Space Travel & Exploration

[cubby]

Recent statements may have been extra nails in the coffin, but in reality it doesn't change much since I wrote that wall. What has truly been impacted since then are the commercial and scientific missions. Those will have to look elsewhere now.

And sure, SpaceX are definitely the only Western launch provider with spare capacity right now, but it won't last long. Worst-case scenario is probably two years, with a more likely scenario being less than a year, until competitors can take on contracts again.

Bigger problem are the vertically-integrated payloads, as SpaceX cannot take those on. They are working on a vertical assembly building for Pad 39A, but I have no idea what the status of that is. Until then they can only take on horizontally-integrated cargo. So if your stuff requires vertical integration, you gotta wait.

Good to know. Which competitors are stepping up to be able to deliver launch payloads?

Can you explain the vertically-integrated payload issue - I don't know any of those details.

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Ironic that man who cried about not winning a NASA contract (Bezos) is the national bottleneck. Push come to shove, see NASA uplift Astra and Rocketlabs

Why not just increase SpaceX launches?

[Stormspark]

Good to know. Which competitors are stepping up to be able to deliver launch payloads?

Can you explain the vertically-integrated payload issue - I don't know any of those details.

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Why not just increase SpaceX launches?

Yep...SpaceX actually makes things that go into space. Rather than just an expensive low tech amusement park ride.

[PACOX]

Why not just increase SpaceX launches?

SpaceX is already throwing 1-2 (I dont know if they've 3+) rockets a week. They have their own projects, commerical projects, and NASA projects already. Figured if you better to offload any of the load if possible. But if they can handle the extra load then by all means let them have it.

I would be cool to see Rocket Lab move up. The are a lesser known but pretty successful space agency that operates out of the US but they only launch small payloads. NASA does like to have more than one operator available and it looks like ULA screwed themselves waiting for Bezos to make them a rocket engine.

[Masark]

Can you explain the vertically-integrated payload issue - I don't know any of those details.

There are two ways to build a rocket and attach the payload, vertically or horizontally.

The former is what NASA has historically used. Everything is put together vertically (in a huge building), then rolled out the pad (on the biggest self-propelled land vehicle in the world) and launched with no rotating.

Horizontally is how SpaceX, Russia, and others do it. The rocket is assembled lying on its side, moved to the launch site, and only then flipped vertical and launched. This has a lot of benefits. It's a lot easier to assemble, as you don't have to be working 500ft in the air. You can do it in a fairly normal building. You can move the rocket with a fairly conventional semi truck towing a special trailer rather than the above transporter. Drawback is that the rocket and its payload both need to be able to handle being flipped like that and able to handle gravity coming from two different directions. That isn't always feasible.

[Nerraw]

Everyone else? Common, a country in Asia will clearly understand why exactly that payload was seized - answer to sanctions. And they still need to launch their stuff.

Japan has their own launch capabilities, China has their own, India has their own. South Korea working on it.

Beyond that, Japan and South Korea have launched with SpaceX several times, Thailand has launched with them, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Indonesia... And while Hong Kong is not looking so hot these days, they too have had private industry contracts with SpaceX.

My point is that SEA have already adopted SpaceX or have their own stuff to launch on. Why would they ever take the risk of launching on Russian hardware after this?

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Good to know. Which competitors are stepping up to be able to deliver launch payloads?

Assuming Bezos gets the BE-4s rolling, United Launch Alliance has the Vulcan rocket coming up. Arianespace has the Ariane 6 coming, but rumblings are that it could take another two years for that to actually come online. And either way, both are already booked for a while in advance. Ariane 6 in particular don't have any open slots until at least 2026 or 2027. No one is able to immediately step up because they thought they wouldn't have to, and now they're screwed because they thought they could trust an authoritarian regime with keeping the status quo.

[Easo]

Japan has their own launch capabilities, China has their own, India has their own. South Korea working on it.

Beyond that, Japan and South Korea have launched with SpaceX several times, Thailand has launched with them, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Indonesia... And while Hong Kong is not looking so hot these days, they too have had private industry contracts with SpaceX.

My point is that SEA have already adopted SpaceX or have their own stuff to launch on. Why would they ever take the risk of launching on Russian hardware after this?

Because it will be cheaper, because it is a known experience, because economical and political ties. I highly suggest you rethinking the idea that Baikonur and Easter cosmodroms are going to be without work now.

[czarek]

We are too stupid as species to space travel and explore the universe while we killing us each other thats the sad true. I think other species (im sure they are around) just look at us and thinks how we gonna doom ourselves and when. Its just matter of time.

[cubby]

We are too stupid as species to space travel and explore the universe while we killing us each other thats the sad true. I think other species (im sure they are around) just look at us and thinks how we gonna doom ourselves and when. Its just matter of time.

Interesting you think "other" species didn't go through the same process as they grew out of their industrial infancy.

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SpaceX is already throwing 1-2 (I dont know if they've 3+) rockets a week. They have their own projects, commerical projects, and NASA projects already. Figured if you better to offload any of the load if possible. But if they can handle the extra load then by all means let them have it.

I would be cool to see Rocket Lab move up. The are a lesser known but pretty successful space agency that operates out of the US but they only launch small payloads. NASA does like to have more than one operator available and it looks like ULA screwed themselves waiting for Bezos to make them a rocket engine.

That would be interesting to see some of the other private commercial enterprises break out and start launching themselves. But I think we're at least a few years away from seeing that on a consistent basis.

My thinking re SpaceX, as the only U.S. based operational launch facility, would be that they build more rocket factories and establish more launch sites to up the United States' capabilities. I know SpaceX already has an aggressive expansion plan in place and rolling out, but they could always up that even more, especially with a "national emergency" behind the funding.

[Corvus]

Latest from James Webb - alignment milestone reached, optics working successfully.



Thats a star 2000 light years away.

[czarek]

Interesting you think "other" species didn't go through the same process as they grew out of their industrial infancy.

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That would be interesting to see some of the other private commercial enterprises break out and start launching themselves. But I think we're at least a few years away from seeing that on a consistent basis.

My thinking re SpaceX, as the only U.S. based operational launch facility, would be that they build more rocket factories and establish more launch sites to up the United States' capabilities. I know SpaceX already has an aggressive expansion plan in place and rolling out, but they could always up that even more, especially with a "national emergency" behind the funding.

Sure they went from industrial infancy. Prob there is no other way or we didnt met proper ones or proper ones didnt met us more likely.

[PACOX]

Its crazy that is probably the US will not have one but two rockets capable of sending people to the Moon by the end of the year. SLS is FINALLY about to is launch pad rehearsal. Maybe...just maybe it will get to launch in May.

SpaceX is hoping to get the go ahead to flight a fully stacked Starship prototype by the end of the month while its in the phase of liquid tests.

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Man both Starship and SLS are on a launchpad (just for testing). That's wild.

[cubby]

Its crazy that is probably the US will not have one but two rockets capable of sending people to the Moon by the end of the year. SLS is FINALLY about to is launch pad rehearsal. Maybe...just maybe it will get to launch in May.

SpaceX is hoping to get the go ahead to flight a fully stacked Starship prototype by the end of the month while its in the phase of liquid tests.

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Man both Starship and SLS are on a launchpad (just for testing). That's wild.

Truly fantastic. And as much as I might criticize SLS I really hope it's successful.

[Tuor]

Latest from James Webb - alignment milestone reached, optics working successfully.



Thats a star 2000 light years away.

[cubby]

Latest from James Webb - alignment milestone reached, optics working successfully.



Thats a star 2000 light years away.

Are those fucking galaxies on the side and in the background?

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Lol asked and answered. Holy shit.

[Corvus]

Are those fucking galaxies on the side and in the background?

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Lol asked and answered. Holy shit.

Yeah, it's gonna be cool to see what comes out once this thing is fully operational.

[PACOX]

Just wanted to share images of the two rockets stacked on pads





The Starship one doesn't do it justice, its just as big as SLS.

[Easo]

Now that is something to look forward to. Though I hope Starship will get up there first, at least it should if the last tests are any indication. What I have questions about is the production rate for SLS. Musk seems to be partially on the way to spamming new boosters and Starships, even before the first launch.

[Osmeric]

SLS is utter trash. Its existence is a net negative for the country. If it explodes on the launch pad it should be a national holiday of celebration.

[Osmeric]

Brilliant analysis. Now do yourself.

It's enormously more expensive per mass to orbit than Falcon Heavy, never mind Starship. It has no mission to justify it, and at what it costs it cannot have any mission that could make sense. It exists purely as a pork barrel spending delivery vehicle. It's a political parasite sucking on the taxpayers and deserves extermination.

[PACOX]

It's enormously more expensive per mass to orbit than Falcon Heavy, never mind Starship. It has no mission to justify it, and at what it costs it cannot have any mission that could make sense. It exists purely as a pork barrel spending delivery vehicle. It's a political parasite sucking on the taxpayers and deserves extermination.

You can hate SLS all you want, Starship isn't lifting humans off of Earth for years so SLS is what we have now.