Moon Rocket leaves shed

[cider_and_toast]

Pictures of the next step in Nasa's return to manned missions rocket development.

Nasa Moon rocket core leaves for testing

The first core stage for Nasa's "mega-rocket", the SLS, has left its factory in New Orleans.

www.bbc.co.uk

NASA will say its the brand new moon rocket leaving the development facility on it's way to the testing range.

Sharp eyed observers will say it's four slightly modified space shuttle main engines bolted on to an adapter that plugs it into the bottom of an old space shuttle external tank (that ever so conveniantly fits into the barge they used to transfer the old space shuttle external tanks down river) and represents not so much a giant leap for mankind but a small step in budget recycling.

 

[Brogan]

Got to love the juxtaposition of a space craft travelling on a barge at a sedate speed along a river.

We've got a long way to go before we get to this stage ...

 

[F1Brits_90]

been fascinating to learn about this, in the last hour. 1st moon landing for 50 years

https://twitter.com/x/status/1760805073842553020

 

[cider_and_toast]

1st moon landing for 50 years

First US maybe but the Chinese and the Japanese have both had luner landers in the last few years if I recall correctly.

 

[FB]

Nick Robinson on R4 said that the lander reminded him of this. He may have a point.

 

[F1Brits_90]

First US maybe but the Chinese and the Japanese have both had luner landers in the last few years if I recall correctly.

the moon having a surge in popularity then

i knew there was a moon attempts in pipeline but i wasn't aware. others had. interesting that this mission is amongst others is to do research for they have a 1st manned mission in 2027

 

[cider_and_toast]

They did the same back in the 60's. The yanks had the Ranger, Pioneer and Surveyor programmes and the Russians had the Luna program.

The Russians carried out the first soft landing by any space probe on another celestial body in Feb 1966 with Luna 9.

The Americans surveyed the Sea of Tranquility with Surveyor 6 in 1967 and when Apollo 12 landed in the moon they landed a few hundred feet from Surveyor 3 and brought back a few bits from it

 

[cider_and_toast]

Finally something positive coming out of Florida.

The first manned lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 is scheduled for lift off at 23:24 UK time this evening.

The mission to test the command module and key rocket systems for a future landing will see a crew of four, including the first woman and first non-America (a Canadian astronaut), conduct a single lunar orbit before returning home.

In doing so, the mission is set to beat the distance from Earth record set by Apollo 13 which will make it the furthest distance humans have flown into space.

The only negative will be listening to the self congratulatory speeches from the orange man baby.

 

[Brogan]

Technically it's not a lunar mission as they're just doing a drive by.

It's the same as driving all the way around the M25 and claiming you went to London.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Alright it's a lunar'ish mission

 

[F1Brits_90]

its a fasinating 20yrs ahead. with this for manned mission to moon & then potentially Mars

 

[Andyoak]

Trump's only going because he thinks it has oil.

 

[F1Brits_90]

i told them not to use Honda, did they listen.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Safely in to orbit.

Great launch.

 

[Brogan]

Charles' letter to the colonel in charge of the mission:

You will, most certainly, reflect upon the fragile beauty of Earth as it rises above the lunar horizon, just as your predecessors did half a century ago.

May that sight renew in you, and in all who follow your journey, the conviction that we must learn from the lessons of how we have over-exploited and polluted our own planet, and thus care for the universe, and all life contained within it, with reverence and a true sense of what is sacred.

In an age when humanity’s reach into the stars grows ever bolder, it is vital that the Moon remains a beacon of peaceful scientific discovery rather than a theatre of exploitation.

As you embark on this momentous endeavour, I send you and your fellow crew members my heartfelt good wishes.

May the stars align in your favour, and may your safe return inspire countless others to uphold the values of sustainability, co-operation and wonder that the Astra Carta enshrines.

trump's moronic social media post:

We are WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between: Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS.
Nobody comes close! America doesn’t just compete, we DOMINATE, and the whole World is watching
God bless our incredible Astronauts, God bless NASA, and God bless the Greatest Nation ever to exist, the United States of America! President DONALD J. TRUMP.

 

[Brogan]

It's the same as driving all the way around the M25 and claiming you went to London.

It's also a 10 day mission, which is weirdly the same amount of time it takes to drive around the M25.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Do you think they've got the equivalent of Clacket Lane Services half way around where they can pull in for a piddle and an overpriced sandwich?

 

[Brogan]

The mission stages are quite interesting and explain why it takes 10 days.

Courtesy of NASA - Artemis II Map - NASA

 

[cider_and_toast]

Interesting how they're only doing a flyby and not entering and leaving lunar orbit.

This.means that the planned first manned landing mission will also the the first time that an Artemis spacecraft will have orbited the moon.

That's a bit risky.

The first lunar(ish) mission of the Apollo program, Apollo 8, orbited the moon 10 times.

 

[Brogan]

This mission itself has quite a few risks.

Anything could go wrong during any one of those stages.