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1500 questions
23
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5 answers

Is it possible to get married in space?

Is it possible to have a legal wedding in space? For example, any of the following could answer the question: Does any national law system explicitly define a specific process for validly performing a marriage in outer space? Does any national law…
Robert Columbia
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23
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2 answers

Suppose Zuma wasn't "lost" — what would it take to detect it?

Being a secret government launch, there has been speculation maybe the Zuma satellite wasn't lost, and claims to the contrary are a ruse to throw off parties who'd like to track it. There is possible precedent for this, the Misty satellites, one of…
kim holder
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23
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3 answers

Why does Titan have an atmosphere?

Why does Titan have an atmosphere given its relatively small mass (comparable to our moon)? Why is it not lost to space or is Titan's atmosphere constantly being replenished?
johnM
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23
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4 answers

Karman line analog on other celestial bodies

Is there a common definition of where the space begins on other planets (and other celestial bodies)? An equivalent of the Karman line. How far one should go from the martian surface to get to the outer space? Am I already in space jumping 2 meters…
user54
23
votes
2 answers

Could I build my own spaceship?

We all know that for most people access to space is currently pretty limited because space flight services are expensive, as they are in short supply. Suppose I wanted to bypass an expensive service and get into space as quickly as possible. Could I…
called2voyage
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23
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6 answers

How far do you have to be from Earth to be "in space"?

According to a recent news article a group of USC students are attempting to launch a rocket "in to space" with a planned height of 62 miles. Making them "the first group of students to successfully launch a rocket into space," The ISS being at…
James Jenkins
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Does SpaceX have any significant additional legal hurdles for flying private citizens around the moon?

SpaceX recently announced they are planning to fly two private citizens around the moon. I'm sure a normal space flight has all sorts of legal complications, but does the addition of 2 private citizens and an orbit around the moon add any…
23
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2 answers

Are all rockets sent to ISS blessed by a priest?

When the last batch of astronauts were sent to ISS, I read that the crew and rocket were blessed by a priest. Was this a one-time thing, or is it standard?
user10664
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4 answers

How was it possible for the Apollo 11 to film and take pictures with such radiation?

There's plenty of people who said it would have been impossible for the astronauts in the Apollo 11 to film or take pictures in the moon due to the high radiation there's in the moon because of the lack of an earth atmosphere. They compare it with…
Alvaro
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What landings beyond Mars and the Moon are scheduled?

Recent years have brought us some interesting landings: Titan, the comet, the Chinese landed on the Moon, we got a lab the size of a SUV on Mars. Currently, Mars is in the focus of the West, while India and China are targeting the Moon. Are there…
SF.
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4 answers

What is the oldest artificial satellite still in use?

Wikipedia states that Vanguard I is the oldest artificial satellite still in orbit. What is the oldest that's still in use?
Don Branson
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What are the small gas jets at the rims of the Space Shuttle Main Engines?

As can be seen in close-up footage of SSME ignition, such as the video below, there are small jets of an unknown gas/vapor emanating from specific points around the rim of each engine bell. I've been unable to dig up a schematic detailed enough…
dgw
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6 answers

How can a rocket's self-destruct make for a safer situation than being out-of-control?

On the Sci-Fi Stack Exchange there was a question about implementing self-destruct on spaceships and comparing that to scuttling on naval vessels. One person in a comment said, "They do implement a self-destruct on real spacecraft. If a launch is…
Octopus
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Can you really use Arduino for a small spacecraft?

A group of Russian geeks intends to shoot a small vehicle to the moon, which is supposed to photograph the places of the Apollo landings. This will be the ultimate proof that people actually visited the moon. In one of the articles about the topic…
user3049
23
votes
4 answers

Why did the Apollo Lunar Module have four landing legs?

Why did the Apollo Lunar Module have four landing legs? Is not just three legs enough? Also, three legs guaranties they always form a plane, four does not, as the fourth leg may dangle. To have the centre of mass over the landing leg polygon, even…