Spacefarer's Guide to Getting off this Planet - Page 2

DaveC · 03-31-2017, 09:33 AM

i've got 65 cents here on my desk i can kick in.

DaveC · 03-31-2017, 09:45 AM

LuckyNumber7 · 03-31-2017, 11:14 AM

I love how I was just thinking about how I am not as interested in launches as a lot of other aerospace engineers in the field are, and I open the thread to that GIF.

My thought from a launch is "oh so what's the payload?"

DaveC · 03-31-2017, 12:34 PM

isn't that generally what your job is focused on though? that makes sense if so.

this one was a communications satellite going into geostationary orbit over south america, owned by a luxembourgian (?) company. apparently they got a cut rate discount on the launch cost for the extra risk.

what surprised me about that gif was the altitude it started from. i didn't think the first stage got nearly that far up before separation. pretty crazy they can land it on that tiny spot in the ocean so accurately.

LuckyNumber7 · 03-31-2017, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveC

isn't that generally what your job is focused on though? that makes sense if so.

this one was a communications satellite going into geostationary orbit over south america, owned by a luxembourgian (?) company. apparently they got a cut rate discount on the launch cost for the extra risk.

what surprised me about that gif was the altitude it started from. i didn't think the first stage got nearly that far up before separation. pretty crazy they can land it on that tiny spot in the ocean so accurately.

Nah, I'm neither a propulsion engineer nor a payload engineer or specialist. I've worked with payloads, sure, but I'm more of a... mission designer, if you will. Like, the folks who say we need a device that does x y and z, defines the mission/objectives/requirements, we've checked the math, formulated the design, etc. and then ship off the plans to specialist engineers for prototyping, review that, adjust, etc.

Technical project managers, ie space systems engineers.

DaveC · 03-31-2017, 01:26 PM

that's cool as fuck. i'm jealous.

LuckyNumber7 · 03-31-2017, 02:15 PM

I definitely love the field I'm in, but like everyone else's job, I'm sure you understand what I mean when I say it's not always what it's chalked up to be. Sometimes we sit in windowless rooms and argue over semantics and definitions all day. The good part is the pride in the work when it's done, but the day to day can be obnoxious. Well, the people can be.

Hewson · 03-31-2017, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuckyNumber7

GoFundMe to strap Dave to a rocket

DaveC · 03-31-2017, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuckyNumber7

Sometimes we sit in windowless rooms and argue over semantics and definitions all day.

now that's something a lot of interference users can relate to.

dazzledbylight · 04-02-2017, 06:22 PM

DaveC Thanks for the gifs!

Look at all those Sun(s) line up!

And swoon over the rocket sticking the landing! It almost looks like a CGI joke... but, no, it's real!

dabu2f: thanks for keeping an eye and a test tube on those wastewaters! Good luck on your test!

LN7: oh, verycool job! (and even the best jobs have their meh moments)

No "claim to fame" job wise...
but was a kid for the Mercury flights (they'd roll in a 7 foot tall television stand for us in the classroom!

Saw the (my first) Tickertape Parade in person when I was a teen for the first Moon Landing Astronauts (crazy great!)
The early days of the

Space Shuttle.
Saw the parade for John Glenn's flight as oldest person in space.

Unless something bad suddenly pops up I'll probably see the Mars mission easily. Hope I'll catch the unmanned mission to Europa, too.

But unless something miraculous happens I guess I'm too early for "The Federation"; that makes me

It's funny when the various Trekverse ( or Banylon 5) characters wonder just what it felt like in "the Early Days of Space Flight".

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveC

now that's something a lot of interference users can relate to.

Heh!

dabiggestu2fan · 04-24-2017, 08:46 PM

Thanks Dazzle!! BTW I ended up getting the job! So now I am a permanent government worker hehehe. I want to erase the last month! Nothing but stress but it's over now and I am happy to not have to worry about my career atleast for quite a few years

dazzledbylight · 04-25-2017, 08:39 PM

Super fantastic, dab. Great to hear important good news in these stressful times!

And While we won't be settling on (Saturn's moon) Enceladus...
latest news is a more detailed read on it's geysers composition. They seem to contain close to, or the same chemistry that Earth's deep sea vents - the ones where life evolved through straight biochemical means instead of the biochemical actions started with light from the sun- have.

Some were postulating that maybe Life started not only in Earth's oceans (as been described for a century or less), but maybe down around those vents. Interesting to how and why those lifeforms would drift, swim upwards as the decreasing pressure would injure or kill them.

LuckyNumber7 · 04-27-2017, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dabiggestu2fan

Thanks Dazzle!! BTW I ended up getting the job! So now I am a permanent government worker hehehe. I want to erase the last month! Nothing but stress but it's over now and I am happy to not have to worry about my career atleast for quite a few years

Congrats! Now, more photos

dabiggestu2fan · 05-02-2017, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuckyNumber7

Congrats! Now, more photos

Soon I'll have pictures of out of this world just have to survive May because of work and June because I have to find a new place and move but August there is going to be an awesome total solar eclipse! I'll be driving from Vancouver down to Oregon (probably somewhere within two hours of Portland) to get so shots of the eclipse. I am so out of practice on my astrophotography but I hope to have a few clear days in between my crazy life these next two moths to get back into astrophotography so that I am ready for the 2 minute and 17 second event. One of which I've been waiting since the day I got into astronomy decades ago. Now I am just praying that the weather will be kind! I've missed one solar eclipse before and several other big Astro events due to pesky clouds!!! A week befor I may change plans and go somewhere else (even fly if I have to) if there is even a hint of cloudy skies on my first location! The eclipse will be on August 21.
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoog...21Tgoogle.html

dabiggestu2fan · 05-02-2017, 07:52 PM

And thanks for the congrats guys!!!!

I can now finally think of buying my first home since I am no longer contract! Been waiting for three years now to buy a place but each year it seems to get more expensive to buy lol. My job before this one paid much less (private lab) so now I can (sort of) afford a place. But back to topic! Dazzle isn't it amazing how life can flourish in the most extreame environments??? And life has a crazy way of adopting to changing environments! That's why I have huge hope that some of saturns moons may actually harbour life albeit microbial life.

DaveC · 05-24-2017, 09:59 PM

unlikely that we'll ever see this thing fly, but it's cool that plans for something like this are being worked on: DARPA Picks Design for Next-Generation Spaceplane

dazzledbylight · 06-03-2017, 06:41 PM

The World Science Festive is on in NYC - 10th Anniversary- today, tomorrow (and this pastthurs, fri ).

They do have a year-round on line presence just dot com the above name.

It's a very interesting, and fun endeavor.

LuckyNumber7 · 06-03-2017, 07:32 PM

Anyone watch the launch today? Great fun.

dazzledbylight · 06-08-2017, 06:52 PM

dab - forgot to add good luck when you're ready to go house hunting!

And, ooooooo, you're going for the total eclipse! Near swoon! Hope the sky will be clear!
Yeah, all that deep sea vent life does raise possibility of life down in the depths of Saturn's moon's. And Jupiter's ? Europa.

Missed launch.
OTOH NASA gave us the Class of 2017 New Astros!

DaveC · 06-30-2017, 08:01 AM

We Do Not Have a Child Slave Colony on Mars: NASA

03-31-2017, 09:33 AM	#21
DaveC Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: slouching towards bethlehem Posts: 22,839 Local Time: 06:51 PM	i've got 65 cents here on my desk i can kick in. __________________

03-31-2017, 09:45 AM	#22
DaveC Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: slouching towards bethlehem Posts: 22,839 Local Time: 06:51 PM	__________________

06-30-2017, 08:01 AM	#40
DaveC Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: slouching towards bethlehem Posts: 22,839 Local Time: 06:51 PM	We Do Not Have a Child Slave Colony on Mars: NASA __________________

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03-31-2017, 11:14 AM	#23
LuckyNumber7 Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 19,495 Local Time: 05:51 PM	I love how I was just thinking about how I am not as interested in launches as a lot of other aerospace engineers in the field are, and I open the thread to that GIF. My thought from a launch is "oh so what's the payload?"

03-31-2017, 12:34 PM	#24
DaveC Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: slouching towards bethlehem Posts: 22,839 Local Time: 06:51 PM	isn't that generally what your job is focused on though? that makes sense if so. this one was a communications satellite going into geostationary orbit over south america, owned by a luxembourgian (?) company. apparently they got a cut rate discount on the launch cost for the extra risk. what surprised me about that gif was the altitude it started from. i didn't think the first stage got nearly that far up before separation. pretty crazy they can land it on that tiny spot in the ocean so accurately.

03-31-2017, 01:26 PM	#26
DaveC Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: slouching towards bethlehem Posts: 22,839 Local Time: 06:51 PM	that's cool as fuck. i'm jealous.

03-31-2017, 02:15 PM	#27
LuckyNumber7 Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 19,495 Local Time: 05:51 PM	I definitely love the field I'm in, but like everyone else's job, I'm sure you understand what I mean when I say it's not always what it's chalked up to be. Sometimes we sit in windowless rooms and argue over semantics and definitions all day. The good part is the pride in the work when it's done, but the day to day can be obnoxious. Well, the people can be.

04-24-2017, 08:46 PM	#31
dabiggestu2fan Rock n' Roll Doggie Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The edge of the known universe Posts: 3,483 Local Time: 10:51 PM	Thanks Dazzle!! BTW I ended up getting the job! So now I am a permanent government worker hehehe. I want to erase the last month! Nothing but stress but it's over now and I am happy to not have to worry about my career atleast for quite a few years

04-25-2017, 08:39 PM	#32
dazzledbylight Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: in the sound dancing - w Bono & Edge :D Posts: 34,930 Local Time: 06:51 PM	Super fantastic, dab. Great to hear important good news in these stressful times! And While we won't be settling on (Saturn's moon) Enceladus... latest news is a more detailed read on it's geysers composition. They seem to contain close to, or the same chemistry that Earth's deep sea vents - the ones where life evolved through straight biochemical means instead of the biochemical actions started with light from the sun- have. Some were postulating that maybe Life started not only in Earth's oceans (as been described for a century or less), but maybe down around those vents. Interesting to how and why those lifeforms would drift, swim upwards as the decreasing pressure would injure or kill them.

05-02-2017, 07:52 PM	#35
dabiggestu2fan Rock n' Roll Doggie Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The edge of the known universe Posts: 3,483 Local Time: 10:51 PM	And thanks for the congrats guys!!!! I can now finally think of buying my first home since I am no longer contract! Been waiting for three years now to buy a place but each year it seems to get more expensive to buy lol. My job before this one paid much less (private lab) so now I can (sort of) afford a place. But back to topic! Dazzle isn't it amazing how life can flourish in the most extreame environments??? And life has a crazy way of adopting to changing environments! That's why I have huge hope that some of saturns moons may actually harbour life albeit microbial life.

05-24-2017, 09:59 PM	#36
DaveC Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: slouching towards bethlehem Posts: 22,839 Local Time: 06:51 PM	unlikely that we'll ever see this thing fly, but it's cool that plans for something like this are being worked on: DARPA Picks Design for Next-Generation Spaceplane

06-03-2017, 06:41 PM	#37
dazzledbylight Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: in the sound dancing - w Bono & Edge :D Posts: 34,930 Local Time: 06:51 PM	The World Science Festive is on in NYC - 10th Anniversary- today, tomorrow (and this pastthurs, fri ). They do have a year-round on line presence just dot com the above name. It's a very interesting, and fun endeavor.

06-03-2017, 07:32 PM	#38
LuckyNumber7 Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 19,495 Local Time: 05:51 PM	Anyone watch the launch today? Great fun.

06-08-2017, 06:52 PM	#39
dazzledbylight Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: in the sound dancing - w Bono & Edge :D Posts: 34,930 Local Time: 06:51 PM	dab - forgot to add good luck when you're ready to go house hunting! And, ooooooo, you're going for the total eclipse! Near swoon! Hope the sky will be clear! Yeah, all that deep sea vent life does raise possibility of life down in the depths of Saturn's moon's. And Jupiter's ? Europa. Missed launch. OTOH NASA gave us the Class of 2017 New Astros!