Since a number of cool things are happening in space exploration these days, we'll widen the scope of this thread a smidge. Conversation about all things space exploration are welcome, whether it be from NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin, or anyone else. Chances are most of the discussion will still be about SpaceX since they love to make things public and fun, but nothing's off limits. I'll eventually get around to modifying the OP to include resources for other companies too, but in the meantime, feel free to post any cool stuff you run across.
Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut) - A "random dude" who got really into space (particularly SpaceX). He's a great resource for simple explanations of this stuff, as well as live hosting launches.
USLaunchReport - Lost of videos of the more mundane stuff (e.g., booster recovery operations). Not a ton of commentary.
NASASpaceFlight - Live hosting of most launches including a ton of video of Starlink operations.
Glossary
Spoiler!
Space discussions tend to get a little bogged down in jargon, so here's a list of terms you might encounter. (Others, please let me know of others that should be added.)
ASDS - Autonomous Spaceport Droneship - The "barges" that they sometimes land rockets on.
Dragon - The cone-shaped capsule that sits at the top of the rocket for ISS-bound launches that holds the cargo (or, in the future, humans).
F9 - Falcon 9, the name of the rocket itself.
FH - Falcon Heavy, the three-booster version.
GTO - Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, a type of orbit that will eventually result in the satellite orbiting the earth as it turns so that it seems to be in the same spot from the ground (such as DirecTV or Dish satellites). These types of launches are particularly challenging because they require a lot of power to get them into the right orbit, leaving very little fuel left for landing.
HIF - Horizontal Integration Facility - the building near the launch pad where they put all of the pieces of the rocket together before rolling it out to the pad.
ISS - The International Space Station
JRTI - Just Read The Instructions, the name of the "barge" that they land on for west-coast launches.
LEO - Low Earth Orbit, a fairly low orbit shared by many satellites and ISS. These launches usually require less power to achieve the proper orbit, so the first stage can often be landed back on land rather than on a drone ship.
LZ1 - Landing Zone 1, basically a big open slab of concrete at Cape Canaveral where the first stage will attempt to land (for some launches).
NET - No Earlier Than, basically the date they're hoping to launch, but rocket launches have a tendency of getting delayed.
OCISLY - Of Course I Still Love You, the name of the "barge" that they land on for east-coast launches.
RTLS - Return to Landing Site, a mission where the first stage comes back and lands at LZ1.
Starship - SpaceX's next-generation rocket (and spacecraft) that will hopefully one day take us to Mars. Starship is the "second stage" that will carry cargo or people, but also refers to the whole system. (It's confusing, but think of it like the Space Shuttle, which was both the shuttle itself and the entire launch system.)
Super Heavy - The giant booster that will carry Starship to space.
Originally Posted by Donger:
Are the fins on the trunk just aesthetic, or do they serve some aerodynamic purpose?
I can't imagine they'd ever do anything (other than maybe paint) purely for aesthetics. I'd guess they help to stabilize the capsule when going through the atmosphere (like an arrow), but I don't know that for sure. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
I can't imagine they'd ever do anything (other than maybe paint) purely for aesthetics. I'd guess they help to stabilize the capsule when going through the atmosphere (like an arrow), but I don't know that for sure.
You mean on re-entry? If so, I presume they jettison the trunk well before atmospheric interface. [Reply]
The @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon are now on the launch pad ahead of liftoff, which is slated for May 27 at 4:33 pm ET. The mission will mark the first time astronauts have launched from U.S. soil since 2011: https://t.co/6ZixIS3upcpic.twitter.com/DOjQRqUp2g
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) May 21, 2020
The @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon are now on the launch pad ahead of liftoff, which is slated for May 27 at 4:33 pm ET. The mission will mark the first time astronauts have launched from U.S. soil since 2011: https://t.co/6ZixIS3upcpic.twitter.com/DOjQRqUp2g
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) May 21, 2020
Sweet! Have they done a test-fire on the Falcon yet? [Reply]
The Falcon 9 with the Crew Dragon capsule atop is being moved to the upright position at launch complex 39A in readiness for an engine test firing tomorrow. [Reply]
In some kind of cool non-SpaceX news, Virgin Orbit is testing their launch system this weekend. It's not as exciting as all of the manned stuff, but it'll be interesting to see if they can make satellite launches from beneath a 747 work.
The first orbital test flight of Virgin Orbit’s privately-developed air-launched rocket is scheduled as soon as Sunday off the coast of Southern California.
The liquid-fueled LauncherOne rocket is designed to loft small satellites into orbit.
