https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages
NASA released a few more images this morning.
Printable View
https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages
NASA released a few more images this morning.
Artemis 1 was a no-go for launch yesterday, due to problems with engine coolant. Windows to launch exist on 9/2 and 9/5, but if the problem isn't solved, we won't try again until October.
As I ramped up my interest in Artemis as an actual mission (and not just a test of a launch system), it grew from "cool to be back in the moon game" to some real hardcore details about how this is our legit return to outer space for the first time since well before I was born. [The ISS is NOT "outer" space. It's low earth orbit. An argument can be made that anything inside the solar system and under the influence of our sun is NOT "outer" space (I think this is actually the official one), which means only the Voyagers have ever been there. But I'm feeling generous. Get away from the influence of the earth, and we'll call it "outer" space.]
We're not doing it as propaganda to beat the Soviets, and then we'll give up after we win: we understand the importance of it, and will keep doing it even after we "win." And there does seem a sense of urgency, either due to Republicans being dicks about funding or China on our heels or whatever.... Artemis 1 is manikins (their spelling, not mine), Artemis 2 will be humans taking the long route to circle the moon but not landing on it (in 2023-4), and Artemis 3 will be landing on the moon (2024-ish). Three missions from unmanned to moon landing; compare that velocity to Apollo, which took 3 times as much prep. Kudos to NASA, they've got the pedal down even without the tangible threat of a Cold War nipping at their heels!
An explainer, courtesy of Vox, for those so inclined: https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/8/27...center-florida
Short version: if you saw a one paragraph summary in your newspaper and wondered "why does it take 42 days to circle the moon and come back?", the answer is "It doesn't, they're making it long on purpose." The reason for THAT is "Science." Read on.
Making oxygen on Mars is news to me:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/31/world...scn/index.html
not really sure i want nasa spending public money at the moment. as long as musk is accelerating electric cars and storage he can do what he wants.
I'm convinced that the UFO sightings are satellites or space junk that went astray.
Dimorphos: Nasa flies spacecraft into asteroid in direct hit
Quote:
The American space agency's Dart probe has smashed into an asteroid, destroying itself in the process.
The collision was intentional and designed to test whether space rocks that might threaten Earth could be nudged safely out of the way.
Dart's camera returned an image per second, right up to the moment of impact with the target - a 160m-wide object called Dimorphos.
What had been a steady image stream cut out as the probe was obliterated.
Amazing pictures right up until impact.
The estimates are it hit within 50 feet of the middle of the asteroid. That’s pretty wild. A moving target, 7M miles away and they have that type of precision.
Truly incredible. Math.
It is impressive. As I understand it the technology involves an autopilot where it finds its target, locks onto it and then it goes there. It's not like the asteroids video game where you shoot and then it just continues on a line from there
I said years ago when watching a doomsday science show on our chances of getting hit by a major asteroid, "we'll develop technology to protect our planet from this". Looks like that's exactly what's happening and we're ahead of schedule
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dooHIIKudsQ
Here's the former Minister of Defense of Canada.