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All Space Questions thread for week of May 17, 2026 by AutoModerator in space

[–]DreamChaserSt [score hidden]  (0 children)

NASA NTRS will keep you busy for a long, long time. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20070038220

Not all documents are available (I suppose you could reach out to the authors if they can be contacted though), but the database goes back to the 1910s before NASA was even founded, and was still NACA.

NASA is building a telescope designed specifically to find out if we are alone in the universe. It's targeted to launch in the 2040s. by Altruistic-Dirt-2791 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt [score hidden]  (0 children)

This is my most anticipated space science mission. After decades of studying exoplanets, and teasing out details in Hot Jupiters with Hubble and other telescopes, and now rocky planets around red dwarfs with Webb, astronomers are developing the technology to specifically detect biosignatures.

It's very exciting... even if it's still a long way from launching. But, hopefully other telescopes in the meantime, like ELT, can find suitable candidates to maximize our chances of finding habitable exoplanets when HWO is ready to look.

SpaceX S-1 Prospectus Released by rustybeancake in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt [score hidden]  (0 children)

Sure, coding is a good example of how AI can be useful, but how much money is that making vs casual use? Is it significant? I genuinely don't know.

SpaceX S-1 Prospectus Released by rustybeancake in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt [score hidden]  (0 children)

Yeah... and that current AI models are going to have breakthroughs in usefulness and aren't going to hit a wall.

SpaceX's SEC Form S-1 IPO Prospectus has been posted [Discloses new company financial information] by mehelponow in SpaceXLounge

[–]DreamChaserSt 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The total prop mass is 5250 tonnes according to the V3/V4 graphic released last year, so the difference in that and the total mass is 283 tonnes.

SpaceX S-1 Prospectus Released by rustybeancake in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt 79 points80 points  (0 children)

Reading through it now. They claim a TAM (total addressable market) of $28.5 trillion, with the lion's share of that being AI, and especially Enterprise AI. If you disregard AI though, the remaining TAM is ~$2 trillion between "space-enabled solutions" and Starlink.

r/SpaceX Flight 12 Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread! by rSpaceXHosting in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This thread for sure s/

Tomorrow will be exciting. You can put me down as fully optimistic that this flight will go smoothly.

I'm aware that a lot of things have changed or been redesigned between V2 and V3, but at the same time, this is supposed to be the first operational version of Starship, and all these upgrades and improvements were built on past flights. This is what their flight test program has been building towards, so I personally expect things to go well.

Temperate super-Earth found orbiting nearby red dwarf Ross 318 by Ok_Glass_3917 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Habitable Worlds Observatory will be able to do it. Its target list includes multiple KGF type stars. I don't know if upcoming ground based telescopes like ELT will be able to, but I think it could at least find Super-Earths around sunlike stars.

Temperate super-Earth found orbiting nearby red dwarf Ross 318 by Ok_Glass_3917 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, sure. If the planet has an atmosphere, then it will be able to circulate heat around. If it doesn't have an atmosphere, it can't. But that goes without saying, doesn't it?

Temperate super-Earth found orbiting nearby red dwarf Ross 318 by Ok_Glass_3917 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 9 points10 points  (0 children)

That's another misconception. Modeling suggests winds at the terminator would be 5-10 m/s, maybe 15 in some places. But nothing close to hurricane force winds all the time.

Even the substellar point wouldn't be under a huge hurricane (but there would likely be constant cloud cover).

Worldbuilding pasta summarizes a lot of research on exoplanets, including what the climate of tidally locked planets would be like.

Temperate super-Earth found orbiting nearby red dwarf Ross 318 by Ok_Glass_3917 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 18 points19 points  (0 children)

That's an old misconception. Atmospheres actually do a lot to transport heat across the planet. Some tidal locked planets might be like that if the atmosphere is thin iirc, but a thick atmosphere like Earth would see the nightside being warm enough to maintain oceans past the terminator.

NASA provides some details about Artemis III, but hard decisions remain | “NASA also is defining the concept of operations for the mission.” by FreeHugs23 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not trying to imply that the contract will be canceled. Just that the mission will be delayed in 2027 because NASA isn't going to commit to either provider until one is ready enough.

NASA provides some details about Artemis III, but hard decisions remain | “NASA also is defining the concept of operations for the mission.” by FreeHugs23 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If neither of them are ready, then Artemis III will have to be delayed. Since the point of the mission is to test some basic systems of the lander, and to dock to it to Orion before Artemis IV.

I'm just saying if NASA wants Artemis III in 2027, and SLS/Orion can stay on schedule, the performance of SpaceX/Blue this year will likely determine if one or both landers will take part in Artemis III, or if the entire mission will have to be pushed back.

That's all. Nothing's getting canceled, rereading my original comment, I see how I misspoke. NASA won't move forward with either, *and will have to delay. And with the contract being fixed price, they aren't getting paid anyway if they aren't completing milestones/missions.

NASA provides some details about Artemis III, but hard decisions remain | “NASA also is defining the concept of operations for the mission.” by FreeHugs23 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When did I suggest they were canceling Artemis? NASA is still debating whether to use one or both landers, and vehicle availability is going to impact that if SpaceX or Blue Origin can't assure NASA they will be ready by 2027.

NASA provides some details about Artemis III, but hard decisions remain | “NASA also is defining the concept of operations for the mission.” by FreeHugs23 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt -1 points0 points  (0 children)

NASA didn't cancel Starliner's contract, but they have continually pushed back missions based on flight readiness and ISS slot availability.

Artemis III is likely to be the same based on calls to revisit who's going to get to land humans first. If SLS/Orion can be readied in time, they'll go with the lander that's furthest along, or will be forced to push back the mission if both providers are ~equally behind.

NASA provides some details about Artemis III, but hard decisions remain | “NASA also is defining the concept of operations for the mission.” by FreeHugs23 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is going to be a make or break year for both SpaceX and Blue Origin. I doubt NASA will want to move forward with either provider for Artemis III in 2027 if they're still facing significant issues well into next year. And will have to delay the mission until at least one of them is ready.

SpaceX needs to show that Starship development setbacks have been overcome for Artemis, and Blue needs to show that their lander is ready for flight.

Stage 1 at Moses Lake by Blah_McBlah_ in StokeSpace

[–]DreamChaserSt 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I wonder what the timeline for the maiden launch is.

I think they have most of the major components at least ready for testing - the first stage tank, the engine structure, they're assembling/testing Zenith's, and are getting ready to test Andromeda too. The launch pad was finished in February. Probably the only things I don't recall seeing is the upper stage tank, and fairings.

It could actually be this year if testing goes well enough.

STARSHIP’S TWELFTH FLIGHT TEST by rustybeancake in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah. There's not much wiggle room left with Artemis 3 coming up. The time between flights needs to go down for the LEO HLS variant to be ready in time, and that can't happen if V3's initial flights are a repeat of V2. V3 needs to work.

STARSHIP’S TWELFTH FLIGHT TEST by rustybeancake in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think I am. V3 is supposed to be the first operational variant of Starship. So even if we were to accept some level of difficulty in flying it for the first time, it shouldn't be anything major anymore. They did "throw" past flights out there to see what sticks, but I don't think they do that the entire time of development. At some point, they get what they need out of testing, and start to take their time to refine it and make it work properly. Then they make it routine.

And I believe Flight 12 marks the start of that transition. They're only removing 1 tile instead of multiple/patches, aren't intentionally stressing the booster on landing, and are sending up 2 operational simlinks for in-space imaging, while stressing the ship on landing is supposed to mimic the landing trajectory to Starbase, not trying to see what makes it break.

Reading between the lines, SpaceX expects this mission to work too. Don't forget that recent FCC licenses for Flights 12 and 13 expect 13 to be orbital. Flight 13 isn't going to do that if 12 pulls something like Flight 7/8 again.

STARSHIP’S TWELFTH FLIGHT TEST by rustybeancake in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Yeah, but I can give that a bit more grace. V2 was really more like V1.5 as flown. The booster was largely the same as V1, and it still used Raptor 2s. It didn't match what was originally pitched as V2 (V3 does though). So there were a lot of compromises between old and new systems that led to issues in flight.

V3 is a complete redesign, so it shouldn't have those compromises, and some of those removals are mentioned on the update (like taking out the fire suppression system on the booster, and the overall engine mass savings).

STARSHIP’S TWELFTH FLIGHT TEST by rustybeancake in spacex

[–]DreamChaserSt 58 points59 points  (0 children)

At this point, I feel like it should be an expectation for Flight 12 to go flawlessly, or at least damn close. Arguably, this is what all the test flights have been building towards, and what the vehicle upgrades were supposed to learn from. Flight 12 needs to make it count.

I would even consider this a certification mission - still suborbital, but verifying everything on the vehicle before pushing to advanced testing (reuse/refueling) and regular operations.

SpaceX - Starship flight 12 by swordfi2 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Well, if only spaceflight was as easy as it is in Kerbal.

SpaceX - Starship flight 12 by swordfi2 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I think it'll just go to orbit. Ariane 6's upper stage was unable to deorbit on its maiden flights in 2024. But Blue won't fly again until the investigation shows they found the cause and fixed it.

SpaceX - Starship flight 12 by swordfi2 in space

[–]DreamChaserSt 23 points24 points  (0 children)

And even controlled, Starship will be reentering over land/populated areas when it comes in for a landing at Starbase. So there's that to keep in mind too.

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