Recent Posts

41

Ten Forward / Re: Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

« Last post by Starfox1701 on December 09, 2025, 02:28:52 pm »

Happy Holidays

42

Engineering / Re: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)

« Last post by Nemesis on December 05, 2025, 07:27:51 am »

The Chinese launched a reusable rocket.  It put its payload in orbit but failed the landing.  Seems to have been an engine issue.   Not a lot of details of course.

The Chinese also had their capsule at their station take damage (space debris strike) to a window that make it doubtful that the crew would survive a landing.  They launched the next crew up, the crew that was already there returned in the capsule that had just arrived.  A new capsule (which carried extra cargo due to no passengers) has since arrived at the station to be their return vehicle.

The Russians had an "incident" at the launch facility (the only one) that they use for sending Soyuz to the ISS.  The launch was successful BUT the launch systems took significant damage.  They claim they have everything on hand to fix it but can they be trusted.

A Russian astronaut prepping to launch on Dragon was caught taking documents and photos of documents about the Merlin engines.  He of course claims no wrong doing and was expelled.

43

Ten Forward / Re: Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

« Last post by GE-Raven on December 02, 2025, 01:15:38 pm »

Happy Holidays to all!

44

Engineering / Re: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)

« Last post by Nemesis on November 28, 2025, 09:09:22 am »

Vulcan and Ariane 6 both flew last night.  Apparently successful in both.

The other launch for 2025 has now slipped to March 2026.  Why is the question.

45

Ten Forward / Re: Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

« Last post by Javora on November 27, 2025, 03:14:36 pm »

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

46

Ten Forward / Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

« Last post by Sirgod on November 27, 2025, 06:21:27 am »

Hope you all have full bellies, and a blessed weekend.

47

Engineering / Re: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)

« Last post by Nemesis on November 23, 2025, 06:05:14 pm »

Starliner - NASA no longer has any astronauts scheduled to fly on Starliner.  Whether this will change is unknown.

The enlarged New Glenn is supposedly going to be launched in 2027.  Obviously I have serious doubts.

48

Engineering / Re: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)

« Last post by Nemesis on November 21, 2025, 08:44:12 pm »

Booster 18 had an "incident" during a pressure test.  The LOX tank burst up one side by a chime.  It has been suggested this is another COPV failure where one at the bottom of the chime burst and that burst the one above and so on like domino's falling.  This is not an official speculation.  It could delay the IFT 12 mission (again not official) depending on the cause and how long it will take Booster 19 to be prepped instead.

BO claims that the next launch will include improved thrust from both stages.  Appears to be updated engines so not likely using the current engines.  They are also (at some point) planning to recover and reuse fairings.

BO also claims they will upgrade (at an unstated future time) New Glenn to 9 engines on the first stage (from 7) and 4 on the 2nd stage (from 2) combined with the upgraded thrust this would increase cargo to 70 tons.  I'm not going to hold my breath considering how slow they are.  It will also have enlarged fairings

Part of these upgrades uses the SpaceX method of sub cooling propellant to increase the propellant load allowing more payload to be carried (pioneered on Falcon 9)

49

Engineering / Re: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)

« Last post by Nemesis on November 15, 2025, 09:35:53 am »

Blue Origin now has Project Jarvis.  Makes me wonder if he sees himself as a real life Tony Stark (Stark = Iron Man and Jarvis is his AI that he uses for designing and operating his armour).  He must REALLY hate that people call Musk the real life Tony Stark.

So what IS Bezos Jarvis? It is a attempt to build a fully reusable 2nd stage to the New Glenn rocket, I don't know if they are eliminating the planned fairings.  Like Starship it is stainless steel.  They have a test tank very like the early Starship tanks.  How do you think Cape Canaveral will appreciate Bezos blowing up test tanks on their property?  SpaceX blew up theirs on their own test site not NASA grounds.  New Glenn is about 75 feet shorter than Starship and only 7 meters diameter vs 9 meters for Starship. 

New Glenn is planned to fly with the expendable 2nd stage until "the mid 2020s" when Jarvis will replace it.  There are also comments that without a reusable 2nd they won't be able to launch at a profit but will lose money every launch.  It also seems to reduce the planned cargo from 50 tons to 38 tons.  This puts it squarely in the F9/FH market and far less than the Starship at 150 tons. 

Functionally this is Bezos endorsing Starship.

Project Jarvis is still lacking in any further information.

50

Engineering / Re: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)

« Last post by Nemesis on November 15, 2025, 09:29:25 am »

B.O. has moved the New Glenn EscaPADE launch up to October so maybe they will prove me wrong and launch again this year. 

Edit

Backed out to November now. 

Edit 2

Flight 2 - Sun • Nov 9th, 2025

The static fire has occurred so MAYBE it will happen on the current schedule.

Edit 3

Fri • Nov 7th, 2025  2:51 PM - 4:50 PM EST

Edit  Another change

Sun • Nov 9th, 2025  2:45 PM - 4:44 PM EST

Finally flew.  Seems to have been a 100% success.  Now projecting a January 3rd flight.  It is to carry the Blue Moon Pathfinder which is an undersized prototype of their proposed manned lander for Artemis.