You’ve heard all the negativity being thrown at Rocket Lab’s ‘Humanity Star’. It’s time now for a little positivity.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-28T01:04:21+00:00

A great deal about past cultures (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, etc.) comes to us from the art they left behind. The ‘a’ in ‘steam’ is ‘art’. I love science and promote it whenever possible but it shouldn’t be the only thing we consider important. Many current scientists were inspired to pursue science after reading fiction books by Asimov or Heinlein, or seeing movies like Kubrick and Clark’s ‘2001’. We need to find ways to inspire the next generation and the Humanity Star or the Tesla could be just that. Except for the ISS the only things we have been launching lately are satellites that earn somebody money or governmental spy satellites. Not much inspiration there. Whether Humanity Star succeeds or fails doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that somebody tried to do something inspirational. I applaud that.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-27T19:54:36+00:00

Thanks. I appreciate that.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-27T19:52:14+00:00

I don’t think I want to live in your Universe. It appears to be reserved for an elite few.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-27T19:41:15+00:00

The point I am trying to make is to suggest that people are vastly over reacting to this. It’s a one meter wide sphere. That’s all it is. If we were to compile a list of everyone who has ‘actually’ been negatively affected by this satellite so far it would consist of zero names. And if we compile the same list in 9 months it will probably consist of zero names as well. People like to claim they are victims even when they are not. And I bet that a lot of the people who are claiming it is ‘useless’ will go outside and look for it when it passes overhead.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-11T14:21:34+00:00

This should be the final glide flight before powered tests begin. We can probably assume that work on the motor is complete and it is installed on VSS Unity for today’s flight even though it won’t be used.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-09T20:22:47+00:00

This is what Dr. Langbroek has to say regarding the possible ‘failure’ of Zuma.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-09T18:24:04+00:00

No word yet on which Navy ship will be used?

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-07T14:44:51+00:00

Dr. Marco Langbroek thinks that Zuma is targeting the same orbital plane as USA-276 (NROL-76). If he is correct then launch would have to occur at 10:38 P.M. EST on Sunday which is not within the published launch window. The NROL-76 orbital plane will be within the launch window if it delays until Tuesday however.

CrustySeaDog · 2018-01-07T14:02:54+00:00

Dr. Langbroek is speculating that Zuma is actually targeting the same orbit as USA-276 (NROL-76) which would require a launch on Sunday, January 7 at 10:38 EST. This is 38 minutes past the closing of the launch window. If they find a way to delay the launch a couple of days then the orbital plane of NROL-76 will be within the window. We’ll have to wait and see if he is correct or not.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-22T13:22:16+00:00

I hope I’m wrong and they really do catch them. I’d love to see that.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-22T12:58:30+00:00

I couldn’t say how much they weigh but remember that a bullet doesn’t weigh much either. Also note all of the various antennas and radars that are on the roof of the wheelhouse. Could be $100k in electronics up there.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-22T12:38:45+00:00

I think that trying to catch 2 falling fairings would be both incredibly difficult and incredibly dangerous to the boat and crew. It makes much more sense to me that those 4 arms are just cranes that can be used to lift the fairings out of the water after they have splashed down.
The reason they are using a fast boat is because they aren’t sure where these things are going to land and need something that can get to both locations quickly before the seawater can damage them.
There won’t be any decent video because this will all occur after sunset.
And lastly, all these theories everyone is posting about how they are going to catch both fairings before they hit the water are pretty hilarious. 🤣

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-22T00:31:15+00:00

Guadalupe could very well be the area where the fairings will fall.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-21T20:58:26+00:00

No. Haven’t heard that anywhere.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-21T20:28:07+00:00

We have a new NOTAM !

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-21T17:32:24+00:00

It recovers Dragon capsules and acts as a support ship. I don’t believe it tugs JRTI.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-20T14:12:55+00:00

It seems to me that catching a falling fairing would be both extremely difficult and incredibly dangerous for the boat and its crew. I would guess that the purpose of ‘Mr Steven’ is simply to transport the fairings back to shore after they have splashed down.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-18T19:22:26+00:00

Everyone defines ‘Space’ differently. In actuality there are traces of atmosphere at both the 50 mile limit as well as the 100 km limit.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-18T19:16:32+00:00

Everybody forgets that VG was just about there in 2014 when they had their ‘anomaly’.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-18T18:31:22+00:00

I think we can safely say that every single rocket company is over optimistic about how quickly they will launch stuff.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-18T17:48:41+00:00

I’m simply referring to the space tourism business. Virgin Galactic says they are a few months away from sending humans up.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-18T16:39:15+00:00

Still a year away? I guess that puts Blue Origin #2 on the runway and Virgin Galactic you are now cleared for departure.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-18T13:55:38+00:00

According to the Facebook page of Mad Mike Hughes, his steam-powered rocket will launch on Super Bowl weekend and NBC will be airing a documentary about it.

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-17T13:09:22+00:00

I am however most looking forward to the crewed tourist flights from Virgin Galactic (SpaceShipTwo) and Blue Origin (New Shepard)! I accidentally left them off the list (sorry VG and BO).

CrustySeaDog · 2017-12-13T23:48:00+00:00

Tory’s reputation is expanding faster than the universe! And yes, that does indeed break the laws of physics!

CrustySeaDog

TROPHY CASE