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21
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Why did a flight controller say "Avionics power nominal" as Antares exploded?
The Antares rocket carrying Cygnus just exploded. A video is available here, explosion at around 4:19.
In the video, right as the rocket begins to slide down and explode, a flight controller says "Avionics power nominal". This is the scene when he…
user12
21
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1 answer
Would replacing a damaged tank have prevented the Apollo 13 incident?
In Oct. 1968, at North American works, one Oxygen tank was dropped from a height of 2 inches, (perhaps on the fill valve side) and this dropping damaged the fill valve. Because of this, this particular tank could not be emptied completely after the…
Niranjan
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Why is dust such a problem in microgravity? Wouldn't proper air circulation and filtration take care of it?
Dust and small particles in microgravity environments are generally regarded as bad, and items prone to generating these tend to be discouraged:
Bread should be prepared quite differently, so that it does not crumble and lasts a long time. The…
Vikki
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21
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Could a single crew member fly the Apollo LM?
We know that the Apollo astronauts were subject to rigorous medical testing prior to launch, and we know that this caused at least one Apollo crew member to be replaced very late in the process.
However, what if something still happened during the…
user
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If the Space Shuttle missed its landing approach, what could have been done?
As I understand it, the Space Shuttle was essentially a glider when it was coming back to land, and the engines were not there to facilitate powered flight.
So what was the procedure, had the Space Shuttle had to do an aborted landing?
Burhan Khalid
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How did they solve Saturn V pogo oscillation problems?
From what I understand, pogo oscillation was already a known problem for Saturn V rocket's first stage (and likely other stages, not sure) long before, say, Apollo 11, especially on its central out of 5 main F-1 engines due to, I guess, not sturdy…
TildalWave
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Why does the sky of Mars appear blue in this video of pictures sent back by the Chinese rover?
Is there any explanation for the blue sky of Mars shown in this video of photos transmitted by the Chinese rover?
Zhurong Rover is driving on Mars sending back new images (Chinese Tianwen-1 mission) - May 22, 2021
azot
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Can Voyager still use its thrusters to avoid hazards?
Voyager 2 started its journey some 37 years back so all of the gases must have been exhausted, but it's still moving at a speed of 15km/s. I can say that this might be due to no opposing force to slow down the speed. But if some space debris gets in…
SpringLearner
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What is the ninth planet on this image from the Voyager Golden Record?
Looking through the content of the Voyager Golden Record, I came across these two images:
schematic of the solar system, part 1
schematic of the solar system, part 2
The first nine circles obviously represent the sun and the eight planets of the…
otterstorm
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Has sound ever been used to diagnose a problem not shown by other measurements?
In a video released by NASA here, showing Perseverance recording one of Ingenuity's flights, they have the quotes:
Sound adds a new dimension to space exploration.
and
As a mechanic listens to a car, engineers can now hear how their machinery is…
Freddie R
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How was the "female" SK-2 different from the "male" SK-1 spacesuit?
The SK-1 was the spacesuit worn on the Vostok 1-5 flights.
The same article describes the SK-2 suit as "[a]lmost exactly the same as the SK-1 but designed for a woman". It was worn by Valentina Tereshkova -- the first woman in space -- on Vostok…
DrSheldon
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Why is the mid-deck on the Space Shuttle named as it is?
The (retired) NASA Space Shuttles has two decks. The flight deck, and the mid-deck.
Why is the mid-deck called "mid-deck"? It is not the middle of three decks. Shouldn't it, strictly speaking, be called the "lower deck" (following naval traditions…
TheHvidsten
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How do we know what the atmospheric pressure on Mars is?
The martian atmosphere is 6 mbar. How do we know this? Which probe(s) had a barometer on board to measure this?
usernumber
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Do exploration spacecraft enter Mars atmosphere against Mars rotation, or on the same direction?
I can't find information on which side of mars do probes usually enter.
I suppose that probes do not enter perpendicular to the surface. They are usually represented as entering somewhat tangentially to the surface, and in the same direction as Mars…
Raxi Ral
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9 answers
Is it possible to throw a baseball so hard it circles the earth above your head?
Assuming the earth had no atmosphere, and you could throw a baseball as fast as you wanted to, and you were standing on the surface of the earth, is it possible to throw the baseball so fast that it circles the earth and flies over your head above…
Magmatic
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