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-6 votes
1 answer
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Windmills in Space [closed]

What if we put a windmill like we use now in space like on moon or a space station so its attached to the surface and since we have no wind we use air tanks in the blades to rotate, everytime it slows ...
Shubham Chaudhari's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
214 views

What did I see? Multiple "satellite" flares

I came across this page this evening after witnessing around 15 what looked to be satellite flares in the same region of sky within about ten minutes. All of the objects flared multiple times with a ...
OllyR's user avatar
  • 31
12 votes
3 answers
5k views

What assumptions were made about the sphericity of the Moon for the Apollo program?

I've just been reading about the Apollo program. Apollo 8 seems to have gone into a fairly circular lunar orbit 69 miles at perigee. Apollo 10 was pretty much similar, although they dipped down with ...
mike rodent's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
226 views

Where can I find the video of Apollo 16 floodlight mistaken with a UFO?

So, a few years ago (2004) NASA showed that a picture of a supposed UFO captured by the Apollo 16 astronauts through the window of the Command Module was in fact the floodlight protruding from the ...
Swike's user avatar
  • 2,501
1 vote
0 answers
79 views

How many tonnes of cargo are stored on the International Space Station?

I think I read somewhere that SpaceX's Starship should carry 100 tonnes to the moon, and that this amount of mass was greater than the total cargo on the ISS, but I can't find a reference confirming ...
tomh's user avatar
  • 713
17 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why does the Psyche Spacecraft use cold gas thrusters?

In a recent article on SpaceNews they write [There exist] nitrogen cold-gas thrusters that orient the spacecraft. This seems like an odd choice for me, considering it is a multi year mission that ...
Hans's user avatar
  • 3,566
4 votes
1 answer
255 views

What is the significance of a heat flux value of 1135 W/m^2 when jettisoning the payload fairing? [duplicate]

I have seen that many rockets jettison their payload fairing at an altitude where the aerothermal heatflux is leass than or equal to 1135 W/m^2. What is the reason behind considering this particular ...
Tejaswi's user avatar
  • 41
2 votes
1 answer
128 views

Can I move Hyperion to Mars with fusion rockets?

I'm working on a SciFi story set roughly in 2100 that takes place both on the moon and Mars. One plot point hinges on terraforming Mars, the biggest stumbling block being its lack of water and ...
Hewholooksskyward's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
258 views

How does NASA ensure nobody else communicates with probes? [duplicate]

We often hear about how various parts of Voyager have been turned off or on, or how course corrections have been made. How does NASA know that nobody else on Earth can send instructions to a probe? It ...
Marnanel Thurman's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
72 views

LEO Satellite Service / Coverage Time Calculation for a Ground User

I want to determine the time interval during which a ground user is in the coverage of a particular LEO satellite. I only have knowledge of the user's geographical location and the satellite's TLE (...
Black Dagger's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
72 views

TLE propagation, I don't understand which time should I use in (t - t_0)?

I'm trying to plot ground tracks with the help of TLE data. However, there are some equations that contain "times", and I can't understand which time I should use and format. Like for ...
ed190's user avatar
  • 43
1 vote
1 answer
65 views

Gibbs' method and position vectors' reference frame

As mentioned on this website https://www.studeersnel.nl/nl/document/technische-universiteit-delft/flight-orbital-mechanics-and-propulsion/chapter-05-preliminary-orbit-determination/4604099, we need to ...
Tug Speedman's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
335 views

Deorbit ISS vs. Preserve ISS as raw materials for ISM?

Recent news: NASA Seeks Proposals from US Industry for Station Deorbit Spacecraft (ISS) NASA has released a request for proposal from U.S. industry for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), a spacecraft ...
Rob's user avatar
  • 161
1 vote
0 answers
192 views

Fastest time to Moon for Starship

What is the fastest time to the Moon possible with Starship in the near future, assuming there is orbital refueling? Is sustained acceleration and then deceleration possible at say 0.25G, to reduce ...
safe_malloc's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
82 views

How to read .eph (GPS Ephemeris binary data) sent by the receiver

My GPS receiver can share ephemeris info as binary data. The queried data is having .eph format. I tried to open it in Notepad but seems unreadable (gibberish). Is there any specific software to open ...
shah's user avatar
  • 1
0 votes
0 answers
48 views

Hypersonic dynamic shift in large vs. small lifting bodies

Background: Lifting bodies have been tested at small scales, though not during re-entry. For instance: the NASA HL10 Such Lifting-Body designs are seemingly here to stay with craft such as Dreamchaser ...
Anti Elon Guy's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
997 views

Would orbital ring platforms affect the orbit of a planet?

If we built an orbiting platform of sufficient mass (let's say, made from harvested asteroids) that was anchored at both poles of the planet it surrounded, would such an addition to the planet's mass ...
Dan East's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Packing Osiris Rex capsule after landing

What was the procedure for packaging SRC Osiris Rex after landing? How to keep it clean, with no dust or sand? Why was it not packed on a clean surface like a table?
Louise Martin's user avatar
-4 votes
1 answer
221 views

How does SpaceX prevent fuel from cluttering together in zero G [closed]

What is the solution to stop fuel inside starship collecting in center of the tank during zero G flight? Here is a rough sketch of starship with rudimentary diaphragm system to control flow of fuel ...
levis springer's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
180 views

Escaping Earth - how could one attempt to find the best solution to this trajectory optimization problem in practice?

If there is a satellite in low Earth orbit, with a limited delta-v budget (but high enough to escape Earth) and limited delta-v-rate (thrust), how could one find an acceleration schedule and ...
2080's user avatar
  • 171
1 vote
0 answers
42 views

Surface Resource Distribution Across the Orbits of the Saturnian Moons

I've posted questions before related to ISRU and/or resource harvesting in the Saturn system, given how low the velocity change is for inter-moon transfer. What resources are available to turn into ...
Anti Elon Guy's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
151 views

Can a ship's thrusters amplify a gravity assist?

If a ship successfully absorbs a planet's kinetic energy to increase its speed, can it add to that speed by firing its thrusters? Thank you very much.
Mike Tuggle's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
122 views

GMAT LEO spacecraft simulation

I started using GMAT, I have to design an LEO of an AEOLUS Satellite and I have the TLE of the launching. My question is how do I plug the TLE numbers into the spacecraft section (Keplerian element ...
Shada sabri's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
3k views

What are the movable-plastic-bag-looking things on the nose of Shuttle?

I was watching the last launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) and noticed some objects that moved during the launch. I was curious about what these objects were and why they were positioned that ...
Lady Be Good's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
192 views

First water deluge system?

Does anyone know what the first use of a water deluge system was? I've done some light googling and discovered that the Titan II ICBM rocket silos (first built in 1962) used a water deluge system, but ...
WhiteLancer64's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
6k views

Why would astronauts need a wristwatch and a separate timer?

Watching this image used in this question Why would astronauts in SpaceX's Crew Dragon need two separate timing devices: one portable digital timer, and one wristwatch, rather than carrying into orbit ...
jkztd's user avatar
  • 4,218
0 votes
0 answers
155 views

Live_ISS_Stream stopped?

so I've come across this video, 11 hours of ISS transmissions during 2021 ASAT incident by Russia. The description says the footage was archived from this IBM stream site, so I've looked to see if it ...
user52175's user avatar
30 votes
1 answer
7k views

Reasons behind Soviets Using Prolog Programming Language for Buran Space Shuttle?

I was reading a post related to the operating system of American Space Shuttles, then wondered what might Soviets have used. I found a CIA document and several forums saying that Prolog was used in ...
Lady Be Good's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
84 views

Non-Cryogenic Propellant Transfer

I know there are programs like the Rocket Lab CryoSat, but I was wondering if there have been any tests of non-cryo propellant transfer? I know the Space Station refuels with a storable hypergol, but ...
Anti Elon Guy's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
265 views

What network does the Chandra X-ray Observatory satellite use to communicate with Earth while staying in its orbit?

From a NASA fun facts website How do satellites communicate?: How do satellites communicate? Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. The antennas ...
Arunabh Bhattacharya's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
60 views

How to access satellite & debris data categorised by intended purpose?

I'm working on an art project which requires satellite data (active, inactive, as well as debris), so I was on Space Track. Does the NORAD ID or some other field help retrieve information about the ...
sub511's user avatar
  • 11
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the name of NASA's program to prevent back-contamination by crews returning to Earth?

I remember reading a Wikipedia article that in the initial years of space exploration NASA had a standing crew of bulldozers to bury any landing site or research facility exploring material from ...
Vorac's user avatar
  • 499
2 votes
1 answer
196 views

How does JUICE navigate autonomously

Introduction To kick things off, I'd like to introduce myself as a 23-year-old novice learner when it comes to space exploration but I've been listening to astronomy-specific podcasts since 2022 and I'...
Navid's user avatar
  • 23
1 vote
1 answer
191 views

how to procure a Launch vehicle for injecting a cubesat into LEO at LOW COST?

Me and my team are working on sending Cubesats just beyond the Karmann line. For which we obviously need a launch vehicle and would like to procure one or if possible build one. If any aerospace ...
Souvik Banerjee's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
219 views

When you burn retrograde, will you reach periapsis sooner or later?

Say you have two spacecraft in identical orbits. Say at a point after apoapsis and before periapsis one of the spacecraft burns retrograde to lower its periapsis, and the other spacecraft does nothing ...
DTCantReachSpace's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
80 views

How to approximate the force generated by Falcon 9 grid fins?

I'm interested in approximating the force generated by the grid fins on a Falcon 9 rocket during its descent phase. However, I currently lack specific data and equations for this calculation. Can ...
IsolatedSushi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
158 views

Could a skyhook with double pendulum catch a payload with zero velocity?

It's my understanding the the tip of a rotating skyhook would be travelling at ~3.6 km/s (Mach 10), which presents a major problem. Could this be overcome by attaching a second, smaller, also rotating ...
Michael Currie's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
175 views

Comparing Japan's SLIM and India's Chandrayaan-3 trajectories

I was reading this SpaceNews article on the launch, which states: SLIM won’t be taking a direct route to the moon. After a lunar transfer orbit burn, it will make a lunar flyby, heading into a wide ...
fyrepenguin's user avatar
  • 1,329
4 votes
1 answer
116 views

Geo satellite - antenna gain contours to heat map in STK

I am using STK to show antenna gain contours on the ground from a transmitter on a sensor on a geo bird that is tracking a receiver on the ground. With good resolution I can create great images that ...
rebee's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes
0 answers
119 views

Atomic oxygen and UV Radiation qualification tests for a cubesat

I'm the Assembly, Integration and Verification Engineer of a cubesat project developed by students. Currently I'm trying to create the specifications for our payloads upcoming (mon)atomic oxygen (ATOX)...
SmallSatEnthusiast1005's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
80 views

Semi-Cryogenic HTP/LH2 engine?

Also see HTP as oxidizer for main propulsion (for more info on history of H2O2/HTP in rocketry) Note: HTP and H2O2 will be used interchangeably I know the Black Arrow LV (The first orbital lipstick) ...
Anti Elon Guy's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
435 views

What are these things on the side of the GSLV Mk 3 SRBs?

Circled in green Images found by looking up “gslv mk 3”
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
100 views

Meeus on the Positions of the Satellites of Jupiter

Ex. 44.a of Meeus Astronomical Algorithm, Second Edition, provide the position of the Galileans on December 16 1992 at 0h UT (p.311/488). Procedure 1: For Io, in terms of the Jupiter's equatorial ...
Smarty's user avatar
  • 31
1 vote
0 answers
86 views

How do you find the burn-time of a specific solid rocket fuel?

I read this post about finding the propellant mass needed to reach a specific altitude: How do you find the propellant mass needed to reach an inputted altitude?(altitude at end of burn plus altitude ...
Rocket Man's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
118 views

How will the DAVINCI probe manage its temperature during the descent to Venus' surface?

The DAVINCI mission, arriving at Venus in 2031, includes a probe that will collect data as it descends through the planet's atmosphere. The descent will take about an hour and Stephanie Getty, deputy ...
Dave Gremlin's user avatar
  • 2,451
2 votes
0 answers
79 views

Semi-interdependant Jovian Colony [closed]

Given the low $\Delta v$ needed to transfer between the moons of Jupiter even just between the Galilean large moons, and the distribution of heavier molecules and atoms towards the inner system (Io + ...
Anti Elon Guy's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
83 views

Combustion stability for the second stage of Sea Dragon

I was listening to a video about SHLV's (Super Heavy Launch Vehicles), and Sea Dragon's first stage engine was mentioned. In terms of combustions stability, the suggested fix would be large combustion ...
Anti Elon Guy's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
50 views

What is the A in the mass flow rate formula for solid rocket propellants? How do I get the chamber pressure? [closed]

I believe the mass flow rate formula for solid rocket motors is:$$\dot{m}=p_pA_br$$ What is $A_b$ in this case. Is it the cross-sectional area of the hole in the grain? What is there is a nozzle? What ...
Anish Kommireddy's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
62 views

Could you see a probe or space ship with a DS4G ion propulsion thruster with a telescope? Would you need IR or UV?

I'm wondering what would be observable to an astronomer if one knew where to look for a distant space craft with a powerful ion engine such as a Dual-Stage 4-Grid (DS4G) electrostatic thruster. In the ...
cthon's user avatar
  • 141
15 votes
4 answers
4k views

Do all artificial satellites have engines?

Novice question. A few days ago I watched a TV documentary about Virgin Orbit’s failed mission earlier this year to send satellites into orbit from Spaceport Cornwall. One of the satellites shown ...
Peter4075's user avatar
  • 253

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