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1500 questions
49
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1 answer
Would all crew leave the ISS if one had a medical emergency?
If someone on the ISS had a medical emergency that required them to immediately return to earth (such as a severe stroke - something where they could not give them ideal care on the ISS and required urgent care), and it was not during a normal crew…
Joe
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49
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6 answers
Can/should you swim in zero G?
Inspired by Are there types of animals that can't make the trip to space? (physiologically) and related to but not a duplicate of Can you swim in space?
Swimming on the Moon / in low gravity looks like fun.
But can you swim in zero G / microgravity?…
Baldrickk
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49
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2 answers
What caused this bright light from the ground at night seen from the ISS?
The music video on the NASA Johnson YouTube channel The Sound (& Visions) of Silence shows images and video of Earth taken from the ISS by astronauts Sergey Ryazanskiy, Paolo Nespoli, and Commander Randy Bresnik.
Between 01:02 and 01:10 there is…
uhoh
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49
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11 answers
Could it be possible to launch a rocket from a balloon?
There are several (commercial) organisations looking into alternative means to launch space-bound rockets. One commonly proposed method is to use a large airplane as the launch platform. This method should, theoretically, reduce the cost of sending…
Nallath
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49
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14 answers
Why are there no spacecraft rotating for artificial gravity?
Spacecraft rotating to generate artificial gravity through "centrifugal force" are commonplace in science fiction but not in reality. Considering the problems in long missions (among others: bone loss, muscle loss, fluid redistribution, permanent…
Gnubie
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48
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1 answer
How often does ISS require re-boosting to higher orbit?
I know that ISS, being in low Earth orbit, requires regular boosts. But I can't seem to find information on how often does this happen. Is it done during each resupply mission, only during some of them, or are there missions which sole purpose is to…
Viniter
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48
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1 answer
Why were the Space Shuttle Orbiter's landing gear not level?
Looking at an image of the orbiter on the ground, it's obvious the nose landing gear is positioned higher than the other landing gear in the wings, making the nose of the orbiter droop down. As far as I know, the orbiter was the only aerial vehicle…
DrKlutz
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48
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1 answer
Why is there a Saturn V in the background of this Gemini-Titan launch?
In this photo, a Gemini-Titan is lifting off in the foreground, while a Saturn V is visible in the background.
The last Gemini flight was in late 1966, but the first flight of a Saturn V wasn't until November of 1967. Why was a Saturn V assembled…
Russell Borogove
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3 answers
Why don't we shield existing CPUs from radiation instead of designing new ones?
I've just read this article about space-graded CPUs [1].
I am not a space expert at all but a question was born naturally:
why don't we prefer to shield earth-designed CPUs (far less expensive) than design brand-new radiation-proof CPUs?
PS: I have…
mattia.b89
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48
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3 answers
Did a flight controller ever answer Flight with a no-go?
OK, all flight controllers, I'm going around the horn
Retro? Go
FIDO? Go
Guidance? Go
Control? Go
TELCOM? Go
GNC? Go
EECOM? Go
Surgeon? Go
Are there any recorded instances of a No-Go?
John Topley
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1 answer
Are there any satellites in geosynchronous but not geostationary orbits?
I know there are a lot of geostationary satellites out there, but I'm wondering - are there any geosynchronous satellites that are not geostationary (ie - have a notable inclination to their orbit)?
ThePiachu
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48
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3 answers
Why is an airbag landing on the moon not viable?
In this related question, it was explained that the differences in design between a Mars rover and moon rover were too substantial to substitute one for another. One of the points made was that the airbag landing system is not viable for moon…
R. Barrett
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1 answer
Is Starman wearing a seatbelt?
While staring at the live feed of a crash dummy in a convertible in outer space, I was wondering: Is this crash dummy following safety conventions and wearing a seat belt? I somehow doubt that it would help in case of impact with an astroid,…
Mithical
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47
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2 answers
Why does the International Space Station produce so much methane?
According to NASA, roughly "1,000 pounds of methane are produced on International Space Station and dumped overboard as waste gas every year"[1].
It seems like an awful waste to just get rid of it. The Morpheus Project page talks about possibly…
JohnB
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1 answer
What safety protocols did this Pythom Space rocket crew ignore?
The video below of Pythom Space's first rocket test has raised a few eyebrows
The video prompted hundreds of replies on Twitter, including some from rather horrified rocket scientists. "We knew better as untrained college students," said Jordan…
Machavity
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