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1500 questions
22
votes
2 answers
When you shoot for the moon and miss, where do you end up?
The first American moon launches were in the ranger program. Ranger 3 and 5 both missed the moon in their 1962 attempts. Where are they now?
James Jenkins
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22
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Do you need 0 km/s velocity to crash into the sun?
I was reading a popular thread about the delta-v required to escape the solar system compared to the delta-v required to crash into the sun. I get it: the earth itself already has a high speed (29.7km/s) so you just need to keep pushing forward to…
ker2x
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1 answer
Why did NASA collect so much data about electrical phenomena at the Apollo 13 launch site?
Apollo 13 was launched at Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970. The mission report devotes a considerable amount -- over 7 pages -- to a set of electrical measurements at the launch site:
The separate experiments consisted of measurements of the…
DrSheldon
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22
votes
3 answers
How dangerous are RCS thrusters?
How dangerous are RCS thrusters, in a vacuum, to A. other spacecraft, especially when docking, and B. astronauts in EVA suits? How far away do you have to be to be safe / do RCS thrusters need to be rigorously shut down and safed before an EVA is…
ikrase
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22
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2 answers
What is a launch vehicle resting on prior to launch?
While a launch vehicle is being fueled on the launch pad, what is holding it up? Surely not all that weight is being held up by the engine nozzles. What parts of the launch vehicle are supporting its entire weight prior to ignition? Is there a term…
Stu
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22
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2 answers
Is it possible to grow plants on Mars?
If we provide adequate water supply will it be possible to grow plants/seeds/moss/algae (from Earth) on Mars? How different are Mars soil from Earth's soil?
jorel
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2 answers
Can a rocket be launched while it rains?
All videos of rocket launches I ever saw were performed in clear weather conditions. I also read many reports about launches which were delayed because of bad weather conditions.
What are the complications which would occur during a rocket launch…
Philipp
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22
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4 answers
Do you need to burn fuel between gravity assists?
If you are planning a mission to an outer planet with multiple gravity assists included, do you need to do some burns for corrections, between the slingshots, or the ideal trajectory is already inserted and you have to only burn some fuel at the…
Teo Stanciu
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22
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1 answer
Function of the separated, individual solar cells on Telstar 1 and 2? Why were they "special"?
The image below shows a part of a backup satellite for Telstar 1 and 2. In addition to the many small and highly segmented solar panels, there are what look like individual elements of the same kind of solar cells placed on special mounts. The first…
uhoh
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4 answers
Why does the U.S. military maintain their own weather satellites?
Why does the U.S. military maintain their own weather satellites like the DMSP Block 5D2?
What's the difference to "normal" weather satellites? Do they use other sensors or orbits?
If they have their own satellites, do they also have their own…
mike
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22
votes
2 answers
Is it possible to refuel the James Webb Space Telescope?
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be an incredible addition to the scientific community once it is launched and operational but the relative short planned mission time will make this a time critical operation.
The planned minimal mission…
GittingGud
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22
votes
2 answers
What is the current location of Link-built Apollo Mission Simulators?
I was confused about the final disposition of, and even the number of, Apollo Mission Simulators built by Link Flight Simulation Division. This question is not about any simulator built by any other organization.
As a former Link employee after…
Organic Marble
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Why didn't NASA launch communications relay satellites for the Apollo missions?
The Apollo missions were in communications blackout when the spacecraft's orbit took it to the far side of the Moon. During the missions, the craft had to perform maneuvers such as the lunar orbit insertion burn on the far side. Without ground…
Exasperation
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22
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1 answer
What happened to the Apollo 1 rocket?
On January 27, 1967, a tragic fire killed the crew of Apollo 1 and destroyed the Command Module. I've read detailed reports about the engineering team that disassembled the Command Module. I haven't been able to find information about what happened…
Andrew Breza
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Was "I have the farts, again" broadcast from the Moon to the whole world?
The BBC News article Apollo in 50 numbers: Medicine and health says:
When Apollo 16 commander John Young walked on the Moon, he shared his feelings on the new diet with his companion Charlie Duke. The comments were inadvertently relayed to mission…
uhoh
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