[New] Space Launch System / Orion Discussion Thread

[tater]

Moon visible close

 

[tater]

 

[Minmus Taster]

Apparently CuSP just kicked the bucket, that's half of of the Cubesats gone with one hanging on by a thread. 

[tater]

Coverage starts 11 am Eastern, splashdown is at 12:39 Eastern.

 

[Gargamel]

I forget what they said specifically, but LOS should start about 1220 EST 

[tater]

live camera view from spacecraft

[Minmus Taster]

2 minutes ago, tater said:

live camera view from spacecraft

Are we looking at the north or south pole now?

[tater]

1 minute ago, Minmus Taster said:

Are we looking at the north or south pole now?

South

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/trackartemis/

 

[Minmus Taster]

Service module is gone, godspeed orion!

[Gargamel]

Let’s toast this marshmallow!

[Beccab]

Oh damn I thought this was 12 hours from now, perfect!

[Beccab]

Second blackout period begins now, all good for now

[Minmus Taster]

SPLASHDOWN! welcome home Orion!

[Beccab]

 

[SunlitZelkova]

Kinda wacky that the recovery ship, USS Portland, is equipped with a laser weapon system.

It feels somewhat arrogant saying this when I’m only 21, but we are truly living in the future.

Also lol at USS Portland (Oregon) having a Sasquatch team on board.

OH MY GOODNESS.

Don’t know if y’all continued watching after splashdown, but Bill Nelson just called Artemis III “Apollo III” in the post-event interview.

[Barzon]

EM-1 has become EM-Done

Edited December 11, 2022 by Barzon

[sevenperforce]

Boy does that backshell look TOASTY.

[Barzon]

[Codraroll]

I take it the balloons are inflated for celebrating the return? They don't seem to be needed for buoyancy.

(okay, I guess they would be if the craft somehow ended upside down and had to right itself, but as-is, they look a bit goofy).

[Beccab]

5 minutes ago, Codraroll said:

I take it the balloons are inflated for celebrating the return? They don't seem to be needed for buoyancy.

(okay, I guess they would be if the craft somehow ended upside down and had to right itself, but as-is, they look a bit goofy).

It's for the next phase of the mission, they will be filled with helium and Orion will take flight again towards Cape as an airship

[darthgently]

1 hour ago, Codraroll said:

I take it the balloons are inflated for celebrating the return? They don't seem to be needed for buoyancy.

(okay, I guess they would be if the craft somehow ended upside down and had to right itself, but as-is, they look a bit goofy).

I guess they may be for the case of splashing in rougher seas under duress for stabilization and righting

[tater]

2 hours ago, Beccab said:

It's for the next phase of the mission, they will be filled with helium and Orion will take flight again towards Cape as an airship

 

1 hour ago, darthgently said:

I guess they may be for the case of splashing in rougher seas under duress for stabilization and righting

They are to make sure the vehicle doesn't end up in "stable 2" position—bobbing along in a stable way, nose DOWN leaving the crew hanging in their straps.

 

 

 

[darthgently]

19 hours ago, tater said:

 

They are to make sure the vehicle doesn't end up in "stable 2" position—bobbing along in a stable way, nose DOWN leaving the crew hanging in their straps.

 

 

 

I figured "stabilization and righting" covered all that. 

Another obvious point is their bright color to make spotting the capsule if it splashes in an unexpected time and location, maybe at night, as a backup to any locator beacons. 

Also, would prevent total loss of capsule if, say, for some odd reason, occupants opened and flooded the capsule as has been known to happen

Edited December 12, 2022 by darthgently

[tater]

7 hours ago, darthgently said:

I figured "stabilization and righting" covered all that. 

Yeah, sorry, figured the pics were good for both replies.

[Beccab]