Space Exploration Stack Exchange
Space Exploration Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [spacecraft]

Questions regarding the craft that house humans or equipment during space exploration.

576 questions
24
votes
3 answers

Do spacecraft have similar structural integrity requirements as submarines?

When a spacecraft performs a splashdown maneuver, a recovery team is standing by to retrieve the capsule and its human contents quickly. A flotation collar is deployed to increase buoyancy and prevent the spacecraft from sinking. If, however, the…
coleopterist
  • 6,043
  • 5
  • 37
  • 65
18
votes
2 answers

Which parts of a spacecraft are joined by adhesives?

Where in a spacecraft are adhesives most commonly or routinely used? Are there specific spacecraft components or assemblies that are regularly built by using adhesives rather than other methods of attaching one component to the other?
Gopal Naidu
  • 189
  • 3
15
votes
3 answers

Do we send the battle tested prototype or the freshly made copy out there?

Specifically in the case of complex mechanical space vehicles (e.g. rovers, landers), do we just refuel and send the battle tested and carefully fine tuned prototype on the mission, or do we take the risk of trying to make a near perfect replica and…
sergiogiogio
  • 153
  • 4
14
votes
2 answers

What is the farthest a spacecraft has traveled away from earth?

I know there are some awesomely far spacecraft that have been travelling for decades away from earth, but which is the farthest? And has it discovered something amazing?
Jamd
  • 243
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
8
votes
2 answers

Spacecraft onboard sounds

Can anyone link me to some resources on the background noises heard inside gemini and apollo capsules? Even the LEM is of interest. I'd like to know what the thruster firings sounded like, and if there were any hissing, humming, banging, thermal…
Innovine
  • 4,625
  • 18
  • 34
7
votes
2 answers

Sending a camera to space?

I’m trying to get some interesting footage of the earth from space. I’m considering a weather balloon (preferably available online) with helium. I’d rather it be actually on the border of space, 100km up, rather than near space, and as cheap as…
Blue Herring
  • 181
  • 6
6
votes
6 answers

Is a spherical rocket design a plausible replacement for current designs today?

In Germany, there is a very well known sci-fi novel series in which some of the spaceships are spheres with a toroidal bulge around the equator in which the (downward pointing) engines are situated. Assuming the spacecraft are used for flights…
Jürgen Böhm
  • 161
  • 1
  • 3
5
votes
2 answers

Why don't we build an interstellar specific mission spacecraft?

Voyager 1 and 2 go at ~60k km/h, It took them approx. 40 years to leave the heliosphere and get into the interstellar space. The Parker Solar Probe is intend to reach 600k km/h. With this velocity, reaching the heliopause (123AU - 18 billion kms)…
TTomer
  • 177
  • 4
4
votes
2 answers

How do spacecraft guide themself in space

I have read that sometimes spacecraft needs to correct its orbit but my question is how do they know thier orientation and position in the empty space?
Stars Tracker
  • 814
  • 1
  • 5
  • 16
3
votes
1 answer

Could fueled boosters be launched separately from the primary payload?

Is there any existing technology for attaching fueled boosters to a spacecraft? (not for a space station) Space assets (e.g. module, spacecraft or satellite orbiter) could be boosted to place in earth orbit first, then additional fueled boosters…
Jagdeep Singh
  • 51
  • 5
3
votes
1 answer

Water ice for spacecraft's external shell material

What are the fundamental drawbacks to using water ice as an external shell for manned spacecraft?
Jerry McDonald
  • 39
  • 4
2
votes
1 answer

Spacecraft Disaster

I have a memory of an overhead picture of short spacecraft surrounded by rockets that was involved in a disaster on the ground. It looks nothing like the Apollo One. I have searched US and Russian designs but I can not find the ship that is stuck…
Kerry Cook
  • 21
  • 1
1
vote
2 answers

Given the current state of technology, what would make bullet-sized interplanetary spacecraft technically impossible?

[Image: original source https://www.quora.com/How-many-types-of-bullets-do-we-have] For example, if a spacecraft does not need a control module, propulsion or means of communication. All it is tasked to do is to take several pictures and transmit…
TheMatrix Equation-balance
  • 762
  • 2
  • 15
1
vote
0 answers

Space transport systems

For a space school space project, I was assigned of tinkering around space transport systems, which can also include mass drivers, space guns, space rail guns, space tugs with spacecraft systems. The system needs to be reliable and must be designed…
8A 26 KSHITIJ .S .DEEPAK
  • 153
  • 5
1
vote
0 answers

application of optimal control for spacecraft control on elliptical orbits

I want to start writting paper for spacecraft control on elliptical orbits, start with introduction of what is orbits and different object out of earth and on orbits(currently and till now) so I want to start main part to know how many method do we…
migo
  • 11
  • 1
1
2