Space Travel & Exploration

[Nerraw]

You'd be surprised; they are already producing long lead parts for the SLS to be used in Artemis 4

The core they just launched was under construction since November 2014, with the upper stage being completed and delivered in 2017. I have no faith in SLS time tables.

[plz delete account]

The core they just launched was under construction since November 2014, with the upper stage being completed and delivered in 2017. I have no faith in SLS time tables.

Okay but like, the core for Artemis 2 was already almost finished back in August; and the core for Artemis 3 is halfway built.

[Nerraw]

NASA has made availabile video of liftoff from most if not all of their groundside cameras: https://images-assets.nasa.gov/video...14595~orig.mp4

Okay but like, the core for Artemis 2 was already almost finished back in August; and the core for Artemis 3 is halfway built.

That's Artemis 2 and 3 though, they're still flying Block 1. Artemis 4 will be on 1B, necessitating, amongst other things, a brand new billion dollar launch tower.

[plz delete account]

NASA has made availabile video of liftoff from most if not all of their groundside cameras: https://images-assets.nasa.gov/video...14595~orig.mp4



That's Artemis 2 and 3 though, they're still flying Block 1. Artemis 4 will be on 1B, necessitating, amongst other things, a brand new billion dollar launch tower.

A launch tower that's already been in construction for a couple years. Hell, what the fuck does the launch tower have anything to do with progress of the construction of the actual rocket?

They have five years to finish both the rocket and the launch tower.

[Nerraw]

A launch tower that's already been in construction for a couple years. Hell, what the fuck does the launch tower have anything to do with progress of the construction of the actual rocket?

They have five years to finish both the rocket and the launch tower.

The current launch tower was delayed because it originally couldn't bear the weight of itself. They couldn't even bvalance that out. Other than the actual launch itself (which looked great btw), nothing about SLS has gone smoothly or even remotely according to plan. I will believe they can meet a schedule the day it actually happens.

[Shadowferal]

Speaking if SpaceX; SpaceX fired 9 employees who organized an open letter describing Elon Musk's tweeting as a 'distraction and embarrassment,' report says

SpaceX fired a total of nine employees who organized an open letter in the summer condemning the online behavior of CEO Elon Musk, The New York Times reported.

Some SpaceX employees circulated the letter on June 15, urging the company to denounce the billionaire's "harmful Twitter behavior," per The Times. The letter followed an Insider report in May about SpaceX settling a sexual harassment claim against Musk, which he made jokes about on Twitter.

The day after the letter was shared, SpaceX fired the organizers behind it, according to media reports. The Times reported it was unclear how many workers had been sacked, while Reuters said at least five employees had lost their jobs over the letter, citing two sources.

It's now understood that nine SpaceX employees were fired over the letter, The Times reported on Thursday, citing workers and lawyers.

The report comes at a time when Musk has fired about two dozen employees at Twitter for openly criticizing him on the social media platform, Insider reported.

[Nerraw]

Huh, so that's what happened with that. I really hope all of his companies are forced to go through fundamental changes when it comes to treatment of employees.

[PACOX]

The SLS for Artemis 2 is quite far in its production. It's actually waiting for the return of the Orion capsule used in Artemis 1 for parts. NASA seems confident that they can maintain production. They have at least secured the funding for more rockets than originally planned (I still don't think they will actually follow through with all of those but they have the more and approval for them). One potential constraint is that Artemis 4 will be a 1B, the first one, so it's construction is going to be slightly different. I might be when they transition to the upgraded parts (slightly different SRBs, engine, and upper stage) , not 100% sure.


On other note, SpaceX is known for not being the best place to work for. A lot of people are in love with their rockets because they could easily go down the street to Boeing, NG, Rockwell, Lockheed, even NASA, and be treated a lot better.

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[ringpriest]

The core they just launched was under construction since November 2014, with the upper stage being completed and delivered in 2017. I have no faith in SLS time tables.

That is less than completely accurate. The core for Artemis I started assembly in November 2014, but it used components, particularly the four RS-25 engines, that had flown on previous Space Shuttle missions. The oldest of the four veteran, reusable engines NASA just expended was E2045, which first flew on STS-89 in 1998, and which started assembly in March 1997. (Artemis I was E2045's thirteenth, and last, flight.) E2045 was one of the first Block IIA RS-25s, an incremental evolution of an engine design that started construction in 1970.

After NASA has finished disposing of the sixteen RS-25s allocated to the SLS program, it intends to use newly manufactured RS-25Es for (hypothetical) future SLS missions. RS-25E testing has been quite successful, using two modified test engines from the Space Shuttle program. No new RS-25Es appear to have been built yet.

[Nerraw]

Launch tower sustained some amount of damage. An example being the elevator doors being "removed".

[Corvus]

Artemis is doing its moon flyby in 5 hours. Hoping we get some good footage out of that.

[PACOX]

Launch tower sustained some amount of damage. An example being the elevator doors being "removed".

I would bet that they knew they would destroy the pad if they would admit to it. They know the rocket like the back of their hand. Nothing about the performance of the rocket has surprised them and that infrastructure was built for Saturn Vs and up. Prove SLS works flawlessly but their everything up.


I think they are trying to secure more funding to complelty upgrade the pad (they already expeditated a new MLP). Probably would have put a whole in the VAB too if they didn't need it in-between having it upgraded.

I'm half joking BTW. Just half.

In all seriousness though, they definitely knew they would wreck the pad.

[Logwyn]

Artemis is doing its moon flyby in 5 hours. Hoping we get some good footage out of that.

Too bad they can't or won't take pictures of the first moon landings. I bet they did not send up the ability to take those pictures.

[Nerraw]

Too bad they can't or won't take pictures of the first moon landings. I bet they did not send up the ability to take those pictures.

The landing sides were in the dark on this flyby. The December 6th flyby will see them in direct sunlight.

[CmdrShep2154]

Love the way this guy thinks!

[plz delete account]

The landing sides were in the dark on this flyby. The December 6th flyby will see them in direct sunlight.

Apollo landing site pictures wen

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The SLS for Artemis 2 is quite far in its production. It's actually waiting for the return of the Orion capsule used in Artemis 1 for parts. NASA seems confident that they can maintain production. They have at least secured the funding for more rockets than originally planned (I still don't think they will actually follow through with all of those but they have the more and approval for them). One potential constraint is that Artemis 4 will be a 1B, the first one, so it's construction is going to be slightly different. I might be when they transition to the upgraded parts (slightly different SRBs, engine, and upper stage) , not 100% sure.


On other note, SpaceX is known for not being the best place to work for. A lot of people are in love with their rockets because they could easily go down the street to Boeing, NG, Rockwell, Lockheed, even NASA, and be treated a lot better.

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say it louder for the moderator in the back @Nerraw

[plz delete account]

Hey @Nerraw that's weird, looks here like the Artemis 2 core stage just needs engine section before it gets shipped to Kennedy Space Center... but you said it was unlikely for Artemis 2 to be on time... That's a pretty weird statement to make, don't you think?

[PACOX]

Artemis 1 is officially in the books. It went as well as a maiden flight of its scope could go, which is huge.

Have to do a little shitposting. So much for Starship beating SLS in orbit, right?

But seriously, hopefully Starship goes up in Jan. I got tired of going on Twitter and seeing people swear Starship would go up first, or run the Artemis program solo, or that Artemis 1 would fail. There would be no Starship without the Space Shuttles, and SLS is basically the Shuttle stack without the payload bay of the Orbiter (the space plane part of the Shuttles).

[cubby]

Artemis 1 is officially in the books. It went as well as a maiden flight of its scope could go, which is huge.

Have to do a little shitposting. So much for Starship beating SLS in orbit, right?

But seriously, hopefully Starship goes up in Jan. I got tired of going on Twitter and seeing people swear Starship would go up first, or run the Artemis program solo, or that Artemis 1 would fail. There would be no Starship without the Space Shuttles, and SLS is basically the Shuttle stack without the payload bay of the Orbiter (the space plane part of the Shuttles).

Fantastic - so glad it went so well. Lol re shade at SpaceX - hope they get theirs up soon.

Artemis and Starship are a good mix. Can't wait for the Art 2.

[ringpriest]

Hey @Nerraw that's weird, looks here like the Artemis 2 core stage just needs engine section before it gets shipped to Kennedy Space Center... but you said it was unlikely for Artemis 2 to be on time... That's a pretty weird statement to make, don't you think?

Artemis II is currently scheduled for launch in May 2024.

Artemis I arrived at Cape Kennedy in April 2021, and flew 19 months later. Artemis II's core stage is, as far as I can tell, still scheduled for delivery in March of next year. Nineteen months from March 2023 is September 2024.

In other words, NASA needs to safely prep Artemis II for launch four months faster than it did Artemis I - which means getting everything ready for its crewed flight, including the life support system that still hasn't been fully tested yet. Combining that, with the history of the program (originally scheduled to launch when, again? Right, over five years ago), and stating that it's unlikely for Artemis 2 to be on time seems like a pretty reasonable thing to say.

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Fantastic - so glad it went so well. Lol re shade at SpaceX - hope they get theirs up soon.

Artemis and Starship are a good mix. Can't wait for the Art 2.

Werner Von Musk's rocket was still waiting on FAA approval as of last week. Perhaps that will get expedited now that SLS has had its day in the sun.