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1500 questions
22
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1 answer
What was the most inconsequential failure on an STS mission recorded in mission reports?
Posting a comment over on this question got me thinking as to how insignificant (or not) recorded failures on the Space Shuttle could actually get.
For example browsing the STS-001 Postflight Mission Report yields:
Flight test problem report 20…
Speedphoenix
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Why were jet engines not used in place of the solid fuel in the STS SRBs?
Considering that there is plenty of oxygen in the air at the altitudes that the SRBs flew to (<50 KM), why did the STS SRBs use solid propellant. Specifically, why use a system that must carry its own oxidizer as opposed to a jet engine?
My guess is…
dotancohen
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4 answers
Why are only 2 out of the 3 boosters on Falcon Heavy reused?
In this picture it shows that the side boosters of the Falcon heavy will land. However, the middle booster is not going to land. Why is this the case?
The Rocket fan
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Do we actually know what re-entry looks like?
So I was watching this video of a talk given by the creators of the game Kerbal Space Program. The video is more or less about game development, but this part (link should go right to the moment but just in case the timestamp is 25:14) hit me like a…
Mia
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Am I allowed to send a rocket to LEO?
I am not affiliated with any space agency. I do not have the resources to do so, but am I allowed to send a rocket to LEO without talking to any federal agency? Obviously that could be a danger to satelites and to the ISS, so I strongly suspect this…
blahblah
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Why is it assumed that space flights have to be safe?
On the one hand, space travel is a completely novel technology and less than 1000 people have traveled outside the planet. On the other hand, every accident in space involving humans is treated as a big deal (such as the Challenger disaster) and…
JonathanReez
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On-board computer / data handling system of Rosetta - details?
I seek detailed information on the computer and/or data handling system of Rosetta.
Who manufactured it?
What type(s) of CPU is used?
What kind of architecture does it belong to and at what frequency does it operate?
What is the operating…
s-m-e
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What makes aluminum aerospace grade?
So what is aerospace grade aluminum? Aerospace grade and regular aluminum are both aluminum. Do they have a different composition or strength? What makes one aerospace grade and the other one not?
Starship - On Strike
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JWST - Why unfurl before reaching L2?
I was wondering why the JWST did the unfurling of the sunshade, deployment of mirrors, before getting to its stable orbit at L2.
Does the relative motion of the moving parts not affect the orbit/path to L2, and so could it have been done at either…
BruceWayne
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James Webb orbit insertion
Webb will issue a final course correction burn to insert it into the orbit around L2. It arrives from earth so the approach velocity should be higher than the desired orbit velocity and the vector should point away from earth and sun. It needs…
Jpsy
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How far up have satellites used a GNSS for positioning, and how does the precision degrade with altitude?
GNSS satellites (at least GPS ones) are in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). LEO satellites can use GNSS for positioning. Is this still possible for satellites in elliptical, such as Molniya, orbits? For geostationary satellites, all GNSS satellites will…
gerrit
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Why are eclipses of the James Webb by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?
Why are eclipses of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?
In Seasonal variations of the James Webb Space Telescope orbital dynamics it is stated
Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either…
Woody
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Could an electromagnet be used to raise the apogee of a satellite orbiting Earth?
Suppose we have a satellite orbiting Earth in an elliptical orbit, which has an electromagnet inside it. As the satellite goes from its apogee to its perigee (i.e. losing altitude), it turns on the electromagnet. This pulls on Earth's magnetic…
Drake P
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Why does the International Space Station have a downward facing light?
I really enjoy watching the International Space Station fly over head. I subscribe to alerts so I know when it is in my area during the night time. I wouldn't be able to see it if it weren't for the light. Perhaps the light is only so we can see…
Scott
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Space Shuttle Challenger bringing back Salyut-7
We know that on February 11 1985, right after the Soviets lost control of their Salyut-7 station. US Space tracking assets also started noticing that the station was starting to tumble.
Kidnapping a Soviet space station
US space tracking assets had…
Jeroen Smink
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