Space/Rockets Thread

[Happy Camper]

We've had some specific threads regarding space and rocket launches. So I thought it might be nice to have a dedicated thread to talk about it and post relevant articles.

 

[Happy Camper]

USC just launched the highest and fastest flying amateur rocket in history. Pretty neat stuff.

https://www.space.com/space-explora...d-record-with-high-flying-rocket-launch-video

 

[INTJohn]

I’ll be at Canaveral National Seashore later this week next to the Kennedy Space Center. Half the time I’m there I view a launch of some sort.

Also; in the SoCal desert east of Holtville and North of the LTVA there is an old abandoned military airfield that the San Diego Rocket Club frequented and I would camp there and watch the goings on launches in stuff.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/65534785114/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holtville_Airport

bch bum jonny rocket

 

[Gr8ful]

Iven Carl Kincheloe was the 1st man in space & grew up 15 miles from me.​

They later changed the distance to space.There's a park & memorial in Cass. Here's a 6 min YT.
Iven Carl Kincheloe Jr. is considered the "first man in space" because he was the first pilot to fly above 100,000 feet, reaching an altitude of 126,200 feet in a Bell X-2 rocket plane on September 7, 1956, which at the time was considered the edge of space; he was awarded the Mackay Trophy for this flight.

​

 

[wayne49]

INTJohn,

Thanks for the info about Holtville area. That led me to the Midland LTVA web page. Pilot Knob LTVA was mentioned and the supplemental Pilot Knob 14 day free camping area was described. The 14 day free camping starts exactly one mile from the western edge of the LTVA. Keep the riff raff at a distance, /sarc.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/midland-long-term-visitor-area

Item 26:
Perimeter Camping
Do not camp within 1 mile outside the boundaries of Hot Springs, Tamarisk, and Pilot Knob LTVAs and within 2 miles outside the boundary of Midland LTVA. Bureau of Land Management – Long Term Visitor Areas – Supplementary Rules

Not mentioned in the BLM information, but from what I observed in the few days I was there:

The added "NO CAMPING" signage is indicating that the roadway is off limits to camping. That roadway is actively used by the Border Patrol and an RV or two could block the Border Patrol vehicles.

Now I know where I need to be next time. I won't be in an indeterminate "No Man's Land".

 

[tx2sturgis]

Currently watching the pre-launch activities streaming live from Starbase Texas.



Starship Flight 6, scheduled to launch at or after 4PM (this is Tuesday Nov 19 as I type this)

 

[tx2sturgis]

No booster catch but it was still cool!

 

[Gr8ful]

Student rocket hits 470,000 feet altitude, smashes 20-year-old world record​

https://interestingengineering.com/...hlid=3b7a2bf63b8d3480e4ff88a549bfafb6c5f9ab10

 

[Gr8ful]

Sunita Williams Rescue Live | Elon Musk Launches Mission To Rescue Astronauts Stranded At ISS | N18G​

 

[INTJohn]

This mornings Space X Falcon 9 launch at Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Center:



Launch is just before the 1 hour vid time if you care to fast forward.

I am currently at the O Club Beach; Patrick Space Force Base and had a decent watch spot.


The contrail above and barely caught the rocket at altitude in pik below.

Wasn’t sure I caught it as I didn’t have my glasses on. BLURRY!!

Beautiful day for launch
bch bum jonny rocket

 

[INTJohn]

Some awesome space stuff happened today. The Parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the sun this morning. Some light nerd reading while waiting on Santa Claus.

MSN article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...n&cvid=70dcdf992e024cde957acd8293d9a3fe&ei=12

NASA info: https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/story/psp_perihelion?rate=0&slide=slide_2

More cool JHU/APL info: https://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/

ENJOY!
bch bum jonny

 

[eDJ_]

For the benefit of the thread, 330,000 feet above mean sea level is where space begins. It is known as the Karman line

When President Reagan was in office he spoke publicly of the X 30, a prototype Scram Jet Airliner, which would travel across the globe in just hours. But such an aircraft would fly at 100,000 ft or less in altitude. 45 years later it hasn't happened and probably won't as the chief economic engine of the orient has been branded as an adversary along with an increasing number of other nations. Such a vehicle for trade and diplomatic purposes may not be needed now.

 

[FlipperFla]

We've had some specific threads regarding space and rocket launches. So I thought it might be nice to have a dedicated thread to talk about it and post relevant articles.

I am a retired Broadcast Engineer and worked for a local station in Orlando. We covered all the launches at the Cape. I had a top security clearance pass where I would drive the production truck over the day before a launch and park it next to the control room bunker and connect to a patch bay on the outside of the building where I would connect our truck to their system for the video and audio feeds plus 3 cameras from our truck then the A/V to a Sat uplink truck. The truck was my responsibility so I would hang all day, go home at dinner, take a nap and drive back in the middle of the night for the launch. I had full access to the control room just like you see in the movies, I wasn’t permitted to read any of the notes at the stations. When they were about to launch I ran the CCUs, Camera Control Units that controls all the inputs of the camera feeds. We were only a couple hundred yards from the pad and when one of those things went off the whole truck would shake like we were in a major earthquake, very very exciting. Then pack it all up and back to home base.
There is a video on YouTube of a rocket exploding around 1998 where all the debris came down over the cape, video of the place getting destroyed and trashing all the cars in the parking lot and a quick shot of a brown building which is the control room bunker. This happened right before I started and everyone was still talking about it. So when you watched all the GPS launches 98- 2003 that was our truck that produced those videos. Very rewarding career.