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1500 questions
21
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3 answers
Why are rocket launches so sensitive to weather?
I've been following the upcoming launch of the Antares rocket to resupply the ISS (scheduled for today, July 13, 2014). This launch was originally scheduled for May, and has been rescheduled multiple times before this, due to poor weather.
However,…
Bill
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The JWST - What happens if/when it breaks?
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project could be fantastic, It has the promise of seeing farther than Hubble, almost to the beginning of our space/time.
But, orbiting at L2 - while closer by far than other LaGrange points - is still 1.5m KM…
ICL1901
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Why is the SpaceX crew-1 mission more important than the previous one (demo-1)?
The previous one was also crewed (two crew) but it was called "demo" for some reason - despite taking astronauts to the ISS. How is the recent one different?
john1616
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Could a rocket engine be designed to use different fuels? (Like LOX+H2, LOX+CH4)
I'm obviously not a rocket scientist, so this might rank among the stoopidest questions around here. I wonder if it is feasible to design a rocket engine which could be reused in space by refilling it with different kinds of rocket fuels.
In some…
LocalFluff
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21
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5 answers
Which astronauts or cosmonauts were injured by a hard landing?
Sigmund Jähn, the first German in orbit, was injured during a hard landing of the Soyuz 29 capsule on September 3rd, 1978. He got permanent damages of his vertebral column.
Are there other astronauts who were injured by a hard landing or a hard…
Uwe
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21
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9 answers
Where to look for next rocket launches?
Is there any place on the internet showing the upcoming rocket launches?
Like the launches next week or next month
Joe Jobs
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21
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7 answers
Why don't we build standardized space probes?
Why is each space probe is so different? This increase costs. Wouldn't it be beneficial to design one probe that can be sent in many different directions? Or maybe a set of probes, or maybe design a framework what a probe is, like a PC computer…
Robert Gawron
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How 'space ready' was space shuttle prototype Enterprise?
I have long believed that Enterprise was just an empty craft, with only the instruments to operate in shorts flights in the atmosphere.
Basically a large glider with odd wings.
However, I have been seeing Enterprise referred to as not space-rated or…
Speedphoenix
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Do scientist who study martian geology typically use the term areology?
In the book Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, I came across the word "areology". Is this word often used in scientific publications, or is it a term limited to the scope of science-fiction, with scientists preferring to use the phrase "martian…
usernumber
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Challenger hypothetical - what if the SRB breach faced outboard?
Slightly different Challenger question - what could have happened if the SRB breach had faced outboard, away from any attachment fittings or the ET? Would the SRB have failed completely prior to separation (leading to a similar outcome)? Would it…
John Bode
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Why did Apollo 11 land at the sea of tranquility?
As we all know in 1969 Apollo 11 landing made history but, why did it land specifically at the sea of tranquility also known as Mare Tranquilitatis. Probably they would have chosen this because of flatness and smoothness of surface but are there any…
learner
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Were any Apollo-13-specific procedures added to standard training?
The Apollo 13 accident required a number of unusual procedures to be followed, some of which had to be improvised or learned on the spot.
For example:
Jim Lovell found that it was difficult to maneuver the CSM/LM stack into a stable PTC roll…
Russell Borogove
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Who developed the mathematics used to correct the trajectory of Apollo 13?
The 1967 NASA technical note D-4246, Midcourse Guidance Procedure with Single Position Fix Obtained From Onboard Optical Measurements describes correcting the trajectory of a spacecraft traveling between the moon and Earth, using an on-board…
DrSheldon
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6 answers
Is there a realistic looking ISS scale model available somewhere?
I'm looking for a serious, realistic looking scale model of the International Space Station to build at home. Even better, if it would include some electronics.
I'm open to free or commercial products.
ack__
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Could 3D printing be used to achieve perfect grain geometry of solid and hybrid rocket motors?
Solid cores, either for solid-fueled of hybrid rocket motors, use various propellant grain geometries to achieve thrust curve needed. For example, some of these could look like:
Common solid propellant core cross-sections of…
TildalWave
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