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1500 questions
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Did any of the Space Shuttle RCS covers ever stay on?
This dashcam video of the STS-133 launch shows some sort of plastic bag looking objects that blow off the nose of the shuttle in the first few seconds after liftoff. This answer says they are the RCS covers designed to protect the thrusters from…
GdD
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What is the MXP-351 storable bipropellant?
Masten Space Systems has a proprietary hypergolic bipropellant called MXP-351 intended for use in the XL-1 lunar lander. We seem to know the following information:
Non-cryogenic, with storage life of "a few years"
Isp of 322 s in vacuum, compared…
lirtosiast
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Does lower gravity on Mars make it unsafe and unhealthy for humans?
I've been thinking about proposals to live on Mars. One idea is to create an artificial magnetic field to protect from solar radiation. Another idea is to warm the planet using solar mirrors. In the meantime, while terraforming the planet, we could…
ktm5124
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Could one skydive from a space capsule that just had a parachute failure during re-entry?
Say you're in a space capsule. The space capsule has mostly survived re-entry, but the capsule's parachutes fell off. If you had a regular skydiving parachute with you, is there any way you could skydive and survive? Would you even be able to open…
Fax
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Mining in microgravity: are there sound studies?
I was wondering whether there are any sound studies on mining in microgravity. For example, smelting iron (out of ore) in weightlessness has been described and (in theory) solved. Also, there are people working on, for example, excavators for the…
s-m-e
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Why is a stick required to operate Soyuz's computer?
In this screenshot from the recent Soyuz TMA-12M launch, a crewmember is seen using a stick to enter commands into the computer:
Is this stick standard, taken on all Soyuz flights? Also, why aren't the input devices moved such that they can be used…
user12
20
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3 answers
Why are we interested in visiting the giant planets' icy moons?
I have noticed lately that future missions by NASA and ESA are targeted towards the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. They mention that they might be a possibility of life; the icy moons they are focusing on are Europa and Titan.
Examples of these…
John
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Is it harder to enter an atmosphere perpendicular or at an angle
I've heard that because Earth's atmosphere is so thick that some spacecraft can 'bounce' off the atmosphere if they don't enter at the correct angle. This leads me to believe that shallower angles have more air resistance than steep angles.
If an…
john doe
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Is a midspace space station between Earth and Mars practical?
A recent answer included the following:
For example if you were to start a colony on mars, in this order for supplies and other necessities to be delivered there would need to be a network of space stations or ports midspace so many smaller…
James Jenkins
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What is the escape-velocity for our galaxy?
What should be the escape velocity for our galaxy and can we calculate it?
For instance, if we assume that we don't know the mass of our galaxy, you may consider it as small 'm'.
Suyog
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Is there such thing as plasma (from reentry) creating lift?
The following was claimed on the aviation site:
In 1981, after years of development and testing, Columbia made its maiden voyage into orbit. Unexpectedly, on re-entry, the nose pitched up much higher than planned. Quick thinking and deployment of…
ymb1
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Does the proximity of engines in engine clusters cause interference?
One way to create a heavy launch vehicle is by clustering large numbers of small engines together in a stage. An example of this approach is the SpaceX Falcon 9:
Now I've heard people arguing against this approach, saying that the engines may…
Hobbes
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Why are JWST optics not enclosed like HST?
The Hubble Space Telescope encloses its primary and secondary mirrors in a tube. The James Webb Space Telescope has no tube around its optics, which obviously leads to significant mass savings. Does JWST not need a tube because
(a) it will be…
gandalf61
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Is it really ~648.69 km/s delta-v to "land" on the surface of the Sun?
According to the following diagram it would require ~648.69 km/s to do all of the intermediate transfers that would land you at or around the sun's surface at perigee. Is this a real number? How would they have calculated this number? Is the sun's…
Magic Octopus Urn
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How was the cosmonaut of the Soviet moon mission supposed to get back in the return vehicle?
In the Soviet Moon mission, for which the ill fated N-1 launcher was built, we know that the cosmonaut responsible for landing on the moon was to transfer from the equivalent of the command module to the lander with an EVA. I can picture how this…
armand
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