed feelings on it. I hate that our IP is stolen, but at the same time I believe failure/mistakes are important. If you're just stealing and relying on others on how to do stuff, you're never going to innovate. They may catch up quicker, but aren't really going to be the leader that way.

cameraman
01-17-14, 04:15 PM
Here's your chance to converse with a satellite. It is time to wake up Rosetta, an ESA deep space probe that is about to track and send a lander to a comet. It has been in sleep mode for three years as it travels out past Jupiter to meet up with comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. That name just rolls off the lips:roll eyes: Anyway they have a Facebook page and they are asking folks to upload their wake up messages to the probe.

http://www.facebook.com/RosettaMission

You can vote for your favorite messages.

– Each of the top ten videos will be transmitted with 20,000 Watts of power towards Rosetta and out into the Universe via one of ESA's deep-space tracking stations.

– Each eligible participant submitting one of the top ten videos will receive a complimentary gift bag comprising a selection of ESA-branded souvenirs.

– Two of the eligible top ten video authors will be invited to ESOC, our control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, for the VIP event celebrating the first-ever landing on a comet, in November 2014.

Once mission controllers have established contact with Rosetta, our @ESA_Rosetta Twitter channel will also wake up, making this the best immediate source for confirmation that the spacecraft is awake and ready for the final leg of its epic journey.

You need to be over 13 to enter.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Wake_up_Rosetta

Gnam
04-07-14, 10:06 PM
The International Space Station has been flying over recently. :thumbup:
Check local viewing times at: www.heavens-above.com

I'm waiting for Putin to annex it. ;)

gjc2
04-08-14, 06:22 AM
I'm waiting for Putin to annex it. ;)


He doesn't have to, we gave it to him.

G.
04-08-14, 01:38 PM
Mars is supposed to be very bright tonight. E-SE, low.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/04/08/brightest-planets-in-april-night-sky-see-mars-jupiter-and-more/

Gnam
04-08-14, 06:53 PM
He doesn't have to, we gave it to him.
Sputnik 2 :D

Gnam
05-13-14, 05:30 PM
Russian Space Station. :rolleyes:


Russia is to deny the US future use of the International Space Station beyond 2020 and will also bar its rocket engines from launching US military satellites as it hits back at American sanctions imposed over Ukraine crisis.

Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced a series of punitive measures on Tuesday against the US in response to sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/10828964/Russia-to-ban-US-from-using-Space-Station-over-Ukraine-sanctions.html

dando
05-13-14, 08:29 PM
Russian Space Station. :rolleyes:

Couldn't see this coming. :mad: :flaming:

Insomniac
05-14-14, 04:14 PM
Couldn't see this coming. :mad: :flaming:

Mostly pointless. We planned to decommission it in 2020. Let them pay to keep it operational if they want it. We don't need anyone to launch satellites and if SpaceX progresses as planned, wouldn't need them to send astronauts up either.

KLang
05-14-14, 04:55 PM
Mostly pointless. We planned to decommission it in 2020. Let them pay to keep it operational if they want it. We don't need anyone to launch satellites and if SpaceX progresses as planned, wouldn't need them to send astronauts up either.

Not true. Russian RD-180 engines are what currently powers the Atlas V. Atlas V is what launches stuff for the Pentagon.

Gnam
05-14-14, 05:12 PM
Ok, so we have a 2-year supply of Russian engines, but it will take 5 years to develop a domestic engine. :gomer:


Pentagon Asks Air Force About Russia Rocket Engine

United Launch Alliance LLC, the Lockheed-Boeing joint venture, uses Russian engines on Atlas V rockets the Pentagon depends on to launch military satellites.

Pentagon officials estimate it would cost U.S. companies as much as $1 billion to produce the engine domestically and take as long as five years, Schumann said.

The joint venture “has stockpiled about a two-year supply of the engines” based on the current planned satellite launch schedule.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-20/pentagon-asks-air-force-about-russia-rocket-engine.html

cameraman
05-14-14, 05:33 PM
The US would have such an engine if the US had paid to develop it but we don't do that anymore.

chop456
05-15-14, 01:43 AM
We can reverse-engineer a UFO but not a rocket engine? C'mon! :gomer:

Insomniac
05-15-14, 08:25 AM
We can reverse-engineer a UFO but not a rocket engine? C'mon! :gomer:

That's exactly what I thought. Reverse engineer it! $1B is nothing for the gov't, but if they estimate 5 years, it'll take longer.

(On an aside, had no idea that we used Russian Engines in Atlas V.)

JoeBob
05-15-14, 11:18 AM
The Air Force and ULA cut a sweetheart no-bid deal for 36 rocket cores. SpaceX is taking them to court over it.

http://spaceref.biz/company/spacex-to-sue-over-eelv-sole-sourced-contract.html

Here's the letter John McCain sent to the Air Force:
http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=43106

Here's the latest on the lawsuit, which isn't good for SpaceX:
http://thespacereporter.com/2014/05/spacex-lawsuit-set-back-as-judge-lifts-injunction-against-ula/

dando
05-15-14, 08:13 PM
Proton go boom.

http://rt.com/news/159304-proton-rocket-crashed-kazakhstan/


A Russian Proton rocket with an advanced satellite on board crashed outside of Kazakhstan's territory after lift-off, RIA Novosti cited a source as saying.

dando
05-23-14, 10:04 AM
Camels in the sky with diamonds...new meteor shower set for tonight.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/05/23/clear-skies-expected-for-meteors.html


The showers are called the Camelopardalids and are caused by dust ejected from the comet 209P/LINEAR more than a century ago. No one has seen them before.

NASA says those of us outside during peak viewing hours of 2 to 4 a.m. Saturday might see more than 200 meteors per hour. Experts say the display could rival the well-known Perseids of August.

dando
06-05-14, 08:08 AM
More Hubble goodness. (http://www.space.com/15235-hubble-space-telescope-latest-photos.html?cmpid=514630_20140605_25334856)

TravelGal
06-05-14, 09:33 AM
More Hubble goodness. (http://www.space.com/15235-hubble-space-telescope-latest-photos.html?cmpid=514630_20140605_25334856)

:thumbup: This begs for a "you are here" arrow. Can you imagine if it were using today's technology? Wow.

JoeBob
06-05-14, 11:15 AM
Don't remember if I linked it anywhere, so here it is again.

There's a live stream from the International Space Station, and it's awesome: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iss-hdev-payload

cameraman
07-13-14, 11:31 AM
It is in an hour or two but it is still up in the sky…

If you live in New Jersey at least.


http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bsbw2RBCMAMLvNH.jpg:large

An ISS resupply launch at 12:52 PM eastern

cameraman
07-13-14, 11:35 AM
It doesn't really have that Kennedy Space Center vibe to it…

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsbtDAWCQAAMToj.jpg:large

Launch video will be here:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

cameraman
08-06-14, 12:36 AM
So Rosetta officially reaches 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko tonight. 4AM eastern if you can't sleep.
Live on the internet at http://rosetta.esa.int/

It's quite lumpy...
It rotates once per 12.4 hours.
Oh and it is about 3.5×4 km (2.2×2.5 mi) in size.

close

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Comet1.jpg

closer...

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Comet2.jpg

closer...

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Comet3.jpg

closer still...

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Comet4.jpg

Now you may be wondering how one goes about orbiting a comet. Turns out it is quite the complex set of maneuvers and the folks at the ESA have made a video to show the dance. It is quite cool.

Mf1zsACcXc4

Gnam
08-06-14, 02:49 AM
That's no moon.

But, I'm sure the little probe's power cables have mynock protectors. Can't be too careful.

cameraman
08-06-14, 08:01 AM
Probably too small for a mynock...

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuWJaVSIcAAVgZ9.jpg:large

G.
08-06-14, 10:11 AM
But, I'm sure the little probe's power cables have mynock protectors.

Huh? Google failed me.

cameraman
08-06-14, 12:21 PM
Huh? Google failed me.

Star Wars...


A mynock was a silicon-based parasitical organism found across the galaxy that was often seen leeching power from spacecraft. In addition, they could absorb matter from a ship's hull causing it to breach, and if not caught in time, cause catastrophic failure. Mynocks often attached themselves to passing starships to chew on power cables. A drop in the power of the hyperdrive could increase the travel time. They were considered parasites by pilots and starport personnel, and failure to properly shake them off in orbit before landing could result in quarantine.

Mynocks were one of the few species that could live in the vacuum of space. They had bat-like wings which they could use to fly in atmospheres. However, they were often limited to the vacuum of space due to an allergy to helium found in the atmosphere of many planets. This allergic reaction would cause them to inflate and nearly explode before dying. Many spacewalking sport hunters would kill mynocks by attaching helium-based grenades to them in what was called "Mynock Puffing".

Gnam
08-06-14, 01:39 PM
Star Wars...http://s7.postimg.org/effv83viz/empire_strikes_back_master.gif

Gnam
08-06-14, 01:44 PM
Ohhh! Go away! Go away! Beastly thing. Shoo! Shoo!

http://s15.postimg.org/z5h2lwoh7/spaceship.gif