Actually clear tonight here on the western range for Starlink 3-4. It still blows my mind how much spacex has been able to change the game so dramatically in such relatively little time. They're working toward trying to launch out of here every two weeks or so.

nortex97 said:

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I guess. But this thing really is just an issue prior to ignition; I'd think they could somehow mount a 'temporary' thermometer/sensor to work for this unmanned launch for 'good' data for that engine.

C'mon, all of us sophisticated BBQ geniuses even have a good infrared thermometer. Get it together nasa.

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With all the billions they've spent on this thing, they couldn't spring for a better temperature sensor? Not surprising.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/canso-spaceport-construction-approval-1.6566605

This boondoggle might actually get built. I would love to see it since I have property near there but I find it hard to imagine anyone in Canada funding this launch complex for Cyclone-4M rockets given Russia's current invasion of Ukraine.

🚨SIREN 🚨 About ten minutes to static fire.

— Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) August 31, 2022

Looked like successful test. At least 3 engines.

will25u said:

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Looked like successful test. At least 3 engines.

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Looks like one from each ring of engines

Now it looks like they're going to fire up Ship 24 as well today

Artemis Countdown status conference:
Engine bleed will start at 8 am Saturday morning
Weather looks like a 60% GO at open of window, might improve towards end of 2 hour window. 70% GO at this point for Monday window.

Edit: If they don't launch by 9/6, they are rolling back due to FTS battery testing requirements.

lb3 said:

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nortex97 said:

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Not every significant space program is taking 1 step forward and 2 back.

We've come a long way since this image was taken a few months ago. We will be releasing updated images of Tenacity soon.

— Sierra Space (@SierraSpaceCo) August 30, 2022

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The comments are all about the lack of diversity in that photo, ignoring the black man at the center of the pic or the fact that Sierra is owned by a couple Turks.

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The problem is, very few "diverse" candidates apply in the first place. And ones that do are hard to recruit because they get better offers from more desirable companies. These smaller start up groups have a much harder time diversifying the workforce for two reasons. 1). Few to zero diverse applicants, 2). The larger companies have recruited all of the diverse talent, and the smaller companies cannot compete with their offers and benefits.

This is a pretty bad take imo, but considering the source, not that surprising?

https://www.salon.com/2022/09/02/moon-lunacy-why-are-we-launching-a-rocket-to-the-moon-when-we-cant-prevent-deaths/

Quote:

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As with NASA rockets that can't get off the ground unless every part of their vast machinery is sound, our national health not to mention our financial well-being depends on the health of all Americans, not just the privileged. What should we call prioritizing pointless moon exploration and destructive tax cuts over preventing many thousands more pandemic deaths? Pure lunacy.

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Interesting;

Quote:

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From the Artemis 1 media conference today, launch window still scheduled to open Saturday at 2:17 pm ET. Weather is 60% chance of favorable launch conditions over 2 hour window. The fallback launch window would be Monday around 5 pm ET.

1. The engine chill down bleed issue was confirmed to be a bad sensor. Engine #3 was confirmed to be in the start box on Monday. They will use other data to confirm this on Saturday.

2. The bad bleed sensor is used for thermal soak & conditioning of the engine, and is not part of the engine health or launch control system. It's only relevant to the cool down period. It's there to ensure the turbopump bearings don't skid on start.

3. The tank bleed valve issue was confirmed to be a temporary leak in the umbilical quick disconnect seal, which was healed by thermal conditioning. Not an issue for launch.

4. The core stage leak detected during fast fill was traced to a small pressure sense line on the umbilical that had relaxed and loosened. It was tightened and tested at the pad. They also took the opportunity to tighten and test all fittings associated with the umbilical.

5. They will start engine conditioning 45 minutes earlier in the countdown sequence, to be sure they have enough time to reach the start box.

6. They accepted a small additional risk due to a thermal contraction crack in the core stage foam insulation. Didn't justify rolling back to the VAB.

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Hope it works out.

munch96 said:

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This is a pretty bad take imo, but considering the source, not that surprising?

https://www.salon.com/2022/09/02/moon-lunacy-why-are-we-launching-a-rocket-to-the-moon-when-we-cant-prevent-deaths/

Quote:

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As with NASA rockets that can't get off the ground unless every part of their vast machinery is sound, our national health not to mention our financial well-being depends on the health of all Americans, not just the privileged. What should we call prioritizing pointless moon exploration and destructive tax cuts over preventing many thousands more pandemic deaths? Pure lunacy.

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perhaps they should stick to orange man bad, and leave the science to others.

Now if the doubts over the aft mast would release and clear properly, and doubts about the whole structure didn't exist! Or the myriad of other "well...it should work" issues. Sigh...

Looks like SpaceX had an issue with an engine today as well, it's already off and being swapped out.

Glad I opened this thread because I thought for some reason the launch window was early in the morning again. Now I can sleep in.

More hydrogen leak today. Working on a solution.

As of right now leak not a concern. NASAspaceflight dorks don't seem to think it will be cause of delay.

LOL @ Nasa's whole attitude in this launch. Meh, hydrogen leak, no biggie, let's light this candlestick!

Well they tried three times to fix the leak around the disconnect. Nada.

Looks like a scrub again today.

Man the launch tower is a cluster. Forget the SLS design. They can't even get the umbilicals and quick disconnects on the tower seated.

Mathguy64 said:

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Well they tried three times to fix the leak around the disconnect. Nada.

Looks like a scrub again today.

Man the launch tower is a cluster. Forget the SLS design. They can't even get the umbilicals and quick disconnects on the tower seated.

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It really is pathetic. Roll her back to the hangar and throw another billion at it and try again in 2023.

One of the best philosophies, in my opinion, that Elon has and NASA could learn from.

If you're not putting systems back in, you didn't cut deep enough and try hard enough to simplify.

Leak in supply line, scrubbed officially.

Private PoopyPants said:

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This thing is built on cost plus contracts. When it is delayed or doesn't work, the contractors get paid even more money to fix the problems that they caused. There's little financial incentive to actually get things right.

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I don't know who built those umbilicals...

but imagine say for example, Air Liquide getting invoices from EVERYONE because they caused ar rollback

It's almost like some folks are better at this rocketry thing than others...

At least we didn't wake up at 2am today, only 6am to watch another scrub. Hopefully Monday is the day.

Assuming that will mean a rollback. Also finding someone to be against you on "won't happen then either" is going to be hard lol

This was essentially a pair of wet dress rehearsals being billed as "launch attempts" to try and get people to shut up about starship. It backfired rather badly from a PR perspective I think.

The fuel leaks are hilarious, there is no reason NASA can't tank hydrogen effectively, ULA does it for every single Atlas and Delta launch( both upperstages being rl10s) and has been for decades. This is nothing but incompetence and waste...

Yep. It also means there is going to be a further delay in whatever report they are writing to clear Starship to launch from BC.

Since ULA is Boeing, Lockheed, and a few others sure would be ingesting to know whose responsible for fueling on this BOONDOGGLE.

Everytime that gets brought up, I get reminded that ULA isnits own entity, not the same people working on SLS blah blah blah...

The real answer is two fold imo:

First, the shuttle launch infrastructure, as NASA pointed out in their hour long excuse making session, was a finicky as the rest of the system, and missions routinely got scrubbed because of the problems. The senate launch system took all the finicky and unreliable parts of the shuttle, stuffed them in to a bizarre amalgamation, and put it on the pad with insufficient testing and improvement.

Second, ULA( and it's various members) don't get payed more money when they delay or **** up a launch. Boeing et al just get more money everytime they eff this thing up...why would they bother to improve things when they can just keep milking the cow. I think they've realized that SLS will not survive as-is beyond the missions that have engines, so they're going to drag this out as long as possible.

This is a side of Dr. Warner Von Braun few have ever seen. This film was approved by NASA in 1961.

It is his view of how science has changed him and his outlook.

I found this film in a library dumpster in Trenton, New Jersey in 1982.

It may be the first public view in decades. pic.twitter.com/JUWmPtcbhM

— Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) September 3, 2022

Don't get many reflective religious new thoughts from long-dead one-time nazi's involved in the space program nowadays.

The religious debate is not one Im willing to pick up in this thread, at all.

I will say this, no matter the great things he did for this country, for science, will ever erase the horrendous thing done at Peenemnde, we know now at his direction, or at least with his permission. I hope that when he met whatever god he did or did not believe in, he took the responsibility he never would in life, and made some atonement.

It is fascinating to hear the man speak in that manner.

That's all I have to say on the subject. I'll argue about anything space related, but von Braun and religion are yalls things.

Same. I'd be more interested to hear him discussing the development of the Saturn V or his Nova rocket. That's what he is a recognized expert of, not religion, which is off topic anyways.