Recent Posts

11

General Discussion / Re: The Trump Presidency

« Last post by Ranb on June 22, 2025, 10:55:11 PM »

I can only imagine that the soldiers who were ordered to be in the parade, were embarrassed to be there also.  I was trained to march, sort of, in Navy boot camp.  The entirety of my remaining training (>1 year) prior to going to the fleet did not involved any marching at all.

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General Discussion / Re: The Trump Presidency

« Last post by Obviousman on June 22, 2025, 06:51:00 PM »

I noticed the marching was pretty slipshod...

That wasn't marching. That was a group of similarly dressed people walking in the same direction. I'd be embarrassed about it.

13

The Reality of Apollo / Re: Chandrayaan-2 views Apollo

« Last post by Obviousman on June 22, 2025, 06:28:15 PM »

Arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how good you are the bird is going to crap on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Are we talking Trump again? LOL

14

General Discussion / Re: SpaceX no longer reliable.

« Last post by bknight on June 21, 2025, 01:48:43 PM »

It has been reported that the likely culprit was a COPV exploding.  It seems to me that a few years ago a F9 suffered a similar incident that was identified as a COPV. COPVs are lighter but are not as reliable as steel, IMO.

15

General Discussion / Re: SpaceX no longer reliable.

« Last post by Peter B on June 20, 2025, 06:50:09 PM »

They've found a new way to drive efficiency. Just blow 'em up on the ground without all that lifting into the upper atmosphere nonsense. Musk is a genius!!!

I understand Musk isn't an engineer, but he seems to like to play at being one. Like the story I've read of him getting onto some part of a Tesla production line and asking the workers why they use that many bolts in that stage of manufacture. Or his interview with Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut) which ended up in some change in the design of Starship.

I wonder whether the problems Starship has been experiencing over the last few months are anything to do with other tinkering by him. Or is it simply that the SpaceX engineers have pushed Starship beyond current technological limits?

16

General Discussion / Re: SpaceX no longer reliable.

« Last post by grmcdorman on June 19, 2025, 07:09:36 PM »

Scott Manley also reports on it, with the title tag "Not Nominal" :-)

17

General Discussion / Re: SpaceX no longer reliable.

« Last post by Zakalwe on June 19, 2025, 02:40:14 PM »

Oh dear....

I'm no expert in rocketry by any means, and most of what I do know I picked up from here, but surely we've generally got past the problem of rockets just blowing up on the pad, haven't we?

They've found a new way to drive efficiency. Just blow 'em up on the ground without all that lifting into the upper atmosphere nonsense. Musk is a genius!!!

18

General Discussion / Re: SpaceX no longer reliable.

« Last post by PDI on June 19, 2025, 01:02:15 PM »

Brings new meaning to the phrase "let's light this candle". 

19

General Discussion / Re: The Trump Presidency

« Last post by raven on June 19, 2025, 06:30:01 AM »

We got an agency arresting  US citizen, even though it has no right to do so, in one case for asking for a judicial warrant the agency needed to make another arrest in the location. We have  a sitting senator being handcuffed for wanting to ask a question.
History is rhyming like a rapper spitting verses like a GAU-8

20

General Discussion / Re: SpaceX no longer reliable.

« Last post by Jason Thompson on June 19, 2025, 04:18:59 AM »

Oh dear....

I'm no expert in rocketry by any means, and most of what I do know I picked up from here, but surely we've generally got past the problem of rockets just blowing up on the pad, haven't we?