Technology, Science and the Environment.

[SpacedX]

Coasting now. Perigee raise manoeuvre 49 minutes into flight. 

[fox_favourite]

Now this is exciting news for the year and worth a follow! My 8 year old son is even excited by this as he loves space and science. 

[leicsmac]

All has gone pretty much as well as it could. Hopefully they will be go for the burn to take them to the Moon sometime today.

[The Bear]

From what I can gather it'll be around 1am tonight/tomorrow morning for the 6 min TransLunar Injection engine burn. 

Edited 2 April by The Bear

[danny.]

Watching the launch yesterday, all I could think is “where is the toilet in there?” High brow, I know. 

[Trumpet]

1 minute ago, danny. said:

Watching the launch yesterday, all I could think is “where is the toilet in there?” High brow, I know. 

During the coverage they mentioned they had to step over it to get in. Can’t be much privacy in there!

[danny.]

2 minutes ago, Trumpet said:

During the coverage they mentioned they had to step over it to get in. Can’t be much privacy in there!

Oh well at least they have one then! It looks so small in there I wondered if it was built into a suit or something equally horrific. Those aren’t going to be nice living conditions do a few days!

[leicsmac]

Yep, both volume and mass are at a premium when it comes to spaceflight. 

 

Perhaps, when we develop tech to get more mass to orbit more easily, those brave pioneers won't have to step over the bogs as they enter their spacecraft. 

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, danny. said:

Oh well at least they have one then! It looks so small in there I wondered if it was built into a suit or something equally horrific. Those aren’t going to be nice living conditions do a few days!

Do read what happened to Al Shepard on his first Mercury flight. 

[Zear0]

26 minutes ago, Trumpet said:

During the coverage they mentioned they had to step over it to get in. Can’t be much privacy in there!

Risky to crack a window too

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Zear0 said:

Risky to crack a window too

Nah, that's what the cabin depress/repress valve is for. 

[stripeyfox]

it was a great launch. If I was being a bit critical then I think the camera work seemed to miss some of the key moments. It didn't seem to track the rocket in the first few seconds and (I think ) missed the SRB seperation

But I guess NASA are focused on getting it launched rather than looking good on TV - we've probably been spoilt by the more slick presentation by SpaceX in the last few years

 

 

[The Bear]

24 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

it was a great launch. If I was being a bit critical then I think the camera work seemed to miss some of the key moments. It didn't seem to track the rocket in the first few seconds and (I think ) missed the SRB seperation

But I guess NASA are focused on getting it launched rather than looking good on TV - we've probably been spoilt by the more slick presentation by SpaceX in the last few years

 

 

I thought exactly the same. We didn't have live feeds from on board cameras after launch, just a visualisation. As you say I guess it's not important in the grand scheme of things but it's nice to see on the SpaceX feeds. 

[SpacedX]

Perigee raise burn scheduled for 20 minutes from now in advance of the TLI burn to take place on day 2 of the mission. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 hours ago, stripeyfox said:

it was a great launch. If I was being a bit critical then I think the camera work seemed to miss some of the key moments. It didn't seem to track the rocket in the first few seconds and (I think ) missed the SRB seperation

But I guess NASA are focused on getting it launched rather than looking good on TV - we've probably been spoilt by the more slick presentation by SpaceX in the last few years

 

 

The rocket should have paused to allow people to line up their selfies 

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Do read what happened to Al Shepard on his first Mercury flight. 

Or just sit and watch The Right Stuff.

[Trav Le Bleu]

(Lights blue touch paper and stands back.)

 

Asia ramps up use of dirty fuels to cover energy shortfall triggered by Iran war | US-Israel war on Iran | The Guardian

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/iran-energy-crisis-asia-dirty-fuels-coal

[Zear0]

Makes me want to replay Kerbal.

[leicsmac]

23 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

(Lights blue touch paper and stands back.)

 

Asia ramps up use of dirty fuels to cover energy shortfall triggered by Iran war | US-Israel war on Iran | The Guardian

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/iran-energy-crisis-asia-dirty-fuels-coal

Sadly unsurprising.

 

Another reason to pivot away from all nonrenewables for power generation ASAP. Those who can't, must be helped.

 

11 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Makes me want to replay Kerbal.

The mods people have come up with have made it the game that KSP2 was supposed to be. Get on it.

[stripeyfox]

14 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Makes me want to replay Kerbal.

This! I wouldn't have a clue about perigee and apogee and trans lunar injections if I hadn't played Kerbal

 

My mission to the Mun in KSP was a tremendous failure. Remember piloting down and landing on the surface but then my lander fell over (on the same side as the hatch) preventing my Kerbals from exiting! Guess they are sill up there!

 

[stripeyfox]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Sadly unsurprising.

 

Another reason to pivot away from all nonrenewables for power generation ASAP. Those who can't, must be helped.

 

The mods people have come up with have made it the game that KSP2 was supposed to be. Get on it.

I believe a rival project "Kitten Space Agency" is in development and it looks great- It is was KSP2 should have been (and more)

 

[leicsmac]

12 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

This! I wouldn't have a clue about perigee and apogee and trans lunar injections if I hadn't played Kerbal

 

My mission to the Mun in KSP was a tremendous failure. Remember piloting down and landing on the surface but then my lander fell over (on the same side as the hatch) preventing my Kerbals from exiting! Guess they are sill up there!

 

Well, that's when you go full Thunderbirds and make up a machine that can lift and tip that lander right way up and get it over there, isn't it? 

 

Or just terminate the craft and live with the green blood on your hands. 

 

 

12 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

I believe a rival project "Kitten Space Agency" is in development and it looks great- It is was KSP2 should have been (and more)

 

Didn't know about that one, will have to check it out! 

[The Bear]

Trans-lunar Injection brought forward to slightly earlier in the mission. 

 

"Nasa have now updated their timings to say that will happen slightly earlier at 19:49 EDT (23:49 GMT).

 

It will last a precise five minutes 51 seconds and send Orion travelling through space at 867 mph (1.395 km/h )." 

[leicsmac]

TLI nominal.

 

[SpacedX]

15 hours ago, The Bear said:

It will last a precise five minutes 51 seconds and send Orion travelling through space at 867 mph (1.395 km/h )." 

They ain't going to get very far then.