DaveL59

oh dear, slo fill LH2 on stop as they have a leak at the umbilical join, deciding if to try the heat and retry procedure. Oh and a flaky temp sensor on the LH2 fill side too that's part of the fast flow switchover.

for those interested, cryo test underway

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/09/21/launch-director-gives-go-to-begin-cryogenic-operations-nasa-tv-coverage-underway-2/

Also found this on CN forum

Making a monocular from a m42 lens and an eyepiece - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights

38 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

You did used to be able to buy an adaptor for M42 lenses, but they're pretty rare to find nowadays

Actually, doing a search it seems you can get new ones still

Astro Essentials M42 to 2" Eyepiece Holder | First Light Optics

RafCamera M42x1 female thread to 1.25" telescope eyepiece adapter...

Can't say these would work with a diagonal but so long as the light path is correct (45mm) then you should find focus. Might need a prism rather than a mirror diagonal tho.

26 minutes ago, Stu said:

Is it just me, or are those tanks not too close? I assume this was just a few engines firing too?

nah it just adds to the show if it goes up in a big loud flash, he does like to showboat after all 😉 

You did used to be able to buy an adaptor for M42 lenses, but they're pretty rare to find nowadays

just found the preview sample review

Svbony zoom 3-8 mm SV215 eyepiece review (star-hunter.ru)

4 minutes ago, Ags said:

It looks a lot like the Nagler zoom, but it adds a couple of mm on the wide end and offers a constant 60° FOV. 

is it any good Ags?

Only SVbony ones I have are the 7-21 and 8-24mm and they are pretty decent.

nothing new in the NASA blog so far but CNN report that the cryo test will be Wednesday 07:15 EDT which will be live streamed. Interesting in their article was a note about the seals:

Quote

When engineers replaced the seal on an 8-inch (20-centeimeter) quick disconnect line for hydrogen, they found a “witness marker,” or indentation on the seal associated with foreign object debris, said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, at a Monday NASA press conference.

NASA's Artemis I moon rocket preps for prelaunch test | CNN

There was a press briefing earlier today, over here we'd likely have been watching the Queen's final journey

as above but do bear in mind that the bigger high power bino's aren't exactly small or light and in their case would occupy probably as much space as a small refractor. Worth checking around and compare size/weight I'd think and then consider which would be easier to transport and set up. Whatever you do, don't get any of the zoom bino's that claim incredible magnification at great prices, they are mostly junk and at best barely useful for terrestrial viewing.

latest posted in the NASA blog on 12-Sep was: (subject to extension being granted of course)

Quote

 The agency will conduct the demonstration test no earlier than Wednesday, Sept. 21, and has updated its request for a launch opportunity Sept. 27, with a potential backup opportunity of Oct. 2 under review.

Specific times for the potential launch opportunities are as follows:

Sept 27: 70-minute launch window opens at 11:37 a.m. EDT; landing on Nov. 5
Under review – Oct. 2: 109-minute launch window opens at 2:52 p.m.; landing on Nov. 11

Artemis (nasa.gov)

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 😉 

3 hours ago, maw lod qan said:

Still saying they want to repair it on the pad. No way to test it in the VAB.

Other issues too though. They have a certification that is only good for 25 days at a time then must have recertification. 

If I'm understanding correctly, it has to do with flight termination. 

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.

7 hours ago, Shibby said:

This is what I'm worried about! The main cable runs through guttering underground so I'll have to pull it up to check. If I can't find anything, perhaps I'll try @Carbon Brush's suggestion of new capacitors.

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.

2 hours ago, WJC said:

Just wondering if anyone knows what these numbers relate too.

Yes, it means a bigger fraud than that the original poster was asking about! And "Stein" was just an effort in selling a Steiner ... to the in experienced observer!

 

 

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.

8 minutes ago, AstroNebulee said:

I think they only have enough old shuttle engines to last till Artemis 3. So they may decide on building more or something different. 

Lee 

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.

4 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

What gets me is the $399 with $100 off lol in 1991, with inflation that’s like around $700 now I’m guessing, omg the horror.

ahh but it does have a lifetime warranty 😉 

1 minute ago, Gfamily said:

According to the NASA Artemis blog

I'm not sure if the following has been mentioned here or not, but depending on the length of investigations required, there is also the issue about the certification of the batteries on the Flight Termination System - and replacing them will require a return to the VAB. 

There is a timetable on the NASA site giving the launch windows - with the mission lengths possible for each artemis_i_mission_availability_aug2022.pdf 

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. 

7 minutes ago, Stu said:

Making quite a few assumptions there Dave, I’m sure if there was an easy fix they would have done it.

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 😉