User uhoh

162 votes

3 answers

26k views

How did the Apollo computers evaluate transcendental functions like sine, arctangent, log?

asked Sep 27, 2018 at 10:18

117 votes

6 answers

26k views

What makes Ada the language of choice for the ISS's safety-critical systems?

asked Jun 3, 2019 at 7:37

94 votes

6 answers

19k views

How much bigger could Earth be, before rockets wouldn't work?

asked Mar 9, 2016 at 7:45

85 votes

7 answers

23k views

What can the KSP game actually teach about spaceflight and orbital mechanics, and what are its limitations?

asked Aug 30, 2017 at 3:57

82 votes

5 answers

13k views

Could "peak Apollo levels" of support have gotten NASA astronauts to Mars in the 1980's?

asked Jun 20, 2018 at 4:06

69 votes

4 answers

11k views

Why did it take so long to notice that the ozone layer had holes in it? Which satellite provided the data?

asked Jan 11, 2021 at 14:15

63 votes

1 answer

11k views

Which Apollo "mystery" was said to be finally solved by a better rendering engine?

asked Feb 13, 2017 at 7:18

63 votes

1 answer

8k views

How is stacking oranges in 24 dimensions related to receiving and decoding signals from the Voyagers?

asked Jul 7, 2021 at 11:48

61 votes

6 answers

11k views

When was Newton "not good enough" for spaceflight; first use and first absolute requirement for relativistic corrections?

asked Dec 9, 2019 at 6:59

56 votes

3 answers

22k views

This image of the Space Shuttle is truly beautiful, but is it real?

asked Sep 17, 2018 at 7:53

54 votes

3 answers

11k views

Is 75 meters an exceptionally close distance for two satellites to pass at >6,000 m/s?

asked Dec 13, 2016 at 19:47

53 votes

4 answers

17k views

"Pillars of Baikonur" What is the purpose of the hundreds of short, white posts near the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad?

asked Jun 24, 2018 at 7:13

53 votes

5 answers

11k views

How often is duct tape used during crewed space missions?

asked Sep 15, 2019 at 6:34

48 votes

2 answers

14k views

What caused this bright light from the ground at night seen from the ISS?

asked Nov 16, 2017 at 8:55

47 votes

8 answers

13k views

What would be the (most difficult) challenge to make a 10,000 year satellite?

asked May 18, 2016 at 13:22

45 votes

10 answers

8k views

Have spacecraft photographed each other beyond Earth orbit?

asked Dec 12, 2019 at 2:43

45 votes

3 answers

9k views

What is GPS' 19 year rollover and does it present a cybersecurity issue?

asked Apr 8, 2019 at 3:01

44 votes

1 answer

9k views

How (the heck) did Lunokhod 2 drive, navigate and survive a ~40 kilometer drive over four months on the Moon using 1970's technology?

asked Aug 16, 2021 at 2:03

43 votes

2 answers

5k views

What's the baseball bat for? (seen in CRS-8 berthing NASA TV broadcast)

asked Apr 13, 2016 at 10:22

42 votes

1 answer

9k views

What was NASA's "Hack" to improve Opportunity's memory in 2015? Did it help?

asked Jun 14, 2018 at 5:14

40 votes

1 answer

11k views

Why does this researcher have a "clear plastic bag" over their head?

asked Aug 8, 2018 at 8:56

39 votes

2 answers

7k views

How did the X-15 control attitude above the Kármán line?

asked Oct 17, 2018 at 10:29

38 votes

1 answer

3k views

What kind of orbit makes this wave shaped ground track?

asked May 13, 2018 at 8:18

38 votes

5 answers

7k views

Did Sputnik 1 tell us more than "beep"? What science was improved by information gained from its orbiting the Earth?

asked Sep 3, 2020 at 7:55

37 votes

1 answer

6k views

Why does the Minotaur I wear a yellow jacket that "banana-peels" off as it launches?

asked Jun 15, 2021 at 22:56

36 votes

3 answers

11k views

Why were the SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts backed up by guards with automatic weapons?

asked Nov 17, 2020 at 18:59

36 votes

1 answer

6k views

Why does this rocket have a nose cone "cozy"?

asked Dec 7, 2017 at 12:56

35 votes

2 answers

5k views

SpaceX and propulsive landing on Mars -- what just happened? (and why?)

asked Jul 28, 2017 at 12:50

35 votes

4 answers

5k views

Why is there a large wooden ball on Mariner 3's magnetometer?

asked Feb 12, 2017 at 17:29

35 votes

2 answers

8k views

How do ISS astronauts "get their stripes"?

asked Mar 4, 2019 at 6:44

Stack Exchange Network

2,574 Questions

How did the Apollo computers evaluate transcendental functions like sine, arctangent, log?

What makes Ada the language of choice for the ISS's safety-critical systems?

How much bigger could Earth be, before rockets wouldn't work?

What can the KSP game actually teach about spaceflight and orbital mechanics, and what are its limitations?

Could "peak Apollo levels" of support have gotten NASA astronauts to Mars in the 1980's?

Why did it take so long to notice that the ozone layer had holes in it? Which satellite provided the data?

Which Apollo "mystery" was said to be finally solved by a better rendering engine?

How is stacking oranges in 24 dimensions related to receiving and decoding signals from the Voyagers?

When was Newton "not good enough" for spaceflight; first use and first absolute requirement for relativistic corrections?

This image of the Space Shuttle is truly beautiful, but is it real?

Is 75 meters an exceptionally close distance for two satellites to pass at >6,000 m/s?

"Pillars of Baikonur" What is the purpose of the hundreds of short, white posts near the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad?

How often is duct tape used during crewed space missions?

What caused this bright light from the ground at night seen from the ISS?

What would be the (most difficult) challenge to make a 10,000 year satellite?

Have spacecraft photographed each other beyond Earth orbit?

What is GPS' 19 year rollover and does it present a cybersecurity issue?

How (the heck) did Lunokhod 2 drive, navigate and survive a ~40 kilometer drive over four months on the Moon using 1970's technology?

What's the baseball bat for? (seen in CRS-8 berthing NASA TV broadcast)

What was NASA's "Hack" to improve Opportunity's memory in 2015? Did it help?

Why does this researcher have a "clear plastic bag" over their head?

How did the X-15 control attitude above the Kármán line?

What kind of orbit makes this wave shaped ground track?

Did Sputnik 1 tell us more than "beep"? What science was improved by information gained from its orbiting the Earth?

Why does the Minotaur I wear a yellow jacket that "banana-peels" off as it launches?

Why were the SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts backed up by guards with automatic weapons?

Why does this rocket have a nose cone "cozy"?

SpaceX and propulsive landing on Mars -- what just happened? (and why?)

Why is there a large wooden ball on Mariner 3's magnetometer?

How do ISS astronauts "get their stripes"?