Questions tagged [record]
Questions regarding extremes or records, such as the smallest, largest, first, last, heaviest, etc. of a thing or event.
133
questions
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Largest solar panel (by area) deployed in space? Largest below/at/above GEO?
NASA news item NASA’s Psyche Gets Huge Solar Arrays for Trip to Metal-Rich Asteroid
At 800 square feet (75 square meters), the five-panel, cross-shaped solar arrays are the largest ever installed at ...
- 148k
7
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What is the furthest from Earth that a military spacecraft is thought to have been intentionally deployed or moved to?
Space.com's Space Force plans to send a patrol probe out past the moon includes a quote from the new AFResearchLab video Cislunar Highway Patrol System (CHPS).
"Until now, the United States ...
- 148k
4
votes
0
answers
102
views
What are the largest distances between two spacecraft that have been determined to a meter or so accuracy? How were these done?
This answer to Radio Telescope / DSN Node in L4 and/or L5 presents the challenge of implementing "very long" VLBI using the ~1 AU distance between Earth and a Sun-Earth triangular libration ...
- 148k
3
votes
1
answer
140
views
What's the highest latitude for a human spaceflight?
There are obviously many satellites in polar orbits or in orbits that extend to very high latitudes. There are obvious reasons to do this in terms of Earth observations, but there is probabably much ...
- 3,464
2
votes
1
answer
59
views
What was the first successful two-stage-to-orbit launch by the US? What was the first attempt if different?
Wikipedia's Juno I (the launch vehicle for the first US satellite in orbit Explorer 1) begins:
The Juno I was a four-stage American space launch vehicle, used to launch lightweight payloads into low ...
- 148k
5
votes
1
answer
129
views
How does NASA count the order that people have entered space?
NASA has designated Matthias Maurer (crewmember of SpaceX CrewDragon 3) as the 600th person to fly in space. Leaving aside the question of whether those who flew with Branson and Bezos should be ...
- 1,143
5
votes
0
answers
59
views
What's the lowest and the highest ever recorded atmospheric pressure by a Mars lander?
What is the lowest and what's the highest ever recorded air pressure on Mars by an (either roving or stationary) Mars landing probe?
As per the answer in this question of mine, it seems the highest ...
user46063
5
votes
1
answer
94
views
Will Artemis 2 and/or subsequent Artemis moon flights be able to break humanity's Earth distance record?
How high above the Moon are Artemis' Orion spacecraft going to orbit, in comparison to the Apollo spacecraft? Will their flights surpass or be able to surpass humanity's current record of the farthest ...
user46063
6
votes
1
answer
89
views
Was Tianwen-1 the first "triple-depl"? (orbiter-deploys-lander-deploys-rover-deploys-selfie cam) What are the highly hierarchical deep space missions?
What are the highly hierarchical deep space mission, those where one thing deploys the next which deploys the next... after leaving cis-lunar space.
An example would be Tianwen-1 where a Mars orbiter ...
- 148k
2
votes
0
answers
38
views
What is the largest single burn plane change maneuver executed in LEO?
Below 2000 km in low Earth orbit (or close to it), what is the largest propulsive plane change from a single burn?
Expecting an answer in degrees, a named mission and vehicle executing the burn itself....
- 148k
3
votes
0
answers
71
views
Is SpaceX on the way to a reliability record? [duplicate]
One of the most striking phenomena of Falcon 9 launches is how smoothly they go, at least for the outside spectator.
SpaceX launches a lot. Apparently, they have now had 109 successful missions in a ...
- 1,642
3
votes
1
answer
441
views
Shortest stay at the ISS once continuous operations and regular crew rotations began? How does Maezawa (planned) 12 days compare?
Confused about Yusaku Maezawa's first "standing on the shoulders of giants" PR photo on the shoulders of Elon Musk in 2018 then launching to the ISS aboard Soyuz, I found that the article ...
- 148k
2
votes
0
answers
25
views
Radio coherent transponders are the foundation of deep space navigation, have optical analogues been used? If so, the furthest distance measured?
Coherent radio transponders receive a signal from Earth containing specially encoded modulation, amplify it and retransmit it back to Earth. Correlating the received signal with the transmitted signal ...
- 148k
1
vote
1
answer
262
views
Deep space marksmanship; will DART's intercept and impact trajectory represent the best ever if successful? If so, by how much?
The DART spacecraft will ultimately be a kinetic energy impactor, using its 500 kg mass at a relative velocity of over 6000 m/s to slightly change its target 65803 Didymos's companion Dimorphos's ...
- 148k
1
vote
0
answers
92
views
Which deep-space spacecraft flew closest by Earth during a gravitational assist?
The extremely cool NASA JPL video Triumph at Saturn (Part I) is really worth a watch and/or listen. (Don't forget Part II as well!)
At about 26:30 it discusses ...
- 148k
10
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Was there an all-civilian space flight before Inspiration4?
Scott Manley remarked in a video, SpaceX's Latest Crew Mission Is Unlike Any Other:
[Inspiration4 is] billed as the first all civilian space flight – that's the sort of tagline and frankly it's not ...
- 1,796
0
votes
0
answers
67
views
Largest number of times that a bit of fuel has been exchanged between spacecraft? Between spacecraft tanks?
Scott Manley's Russia's New Space Station Module Causes Alarm On ISS says a bit after 18:38:
The fuel system isn’t going to be entirely isolated because when ...
- 148k
3
votes
1
answer
118
views
Largest number of rockets launched into space from a given launch site in a 24 hour period?
Question: What is the largest number of rockets launched into space from a given launch site in a 24 hour period? Where, when, why?
"into space" means $\ge$ 100 km, but pretty close to 100 ...
- 148k
3
votes
0
answers
138
views
Most dog-legged launch?
There are enough questions about dogleg maneuvers that there is now a dogleg tag, but the definitive dogleg answer is @JakeBlockers (linked below) which includes images of a dogleg from Florida that ...
- 148k
1
vote
0
answers
26
views
Closest distance that two unrelated spacecraft have come while both in heliocentric orbits?
In 2015 STEREO A and B passed each other passing roughly behind the Sun at the same time from opposite directions as seen from Earth. But these two are part of a single mission, put into these orbits ...
- 148k
1
vote
0
answers
87
views
How many bubble levels have been used in space? Were any of them used some place besides the Moon?
The lunar retroreflectors left by Apollo astronauts had bubble levels and Sun compasses to that they could be oriented correctly with respect to Earth's average direction. This was necessary to ...
- 148k
4
votes
2
answers
190
views
Smallest free memory space in early space crafts equipped with a computer?
Early space crafts used magnetic memory, semiconductor memory was not available. Memory size was very small, the program was written in assembler language. Programmers worked hard to fit all necessary ...
- 47.3k
4
votes
0
answers
53
views
Currently, how many communications channels can a single DSN dish maintain at the same time? Are there plans to increase this in the future?
DSN NOW screenshot 2021-07-10 at 07:14 UTC
DSN NOW screenshot 2021-07-10 at 09:48 UTC
The screen shots show Canberra's Dish 35 simultaneously transmitting and receiving, and above it is written MRO, ...
- 148k
6
votes
1
answer
299
views
Will Richard Branson be setting any space firsts by beating Jeff Bezos' launch date?
Virgin Galactic is now saying they will launch Richard Branson on July 11
Dubbed the "Unity 22" mission, this flight on the VSS Unity spacecraft will carry a full crew of two pilots, Dave ...
- 6,810
3
votes
1
answer
180
views
In their first 100 sols which NASA Mars rover drove the furthest and which one the least?
It seems we've passed the 100 day/sol mark for Perseverance.
Perseverance and Curiosity are comparable in designs but have had significantly different short term goals; Curiosity was the first of it's ...
- 148k
3
votes
1
answer
316
views
Most noodle-like (highest aspect ratio) orbital launch vehicle ever?
Just how much can tall skinny rockets bend? (roughly, safely)
Why is Falcon 9's shape so tall and skinny?
If not constrained by underpasses, etc., would Falcon 9 have been less of a flying noodle?
...
- 148k
11
votes
1
answer
974
views
Is there a record for unbroken series of "successful launches" by some objective criteria? Who has it now? What has to happen for it to change hands?
From the (I'd say) historic and pivotal hearing Wednesday, March 5, 2014 Defense Subcommittee (Chairman Durbin) Time and Location: 10:00 a.m., in Room SD-192 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building ...
- 148k
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How many satellites were orbited from Australia in total?
WRESAT; The first Australian Satellite Launched Wednesday November 29, 1967 on Colin Mackellar's Honeysuckle Creek website links to several other pages with various details and photos of the mission.
...
- 148k
2
votes
0
answers
76
views
Has a spacecraft ever actually sprayed a chemical (or anything) on to another spacecraft intentionally for any reason at all?
The question How many of these six military "orbital threat" techniques have been demonstrated in a (more or less) publicly recognized way? begins:
If you are having a good day then under ...
- 148k
3
votes
2
answers
416
views
Is New Shepard an orbit-capable first stage? Could an (albeit small) 2nd stage with propulsion be put on top that could put a smallsat into orbit?
This answer to How is New Shepard the first suborbital booster to successfully perform a powered vertical soft landing? discusses a potential differentiation between Falcon 9's first successful ...
- 148k
1
vote
0
answers
68
views
What's the lowest periapsis of a successful orbit around the Moon? [duplicate]
What's the lowest periapsis of a successful orbit around the Moon ever made by a moon-orbiting spacecraft?
Theoretically, Moon-orbiters can go as low as a foot above the surface due to the lack of an ...
- 613
16
votes
2
answers
2k
views
When was the last time that an incandescent light bulb was launched into space?
Certainly the first crewed spacecraft had some incandescent light bulbs for indicators, though for cabin illumination the higher efficiency of fluorescent lights was often exploited. The question ...
- 148k
4
votes
1
answer
121
views
Biggest orbital inclination change done in Earth's orbit
Generally orbital inclination change is said to be (fuel) expensive. What is the biggest orbital inclination change (in degrees) done in Earth's orbit for an orbiting object? Can this be broken down ...
- 1,343
7
votes
2
answers
363
views
Which explode in spaceflight more often, nuts or bolts?
The history of spaceflight is littered with exists because of exploded nuts and bolts (and upon further reflection, a whole lot of other items!)
"Exploding bolts" is really a generic term. ...
- 148k
1
vote
0
answers
170
views
How often are fewer than three astronauts present when moving a Soyuz spacecraft from one docking port to another?
CNN's Astronauts relocated a spacecraft outside the International Space Station (was it inside before?) says:
Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, along with NASA astronaut ...
- 148k
4
votes
0
answers
120
views
Has Hubble ever focused on something close enough that it had to move away from being focused at infinity?
Hubble wouldn't have to change focus for Pranksat to work because Pranksat is cleverly designed to present a virtual image with a focus at infinity. But if the diffraction-limited Hubble wanted to ...
- 148k
8
votes
1
answer
214
views
When is the last time that a battery-powered spacecraft was launched without an RTG or solar-electric power?
Except for special sun-synchronous, Earth orbit eventually leads to eclipses, so spacecraft in Earth orbit generally have solar panels with electrical energy "buffered" by batteries. And ...
- 148k
4
votes
1
answer
517
views
What were/are the stingiest and most generous vacuum nozzle? (records for the smallest and largest expansion ratios)
Vacuum nozzles are huge compared to their sea-level or atmospheric counterparts, as can be seen by comparing the first stage engines on an Electron or Falcon-9 to their second stages, where a big ...
- 148k
3
votes
0
answers
192
views
What was the most intense beam ever sent from Earth?
By a freak coincidence sensors on a passing alien ship a hundred light years away had picked up a faint artificial blip from Earth, thereby discovering our inhabited planet. But which blip was it?
...
- 148k
5
votes
1
answer
127
views
Largest single burn spacecraft delta-v in deep space?
This 700 m/s maneuver that was avoided got me thinking and then CNN's NASA mission will zoom by asteroid before returning sample to Earth said:
"Leaving Bennu's vicinity in May puts us in the '...
- 148k
5
votes
2
answers
304
views
Longest static fire?
What is the longest duration for a static fire of a complete rocket stage?
Initially I wanted to ask this for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy
I found a 10 second static fire for Falcon Heavy - https://...
- 2,502
2
votes
1
answer
77
views
Largest variety of independent spacecraft types docked, clustered, or otherwise attached at the same time?
speculation and pondering in the Pod Bay has got me wondering; What has been the largest variety of independent spacecraft types simultaneously, docked, clustered or otherwise attached in space?
These ...
- 148k
15
votes
4
answers
6k
views
What was the "5 minute EVA"? What was the shortest-duration EVA ever?
A comment to this answer makes the claim
humans are so impaired in space that their ability to repair anything is ridiculously low (hours of preparation and debriefing even for a five-minute EVA, and ...
- 160k
3
votes
2
answers
132
views
Longest duration of a Moon orbiter?
From all the spacecraft that orbit or orbited the Moon, which one lasted the longest in lunar orbit?
By defunct spacecraft includes.
- 2,502
2
votes
2
answers
217
views
What's the fastest orbital period for a spacecraft?
I'm not asking about velocity, I'm talking about overall speed. Shortest time from perigee to perigee. This orbit would be a low, circular orbit, but I can't really find any specifics on any world ...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
112
views
What was the furthest distance from Earth that Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins reached in Apollo 11?
An estimate is fine. But if possible, I am looking for a reference that I can cite.
- 139
1
vote
1
answer
62
views
What is the maximum payload in terms of mass delivered to LEO by launch vehicle which used pressure fed cycle in all stages?
Launch vehicles can use pressure fed cycle in any stage of the rocket, but here i am interested for those vehicles which used this cycle in all stages. What is the current record in terms of mass of ...
- 2,173
2
votes
3
answers
147
views
Closest distance at which cubesat (or comparable smallsat) has communicated with the Deep Space Network or any large 10+ meter dish? Cis-lunar ever?
Discussion below Will future deep space optical communications "ground stations" actually be in space, or on the ground? has got me wondering about the improbable situation where a giant ...
- 148k
6
votes
3
answers
231
views
How many independent demonstrations of optical communications between ground and space have been successful?
As everybody knows, the pioneering work of The Professor and his serendipitous collaborator Gilligan demonstrated the reality of ground to space optical communications back in 1964. In that case ...
- 148k
2
votes
1
answer
236
views
What was the first successful demonstration of a fuel cell in space?
Hydrogen fuel cells (together with batteries) were used for electrical power in the Apollo program, where it was recombined with oxygen on board to produce electricity.
Doing chemistry in practical ...
- 148k