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Category Archives: Space
SpaceX’s Latest “Failure”
Thoughts on why it was a spectacular success, from Bob Zimmerman.
By the way, the podcast of my talk on The Space Show is available.
Also, I’ll be on John Batchelor’s Hotel Mars segment tonight, at 6:30 PM PDT.
[Update a few minutes later]
Here’s the video, though it doesn’t show the tipping over.
[Afternoon update]
OK, here’s the best video yet. Looks like they may not get much back. Note the top thruster trying to keep it vertical, but lacking adequate thrust.
@wikkit Poor @TheDroneShip. It must be feeling like Wile E. Coyote. https://t.co/Iq921bbgqF
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 15, 2015
[Update a few minutes later]
Whoops. If you missed it, you missed it. They just made it private. But I think plenty of people saw it, so not sure what the point of hiding it is now.
[Update a few more minutes later]
OK, I’ve update with a new one that seems to have come back on line.
[Late-afternoon update]
Slow motion, color corrected. This looks official (I got it from Elon, via Amanda Stiles).
The SpaceX Launch
You can follow live here. Weather is looking good half an hour before liftoff, with no technical issues.
[Update after the launch]
Perfect primary mission, but they landed on the ship too hard to survive, according to Elon.
Ascent successful. Dragon enroute to Space Station. Rocket landed on droneship, but too hard for survival.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2015
[Update almost an hour post launch]
#Falcon9 first stage approaches Just Read the Instructions. pic.twitter.com/XzmnYslNlc
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 14, 2015
#Falcon9 first stage approaches Just Read the Instructions. pic.twitter.com/XzmnYslNlc
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 14, 2015
[Update a little over an hour after the launch]
Thoughts from (SpaceX investor) Steve Jurvetson.
[Update a while later]
Lee Billings has the story over at SciAm.
[Update a while more later]
And here‘s the Space News report.
The ULA Atlas/Delta Replacement Announcement
The webcast from Colorado Springs should be starting in a few minutes.
New Solar Fiction
The first 26 pages can be read here. I’ll look forward to reading the whole thing.
Phil Culbertson
Rest in peace. His ashes will be going into space.
It’s senior, not junior, though.
The Space Show
I’ll be on tomorrow evening, from 7-8:30 PM PDT. I’ll bet talking general space tech and policy issues, sort of a preview of what I’ll be talking about at Space Access, though it’s an ever-shifting situation.
Tomorrow’s Landing Attempt
Hans Koenigsmann at SpaceX just said in a press conference that he (or someone) is estimating a 75-80% chance of success, with the redesign of both the Falcon and the drone ship. And the pad-abort test is tentatively scheduled for May 2nd. Which is the final day of the Space Access conference. Cool, if it happens. It will give us something to talk about.
Yuri’s Night
If you’re in LA, this is the place to be.
Don’t go in hopes of seeing me. I can’t see spending money to be tortured with awful, loud music. But if you’re into that sort of thing, and what passes for dancing in this society, knock yourself out.
No, this has nothing to do with me being old (though I do seem, unaccountably, to be aging). I’ve never been into clubbing, or awful, loud music. The twenty-year-old me wouldn’t have gone, either.
Monday Space Events
If weather and other circumstances permit, SpaceX is flying to ISS on CRS-6, with another landing attempt, and in Colorado Springs, Tory Bruno will be announcing the design details and name of their Atlas replacement.