Posted on 05/30/2020 12:41:25 PM PDT by Albion Wilde
• NASA and SpaceX have launched the Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station • Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley took off in Crew Dragon atop Falcon 9 at 3.22pm Eastern Time • This is the second attempt of Launch America - the initial launch was scrubbed Wed. due to poor weather • Crew Dragon will send Hurley and Behnken on a 19-hour ride to the International Space Station
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Nice. Awesome day. Thanks for keeping us up to date.
I can still remember May 5, 1961 like it was yesterday. I was in my 8th grade French class at the time of Alan Shepard’s launch. My French teacher, Mrs. Rachel Carson asked if anyone had a transistor radio so the class could hear the launch. Somebody pulled one out, and we were all ears waiting for the big event to take place. When the launch went off without a hitch, Mrs. Carson couldn’t help but cry over the great achievement. She was a sweet woman, very conservative in her dress...wore her hair pulled back and tied at the neck, and wore glasses. I can still see her face, and the expression of joy she wore that day. It was a very proud moment in our nation’s history, and I’m glad I was able to experience the excitement of the first U.S. manned flight.
I wanted to see the first stage land, too. It is impressive (when it works).
Signal from the barge cut out just prior, and then, POOF, there it is on the barge! I wouldn’t put it past Elon to pull a fast one! ;)
I really believe, however, that in the end, Elon is going to discover that, for a number of reasons, it isn’t worth recovering the first stage. Mostly, if it makes it back, then you put too much money into it.
Amen.
Part but I grew up in Orion time: Mars by 1965, Saturn by 1970. Even Apollo came up short; the Shuttle was a dirty space joke.
At least these guys look cool and have a slick rocket and slicker capsule
Wonderful Picture!
And Fitting.
So is the design sense. Everything from the capsule to the spacesuits to the seats inside are really well done. Say what you will about Elon Musk but seemingly everything he does is visually stunning. He’s sort of like the late Steve Jobs in that regard.
I am totally in awe of the man right now.
For one man to do this by sheer strength of will. ...just beyond belief.
The Drone Ship’s Name, “I Still Love You!”
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“Of Course I Still Love You” (OCISLY)
GREAT PICTURE Moonman!
I got up early one morning to view the ISS with the trailing shuttle years back. Still got a grainy(cheap camera)video. Cool stuff though. Saw the first Columbia and Challenger landings at Edwards, crazy experience...heh, especially getting out of Edwards after Columbia.
You appear to believe that once Trump became President, he could not have stopped, interfered or slowed this accomplishment of Musk/NASA, as Hillary or Hussein certainly would have. Perhaps you believe that Trump's past three years of clearing regulatory hurdles, replenishing the defense budget, plumping the economy, placing us first in fuel supplies and creating a favorable climate via instituting the Space Force was completely unrelated.
I've heard that males compartmentalize everything, but let's not overdo it.
You are SO wrong. Reusable first stage boosters cut the expenses by at least 50%. With the technology that SpaceX is developing, it will probably be less in the near future. They refurbish the Falcon rockets and are good for up to 10 more launches. The documentary I mentioned above shows the facility used to refit the Falcons and the benefits.
If you can find it, check out that documentary. Try the Science or Discovery channels.
They wanted a crew that could handle the ship, not to check off SJW boxes. It doesn’t hurt that one of the crew flew in the Shuttle on its final mission.
Watched from the deck of our sailboat in Titusville. Got to see about a minute and a half before the clouds closed over. It was sprinkling on our side of the Indian river.
Never did get to see the stage return, but, I did get to see them during the last night launch in March. We were in Vero Beach then.
When Musk told Newsom to take a long walk off of a short pier, my view of him became positive.
We’re still going to be using Russian-sourced engines for the near future on other non-SpaceX/non-BlueOrigin launches.
And it’s nowhere near the amount of time and effort required to turn around the “easy reuse” Shuttle (albatross...)
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