The Space Thread - Launches, Events, Live Streams, Governments, Corporations, drama in Spaaaaaaaaaaaace

[thefreshmaker]

There are multiple reasons to oppose this mass roll-out of data centres that have nothing to do with the usual lefty bugbears

This is true, but the level of anti-AI, anti-data centre sentiment is beyond logic now. There's no conceivable reason why you would want to build one unless you personally wanted to make the sacred blue tree sloth extinct and suck all the water from the ground with your personal straw.

In that environment, someone selling you the ability to still build your product and avoid the results of this negative sentiment is someone who will make a lot of money.

 

[Pastry Man]

Impressive, they finally have one that didn't explode.

They are expected to explode when they land on the water and fall over. It would be really funny if there was an FAA mishap investigation because it didn't explode.

 

[74164978231]

the buran had four engines bolted onto it to do atmospheric tests, it was still boosted into space by a multi stage rocket. the biggest issue with space planes is that the entire structure of the aircraft is a parasitic drain on delta-V that serves no purpose during the launch phase and nobody has even begun to figure out how trans-atmosphereic jet propulsion even works beyond scale technology demonstrators. space planes are an insane engineering challenge that we do not really have the technology for

I could have swore I watched doc on it back in the day that said it had a jet engine as well for powered landings.

With that said I mean a lifting body design for ferrying 5-10 people, not a general purpose lifter. The ability to land at a regular airstrip seems like it would be a massive advantage compared to splashing down in the ocean and the associated logistics involved with that.

the space shuttle was a total piece of shit and one of the worst engineering failures of the 20th century and was a perfect example of how to fuck yourself in the ass with "risk management" instead of even attempting to reducing risk. they used it for so long that people just got used to doing expensive, retarded, pointless shit out of sheer inertia and when they shut it down after it killed a SECOND set of astronauts boomers were still upset about it because it mattered more to them as a rotten symbol of american exceptionalism than anything it actually stood for in real life. Because everything it actually stands for as a physical symbol is embarrassing hubris and shocking mismanagement

I whole heartedly agree. The set back from canceling the Saturn v to develop the shuttle is incalculable. That has genuinely set us back 50+ years in space development.

 

[mlanguishi]

I could have swore I watched doc on it back in the day that said it had a jet engine as well for powered landings.

As with a lot of that time, you end up having to rely on much later sources, but I also remember that as an 'advantage' it was supposed to have to be able to do a go-around. The test launch did not have those engines, and I'm not sure how they'd work even. They've have to have been in the internal space where the US shuttles engines would've been. I think it was mostly just 'possible upgrade' level. In Russian:

http://www.buran.ru/htm/vrdu.htm

Maybe they had some side-of-the-tail ideas, but it never would've happened anyway. Think the 'go around powered re-entry' was just typical Soviet hype.

 

[ConsentAccidentVictimNo98]

Kiwi Gang, would you join the Kiwi Gym to go sneak into the Buran + Energia complex at Baikonur?

Like if this is the last of the Energia-M rockets, and if Starliner actually flies all of its bought Atlas flights then in some ways, it is the last of its kind. Atlas-V was built off the same core stage engines, even if Atlas has SRBs and Energia-M has Zenits

 

[mindlessobserver]

Did a minor update to the OP. I feel that now this thread has done a years long existence, its going to need a better front page. Minor update will be replaced in the coming weeks with a better OP. I feel it should require a full write up. Going into SpaceX, the various governments, and the Shenanigans. Will take recommendations and input for what should go in.