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How Did One Stand in The LEM Before Descent?
This is really simple, but i've never seen it discussed. One piloted the Apollo LEM standing up, without many restraints. But before the LEM ignited the descent engine, it was practically in free fall. So how did one keep one's feet in contact with…
Selene Routley
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Are pictures of Earth' space junk realistic?
Every time I look at a picture that shows the amount of space junk I'm baffled. I can't for the life of me think how anything else being launch into orbit actually makes it without hitting anything else. As an example this picture…
Rodo
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Can we use interstellar hydrogen as a fuel for interstellar travel?
From my understanding, space is not entirely empty. Infact, between the voids of space are molecules or maybe individual atoms of hydrogen just floating around. I understand that gathering massive quantities of this from space would be a difficult…
Jonathan Welsher
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What electronic game was first to be played in space?
Analogously to What card or board game was first played in space? I'd like to ask what electronic game was first to be played in space.
It could be a handheld dedicated game or something running on a computer that was there for another reason, as…
uhoh
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Air in International Space Station
How do astronauts/cosmonauts manage the atmosphere at the International Space Station as their missions are years long, versus shorter flights?
Do they recycle? Import via cargo vessels? Electrolyze water? Chemical processes?
Orbifold
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What are the "Big 13" critical contingency spacewalks on the ISS? Have any actually been performed?
There is a list of Critical Contingency items on the US side of the International Space Station called the "Big 13". The failure of any of these items would force an unscheduled spacewalk aka Extravehicular Activity (EVA).
What are the Big 13…
Organic Marble
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Extending Use of ISS Beyond End of Mission
Given that the ISS will eventually come to the end of its mission (currently extended to 2020 (source)), would it be possible to re-purpose it for non-human space flight?
To clarify: does the equipment in orbit already provide enough utility to…
superdesk
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Was the space shuttle design negatively influenced by science fiction?
The space shuttle looked like space ships in Star Trek and a lot of other science fiction movies/TV. Did people's expectation of what a space vehicle should look like, based on futuristic movies/tv shows, negatively influence the design of the…
Lightsout
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What is the "pendulum rocket fallacy" as it relates to analogizing a pencil balanced on a finger to maintaining attitude of a hovering rocket?
I've received comments that explain to me that the analogy between rocket attitude control during a hovering maneuver and the act of balancing pencil on the end of a finger is a helpful and good one; solve one problem and you've solved the other,…
uhoh
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Why isn't SpaceX's Starship "trial and error" development strategy an open source project?
Some large community of space enthusiasts is working hard on simulating or extrapolating data on the SpaceX Starship. But this data isn't publicly available.
So why don't they release it as an open source project? Or at least support those who want…
user721108
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How often does the ISS orbit align with the day/night terminator?
In the following image (coming from SAT-Flare) you can see the orbit of the ISS (in red) and the day/night terminator (in blue). The terminator separates night from day along the surface of the Earth. How often will the ISS orbit align with the…
Stu
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What is the name of the area on Earth which can be observed from a satellite?
The following image shows Earth and the trajectory of the ISS.
A green line indicates which part of the earth can be observed from the ISS simultaneously.
What is the name of this line or this area?
rul30
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What are the most-delayed missions that eventually launched successfully?
I author this question off of two failed cross-country trips to see NROL-44 and three lost bets on whether it'll launch. As ULA scrubs this Delta IV Heavy yet once again, I wonder, has there ever been any other rocket so delayed?
I understand that…
Anton Hengst
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Escaping moons conflict with what I understand of gravity
I have known that the Earth's Moon, let's call it Luna (tip of the hat to The Expanse), has been slowly but surely increasing it's distance from the Earth by a small measure each year.
This week I was surprised to learn that NASA has determined that…
BigNutz
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Why was the Polyus mounted backward?
This blog post (and other resources) states the Polyus was mounted engines facing the front and this stage must turn 180° before firing its engine.
I easily imagine that staging outside the atmosphere does not need the upper stage to be mounted…
Manu H
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