#Tag · 𑐴𑐶𑐟𑐶

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 11 months ago

#NASA found that protective “char layer” material from the heat shield wore away unexpectedly during reentry in more than 100 locations. The material cracked and broke off the #spacecraft in pieces, creating a trail of debris, instead of melting away as it was supposed to. The spacecraft heats 🔥 up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry—about half as hot as the surface of the sun ☀️. Some bolts on Orion also unexpectedly melted and eroded. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-orion-capsule-heat-shield-wore-away-in-more-than-100-places-during-2022-test-flight-posing-significant-risks-180984296/

#Orion #Artemis

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 11 months ago

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May 1, 2024 #Orion Heat Shield Char Loss After #Artemis I Mission https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ig-24-011.pdf

#NASA

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · last year

The #SLS and #Orion spacecraft projects are of such a scale that they spend money in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, creating #parochial interest in nearly every congressional district. It sounds like a straightforward argument: cancel the slow and outdated SLS and direct its $2.6 billion 💰 per year into novel public-private partnerships like #SpaceX’s #Starship https://www.planetary.org/articles/why-we-have-the-sls

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 11 months ago

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#Orion #Artemis

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · last year

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#NASA’s Office of Inspector General issued a devastating 👎 audit 🔍 of the program, which found that delays to the #SLS booster and engine contracts have resulted in an approximately $6 billion 💰💰💰💰💰💰 cost-overrun. The report further criticizes the use of #CostPlus contracts, a fee structure by which essentially all of the risk is taken on by the government. https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/13/congress-prepares-to-continue-throwing-money-at-nasas-space-launch-system/

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · last year

#SLS is a boondoggle. The conception and execution of the project has been a near-perfect example of #PorkBarrel politics. Pork barrels are lousy ways to advance technology. Just a fraction of the $23bn 💰 spent on the #SLS could make an enormous difference. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/08/28/nasas-newest-rocket-is-a-colossal-waste-of-money

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 10 months ago

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#Presidents support #NASA and do what NASA says. We could have orbiters around every planet 🪐 in the #SolarSystem for a fraction 📊 of the cost of #Artemis. But nobody gave us that option. The cost 💰 and time ⏳ spent on #SLS and #Orion have set the #SpaceProgram back 〽️ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/opinion/nasa-moon-artemis.html

@lori_garver

Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️ @AstroHawk@spacey.space · 7 months ago

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Trivia: since the space shuttle program ended, #NASA contracts launches to US industry. Before splitting up crew and cargo, the program was called Commercial Crew & Cargo Program Office, abbreviated C3PO. Yes, really. #SciFi spaceflight provided inspiration for reality. #CommercialCrew

Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️ @AstroHawk@spacey.space · 6 months ago

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"Expedition 72 Welcomes #Crew9 Duo Aboard Station" by @NASA @Commercial_Crew - #CrewDragon Freedom (one of fleet of 5) docked at #ISS. Now the Starliner astronauts have their ride home, but first part of its 6-month crew rotation. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/09/29/expedition-72-welcomes-crew-9-duo-aboard-station/#NASA #CommercialCrew

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 8 months ago

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#NASA experts still aren’t certain why the thrusters suddenly stopped working. After recording some $1.6 billion in cost overruns, #Boeing seems unlikely to ever make money on #Starliner. #CFO Brian West told investors that the company had a decision to make about future investment in the program after it fulfills its obligations to NASA for a half-dozen flights to the #ISS. https://fortune.com/2024/08/25/boeings-ceo-kelly-ortberg-starliner-writedown-nasa-spacex-cash-reserves/

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 7 months ago

#Boeing’s space and defense chief exits. Boeing's #shares have lost about 41% 📉 so far this year https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-defense-head-ted-colbert-leave-2024-09-20/

#Starliner

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 6 months ago

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#Boeing is exploring a sale of #Starliner, but excludes the unit building #NASA's #SLS. The company's new #CEO said he wants Boeing "doing less and doing it better" https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-explores-sale-its-space-business-wsj-reports-2024-10-25/

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 7 months ago

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#NASA’s inspector general pegged #CrewDragon’s cost per seat at $55M 💵 and #Starliner’s cost per seat at $90M 💵 💵 https://payloadspace.com/starliner-by-the-numbers-payload-research

#LaunchCost #SpaceX #Boeing

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · last year

#SpaceLogistics & #SpaceMaintenance will most likely be dominated by #SpaceRobot 🤖 https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/annual-professional-service-robots-installed-by-area | https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/domain-notable-artificial-intelligence-systems

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 12 months ago

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#Moon 🌙 scouts will all be #robotic, designed to build a foundation for #astronauts 👨‍🚀 to follow about two years later. There is need for transporting 🚀 large masses of equipment and materials from #Earth. An #IntuitiveMachines lander is set to reach the Moon later this year. #NASA’s #JPL will release a “swarm” of robot-explorers equipped with stereo cameras 📹 and charged with creating photorealistic #3D maps 🗺️ of the #lunar terrain https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinholdenplatt/2024/04/27/robot-explorers-futuristic-spacex-starships-set-to-transform-the-moon/

#SpaceRobot #SpaceLogistics #Starship

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · last year

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• 📆 2018, #ISS became the first facility to produce #BECs ⚛️ in #space 🌌
• In #space, so-called cool flames 🔥 can burn for minutes
• #ISS water 💦 purification system deployed across #India 🇮🇳, #Mexico 🇲🇽, #Pakistan🇵🇰
• #StemCells regenerative medicine ⚕️ could repair/replace failing organs and cells
• Higher quality protein crystals
• #Microbes 🦠 can extract metals from #regolith
• Tissue/organ-on-a-chip effects faster in #microgravity
• #3Dprinting
• Organ growth
https://interestingengineering.com/lists/13-science-breakthroughs-experiments-iss

#NASA

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 9 months ago

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📆 2025 Lunar Gateway #NASA #ESA #CSA #JAXA
📆 2025 Haven-1 #VastSpace
📆 2026 Axiom Station #AxiomSpace
📆 2026 StarMax #Gravitics
📆 2026 LIFE Pathfinder #SierraSpace
📆 2027 Russian Orbital Service Station #Roscosmos
📆 2028 Starlab #NanoRacks #VoyagerSpace #Airbus #MDASpace #Mitsubishi
📆 second half 2020s Orbital Reef #BlueOrigin #SierraSpace
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_stations#Planned_and_proposed

#SpaceStation #launch

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 7 months ago

#ESA 📆 18/06/2024 #SolarOrbiter shows the Sun ☀️ raging on https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter/Can_t_stop_won_t_stop_Solar_Orbiter_shows_the_Sun_raging_on

#SpaceWeather #SolarStorm

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 7 months ago

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#NASA #Orion #radiation protection plan 🗒️ "astronauts will position themselves in the central part of the crew module and #create a #shelter using the stowage bags 🛍️ on board. The crew would in some cases need to stay inside for as long as 24 hours ⌛ https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/orion/scientists-and-engineers-evaluate-orion-radiation-protection-plan/

#HumanSpaceflightHealth #RadiationProtection #Artemis #LunarGateway

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 7 months ago

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"How #NASA will protect #astronauts from #SpaceRadiation". Spoiler alert : #luggage 🧳 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpNa4u997xA

#HumanSpaceflightHealth #RadiationProtection #Artemis #LunarGateway

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · last year

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One of the biggest impediments to reform was @senbillnelson , the former #US senator from #Florida who represented #KennedySpaceCenter and now runs #NASA https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/21/get-your-boy-elon-in-line-nasa-tell-all-recounts-turmoil-over-private-space-race-00041085

(The same guy who now wonders whether #China 🇨🇳 might be faster on the #Moon 🤦‍♂️)

#SpacePolitics #SpaceRace

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · last year

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@senbillnelson 's outsized influence on #NASA over four decades is undisputed, but some of us in the #SpaceCommunity are concerned this may not be a feature 👎. Senator #Nelson’s imprint on the #SpaceProgram has led to grand pronouncements based on #unrealistic industry estimates, multibillion-dollar 💰 #cost overruns, years of schedule #delays and unmet expectations 😠 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bill-nelson-isnt-the-best-choice-for-nasa-administrator/

#SpacePolitics #PorkBarrel

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 4 months ago

Mr. #Isaacman would replace the current administrator, #BillNelson https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/science/jared-isaacman-trump-nasa.html

#NASA #CommercialSpaceflight #SpacePolitics

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 4 months ago

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It is not easy to turn a big #bureaucracy, and there will undoubtedly be friction and pain points. But the opportunity here is enticing: #NASA should not be competing with things that private industry is already doing better, such as launching big rockets. Rather, it should find difficult research and development projects at the edge of the possible. https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/12/how-did-the-ceo-of-an-online-payments-firm-become-the-nominee-to-lead-nasa

#SLS #Artemis

Spaceflight 🚀 @spaceflight@spacey.space · 4 months ago

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Mr. #Isaacman would replace the current administrator, #BillNelson https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/science/jared-isaacman-trump-nasa.html

#NASA #CommercialSpaceflight #SpacePolitics

Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️ @AstroHawk@spacey.space · 7 months ago

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"The future of Boeing’s crewed spaceflight program is muddy after #Starliner’s return" by @arstechnica / @sciguyspace - #Boeing no-showed post-landing news conference. Now questions swirl if they'll continue in #NASA Commercial Crew program. https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/the-future-of-boeings-crewed-spaceflight-program-is-muddy-after-starliners-return/ #StarlinerCFT

Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️ @AstroHawk@spacey.space · 7 months ago

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"Navy captains don’t like abandoning ship—but with #Starliner, the ship left them" by @arstechnica / @StephenClark1 - Wilmore & Williams became #NASA astronauts as US Navy test pilots. They test-flew #Starliner, sent it down empty as ordered. https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/navy-captains-dont-like-abandoning-ship-but-with-starliner-the-ship-left-them/ #StarlinerCFT