DaveL59

I see what you mean, a lot of dust but that sure looked like impact, maybe they'd short fuelled the escape engines and it used it all up getting away? Didn't program in a lift n coast cycle... Would've been fun to see a G force display of that the capsule was pulling as it escaped, more than a jolt I'd say.

missed that, but I guess at least the escape system kinda works... just needs some work on the landing 😉 oh, wait... just reading that and it soft-landed, well done in that case 🙂

I guess back in the 70's there were still moon missions and voyager to stir some interest, and of course the web wasn't as available or filled with images that are so readily available now. For many its maybe a case of not born while space exploration was still a big thing and the meh! factor of what you can actually see vs dazzling images they can pull up on the PC/table/phone, so why stand out on the odd clear freezing night when you can sit and google...

My dad gave me some of this spray on sealer for leaks some time ago, suckered in I think by a TV or home shopping catalogue. When I moved in here there was a valve on the heating that was dripping so he handed me this can with "this'll sort it". Didn't work at all, just as I'd expected even with several tries using up half the can. Stuff like that you really do have to swap the failing part out or replace the seals if its a serviceable item which this wasn't. Self amalgamating tape tho, now that might help if you can get a long enough roll to wind a decent number of turns around the tank. Will disrupt the airflow in flight a bit tho I expect but if they can up the boost by 5% that oughta cover it 😉

Last status reported 09-Sept is they've replaced the seals and umbilicals and reassembling the umbilical plates at the pad, inspection over the weekend and a tanking exercise perhaps from 17-Sept to test the repairs. Once they've analysed the data they'll look at next launch attempt windows. In other news, Capstone spacecraft has gone into safe mode and they're working to resolve CAPSTONE – Artemis (nasa.gov)

I still enjoy the views my TAL-1 gives and that's what a 114mm mirror? As good as the SW130M I also have but unlike the SW130 the Tal does it without the wobbles 😉

that's how I read it too. They may be able to get an extension but how long it can stay on the pad becomes an issue in terms of safety. Also the inadvertent over-pressure may have caused other issues which would need a roll back to check over. Either way is looking more like October now I guess.

Any chance a rodent has decided to visit that ducting/guttering your cable is run in? They are notorious for gnawing at insulation and causing shorts/failures. Any moisture build up in the duct would then cause issues and mice to pee a lot which would make a good conduction medium as well as unpleasant to clean out.

its possible that some of the low-qual brands have started quoting square mm and combining the figure for both sides to make the numbers look great to those that don't understand how to tell the difference between good and not so good.

that'd complicate things if they change tech surely as they'd have to re-certify the launch vehicle all over again.

thankfully no mention of a solar one but no warning sticker to say NOT to look at the sun with it 😮 Mind that was probably before the H&S and sue for anything ideology really took hold.

ahh but it does have a lifetime warranty 😉

yep that was noted too, also the batteries in the payloads may need topping up, or may not they didn't know during the conference.

Not really, considering that was one of their suggestions after fail-2. At the last conference I listened to they were saying that if they could replace the soft goods at the pad then they can do a proper cryo test run to verify it worked. They can't do that back in the garage so the only way they'd know is next time its back on the pad. Of course now time is ticking away before they have to roll it back so they may not get a chance to. Had they done this after fail-1 they'd have had days to get it done and know if they fixed it and may even have had a chance for a launch today. But instead they took the chance that they'd solved an issue they'd not investigated fully and it bit them in the ass... just sayin 😉

be interesting to hear what the issue is with the quick-connect tho. I know from high pressure hydraulics that a slight nick in the seal or a scratch on one of the mating surfaces can easily result in a leak. Might start as a small seep and nip the union up and it seems OK, till there's been enough cycles and then the seep starts again and progressively gets worse. What they're dealing with is a lot of pressure and super-cold temps which makes me think did they have something similar, got away with it first run but next run it wasn't going to play. Surprised they didn't pop the connector and check/swap that seal while they had time tbh rather than cross fingers for run 2. Just seems poor engineering practise is all. Having been working (started the new job today) I've not had a chance to look, have there been any further updates at all?

the LOX & LH2? That's in progress or done apparently and then they flush with helium to make the empty tanks safe 🙂 Almost sounds like a roll back is the most likely as they're almost out of permitted time tho they are possibly going to try negotiate an extension so it can stay out on the pad. Perhaps they should just fit a huge spinnaker to it and pray for a hurricane... 😄 Oh, apparently the public is super excited about return to the moon and a maybe jump to mars and the cost of 2 scrubs is a lot less than loss of the rocket. Second point sure, first, hmmm some are, others don't seem to know its even happening.

sounds like the LH2 quick disconnect that had the big leak this time under fast fill is the same that had the more minor leak last time. Sounds to me like first time the seal may have got displaced or damaged slightly and on the second try it had a bigger failure. Oh dear. So they talking about replacing the "soft goods" either at the pad so they can do a cryo test or they roll back and do it away from the pad, but then can't do a test at full cryo temps until its back on the pad again. So early next week before we really get a decision on what they're doing. Sounds like we're back to being "Should Launch Someday" as they're running rapidly out of launch window.

well if anyone's interested in a snooze-fest the latest launch briefing should be on in about 25 mins Watch NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission launch live online for free | Space

reading the report on the bbc I noted this also Nasa: Artemis Moon rocket second launch attempt called off - BBC News So it hasn't launched but already systems will need inspection? I guess the stresses on the fuel systems tanks etc may need checking over so they don't burst on attempt-3? I think they were already planning on that, given a faulty temp sensor on engine 3 so they were likely to ignore that to progress to lighting the fuse. After all they'd already skimped on not having any redundancy in the sensors to work around any failures, at least on non-flight critical areas (so they say). 737MAX all over again...

hmmm I wonder if it needs an air worthiness certification if it passes over anyone else's controlled air space? Kinda thinking too, are these a totally new coupling for the LOX and LH2 supply or another re-use from the parts bin of the old shuttle gear? If so did they fit new seals, after all they'd likely have perished a bit by now if they were the old stock ones. Maybe the US FAA need to step in and ground it since it will be flying in their controlled space 😉

I've swapped out a number of the metal thumbscrews on my scopes both for the eyepiece locking and finder shoes for nylon ones. Driven to that move when the tapped hole on the TAL100RS focuser body was mostly stripped when I got it. So far I've had no issues with them and can be safe in the knowledge that any overtightening will not strip the metal threads. Add that buying over-length they are easy to trim to size too, also no corrosion from dissimilar metals when things get damp from dew etc. If you do ever snap one off, then a hot screwdriver tip inserted into the stub should allow you to back it out without needing to strip the unit down. They are quite tough and I've not had any wear out on the threads, but they're also cheap enough to carry a couple spare just in case. I would say tho don't tighten them too hard as that will eventually shred the nylon threads.

Nah launch it, at least we'll get a nice firework show for all that cost 😉

Maybe they should consult an aircon specialist to try find the leak? Makes you wonder tho, I take it this was the same one that mysteriously fixed itself last time?

no prob, you might post a wanted as the 0.965's have come up from time to time. I got lucky when I started a thread on that old vintage scope and got offered a set that was from a Prinz 660 IIRC. The h20 gives a nice clear image tbh and barlowed would be very usable. If you do find shorter FL ones try for Or types rather than Sr tho. I have an h12.5 that's also pretty good, the HM6 is harder to use but sharp and an Or4 in the set. Also obtained a Meade MA40 in 0.965 that's pretty good, so they are about just don't come up that often. Only thing I don't have is a barlow in that size but no real need for one for the old scope.

So a quick test on a tree top about 300m away using the vintage 3-inch scope. First up, with the H20 0.965 eyepiece and prism diagonal got me a drawtube extension of 115mm. Next up the SVbony 8-24mm set to 24mm, sat in a 0.965 to 1.25 adaptor, drawtube reduced to 75mm Finally the SVbony 7-21mm set to 21mm, again via the 0.965 to 1.25 adaptor, drawtube reduced to 72mm Also tried a Vixen NPL 30mm which turns out to have been parfocal to the 7-21mm. Hope that helps. It's quite a big reduction as you can see, 40-43mm inward travel in the case of these eyepieces tested. Somehow doubt that on a newt the focuser will give you that amount of extra in-focus travel so shifting the mirror may be in your future... 😉