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2 answers
What was the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft escape tunnel?
The Wikipedia article for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft mentions an escape tunnel:
The avionics and engines were also upgraded, and an escape tunnel system similar to that used on Boeing's first 747 test flights was added. The flight crew escape…
DrSheldon
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Does the Long March-11 increase its thrust after clearing the launch tower?
The NASA Spaceflight article China conducts first Sea Launch mission with Long March 11 launch of seven satellites links to the YouTube video China’s first sea launch: Long March-11 launches from a ship at sea.
The article says:
The Long March-11…
uhoh
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What is the function of the corrugations on a section of the Space Shuttle's external tank?
There is a section of the Space Shuttle's external tank that appears to have large corrugations. I spotted them and saw how deep they are in a photo in this answer, a cropped section of which is shown below.
I could speculate about thermal or…
uhoh
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What were the "pills" that were added to solid waste in Apollo 7?
In the BBC News Worldservice podcast 10, 9, 8, 7: The dramatic missions that made the Moon landing possible told by retired astronaut Nicole Stott (Expeditions 20, 21, STS-128 and STS-133) after 12:50, Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham talks…
uhoh
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What exactly turned on the light indicating Apollo 8 was starting to fall towards the Moon?
@PearsonArtPhoto's answer links to the page Apollo 8, 21 – 28 December 1968 by Hamish Lindsay at honeysucklecreek.net from where I have quoted below.
Question: What exactly turned on the light indicating Apollo 8 was starting to fall towards the…
uhoh
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3 answers
Qualitative differences between gravity and a spinning habitat
I'm aware that living in a spinning habitat has a couple of noticeable differences from being on terra firma. For instance, running in the direction of the spin ought to make you feel heavier, while running opposite to the spin ought to make you…
Ingolifs
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Why was the engine of the launch vehicle recently tested in Iran "not a very good missile engine"?
The NPR News item What's Iran Up To With Recent Rocket Launch Attempt? by NPR's Geoff Brumfiel, about a recent launch test in Iran includes the following:
Earlier this week, Iran attempted to launch a rocket carrying a satellite into space. The…
uhoh
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Can I drink the water from the plumes of SSME?
Shuttle's SSME uses cryogenic Hydrogen(LHX) and Oxygen(LOX) as their propellent to give hot water vapour. If I somehow manage to get the exhaust plume and condense it to liquid, Can I drink it directly(or is that toxic) ?
Hash
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Is Mars more at risk than Earth for asteroid collisions?
When looking at topographical pictures of Mars it seems like there are craters far more frequently than here on Earth. This statement, of course, is just pure speculation on my part. However, it makes me want to ask, is Mars more at risk for meteor…
Magic Octopus Urn
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Is Quantum Entanglement technology possible for interplanetary communication in future to achieve low real-time latency?
There is a small debate over the comment session in NASA Lands InSight on Mars video uploaded by JPL. The 1 minute and a half video is about the essential part of InSight's EDL event cropped out from the full live broadcast back on Nov 26.
The…
not_Prince
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How does skipping off the atmosphere work?
I searched the web and found a couple entries on Wikipedia (Skip reentry & Atmospheric entry) that kind brush at the topic. The article on Stone skipping has some science and physics involved (speed, etc) but I don't find any about skipping off the…
James Jenkins
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Is wind-power a viable backup power source for Mars One?
A question related to What power source options provide reliable and sustainable power generation for a Martian Colony, particularly the answer that solar and nuclear based energy sources being the most likely for any Martian colony. This is also…
user838
22
votes
1 answer
Are there free insects in the ISS?
Are there free insects, living and breeding in the ISS, not part of an experiment?
I am not asking about an occasional escaped single fruit fly, Nor am I asking about insects contained in a enclosure for a current experiment.
I am asking about…
James Jenkins
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Can we expect to find pure iron or only nickel-iron alloys in asteroids?
Relatively pure iron has more uses and potential value than nickel-iron alloys. Separating those nickel-iron alloys commonly found in meteorites and expected to be common in asteroids (Kamecite, Taenite) into their elemental components appears to be…
Ken Fabian
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How were the Space Shuttle SRBs ignited? (with what?)
I'm unable to find how exactly the Space Shuttle's SRBs were ignited, or what exactly was used to ignite the rocket.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to instantly ignite a solid rocket reliably, and seeing as the Space Shuttle would fail…
Nile River
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