Ship Simulator
English forum => Small talk => The Chat Lounge => Topic started by: VirtualSkipper on August 05, 2011, 14:11:22
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I was thinking about the space shuttle landing and last week I heared that today is the launch of the Juno Space probe which will head out to Jupiter.
So, I thought of making a topic where people can place in some news about launches, spacetravel, spotting, etc.
Well, I will be the first to give a news item:
As I said, today will be the launch of an Atlas V rocket, containing the Juno Space Probe which will return to Earth in 2013 and then make a 'sling' around the earth to head for Jupiter which will be there in the year 2016.
For those who want to follow this event can watch it here on NASA TV:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html
The launch is now 2 hours and counting.
What it will do on it's mission:
The ratio of oxygen to hydrogen, effectively measuring the abundance of water in Jupiter, which will help distinguish among prevailing theories linking the gas giant's formation to the solar system.
Obtain a better estimate of Jupiter's core mass, which will also help distinguish among prevailing theories linking the gas giant's formation to the solar system.
Precisely map Jupiter's gravity to assess the distribution of mass in Jupiter's interior, including properties of the planet's structure and dynamics.
Precisely map Jupiter's magnetic field to assess the origin and structure of the field and how deep in Jupiter the magnetic field is created. This experiment also will help scientists understand the fundamental physics of dynamo theory.
Map the variation in atmospheric composition, temperature, structure, cloud opacity and dynamics to depths far greater than 100 bars at all latitudes.
Characterize and explore the three dimensional structure of Jupiter's polar magnetosphere and its auroras.
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The launch was successful :)
Video and info here:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/aug/HQ_11-257_Juno_Launch.html
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On board are three Lego figures (reportedly costing $5,000 each)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2390527,00.asp
(http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/08/500x_577171main_lego20110803-full.jpg)
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$5000 for a Lego figure? they were ripped off :doh:
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$5000 for a Lego figure? they were ripped off :doh:
They were made of aluminium, in order to make them tough enough to withstand the extreme conditions of space flight.
Your humble plastic minifig version from Toys R Us would never last the blast-off launch, lol!
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The new design of NASAs next Space launch rocket
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls1.html
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Oh, Looks interesting. :thumbs:
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yeah
I like the Saturn V style colours
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Part from the top, it looks more like an Ariane 5 rocket. :)
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Thats true
I prefer the Ariane IV though to the Ariane V, looks nicer :)
The side rockets look like the Shuttle Boosters though
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(http://eaae-astronomy.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Ariane.jpg)
(http://www.cnes.fr/automne_modules_files/standard/public/p5409_9b32ea08d96d4b8e61954c9504eb4c88p5409_9b32ea08d96d4b8e61954c9504eb4c88P28724_p.jpeg)
yeah she is a nice rocket, a good shape too
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Well, I have hands-on this little simulator for a while now. :)
I can virtualy do whatever I want; launch in orbit, go to the moon, give the Earth Saturn's rings (which I actually did! :doh:)
On launch pad at Kourou.
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/onlaunchpad.jpg)
Main boosters jettison.
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/boosterjettison.jpg)
In orbit at 400 KM at a speed of right around 27000 km/h
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/probeinorbit.jpg)
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Is that orbiter?
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Is that orbiter?
Yup.
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Here's the Earth with Saturn's rings! ;D
For some reason I also set the parameters for the width of the whole ring a bit higher. :P
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/earthwithrings.jpg)
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This is inner space to be exact... ...and it's not alien! ::)
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Well, just went from Earth to the Moon. :)
Thanks to a console I can do this with just a few presses on the buttons. ;)
leaving Earth's gravity.
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/apollo1.jpg)
Beginning progress with docking the LEM (lunar excursion module).
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/apollo2.jpg)
*Turning around*
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/apollo3.jpg)
'Grabbing' the LEM from Stage 3 (part of the Saturn V rocket where I was taking the LEM out)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/apollo4.jpg)
On the way to the Moon!
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/apollo5.jpg)
Moon encounter!
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/apollo6.jpg)
Entering orbit around the Moon and job done!
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/Orbiter2010/apollo7.jpg)
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Looks good
is it compatible with Win 7-64bit?
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Sure, any good running PC is compatible.
Here is the download for Orbiter 2010 (I strongly recommend the MSI installer of 100830)
http://www.orbithangar.com/orbiter.php
And here is the library and another French library (where I got most of my missions from)
http://www.orbithangar.com/gallery.php or http://www.orbithangar.com/newest.php
http://www.orbiterfrancophone.com/index.php?disp=addons
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Sorryfor O/T but I remember years back in Florida standing next to a Saturn V5 on display and some numpty complaining that space "rockets" were soooooo environmentally un-friendly.
Hang on- liquid hydrogen? The same as the fuel used in ultra-green modern transport...
So space travel is the most environmentally form of travel after all. Weird. I shall replace all our diesel engines with rocket motors.
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It's environmental yes, but also the most expensive way to travel. 1 Space Shuttle launch was equal to 500-600 million dollars! And there was a lot more in the Saturn V, also because it's the most powerfull rocket ever built, so you do the math of the cost in today's money. :P
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*Cough Solid Booster Rockets are very environmentally unfriendly... :-\
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*Cough Solid Booster Rockets are very environmentally unfriendly... :-\
You can already see it when they blow.. You see large amounts of harmful gases being blown out the boosters..
I hope the future boosters/rockets will use enviromentally friendly fuel and also doesnt effect economy problems for large amounts of money needed
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*Cough Solid Booster Rockets are very environmentally unfriendly... :-\
SOLID?
You can already see it when they blow.. You see large amounts of harmful gases being blown out the boosters..
I hope the future boosters/rockets will use enviromentally friendly fuel and also doesnt effect economy problems for large amounts of money needed
Space ships powered by biodiesel and solar? Oh dear, TFK- the al gores of this planet have got to you too!
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Space ships powered by biodiesel and solar? Oh dear, TFK- the al gores of this planet have got to you too!
haha i think it has :doh:
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Yeah the two side rockets are solid fuel...
The "pretty" exhaust is actually an acid... :-\
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haha i think it has :doh:
At least one thing though- alien lifeforms will decide that planet earth is devoid of intelligent life and will leave us all alone (I hope therefore that they don't learn of the 3 greatest forms of intelligence here (me, Hawking and Penrose)
Yeah the two side rockets are solid fuel...
The "pretty" exhaust is actually an acid... :-\
Yes, but not very much though, is it? And if that keeps environmental nutters moaning at nasa and leaving me alone then I think jobs a good un
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Been outside lately, trying and testing my camera by shooting pictures at the stars so they can appear brighter (I don't know how it's called in English :doh:)
Here I came across Jupiter with only 3 of its larger moons visible.
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/jupiterandmoons.jpg)
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Ahh wow - great pic :thumbs:
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Ahh wow - great pic :thumbs:
Thanks, TFM! :thumbs:
I could try to save up some money for a teleconverter so I maybe can take a picture of the Red Spot. ;D
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Sounds good :thumbs:
Here is a pic I took of tjhe moon
(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww134/The-Ferry-Man/Space/IMG_0347.jpg)
The camera I used didn't have autofocus, hence why its not great :/
Have some more pics I will hunt down
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Nice! :2thumbs:
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Now that's rather coincidental, I was also able to shoot this picture of the moon a little while ago. I haven't seen the moon for weeks now! :o
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/VirtualSkipper/moonlight.jpg)
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wow - brilliant shot :thumbs:
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Thanks again. So is your shot. :)
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Now that's better! :2thumbs:
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OK Found it
Not a great shot, but here is a Solar Prominence (unfortunately when I went it was during a low season so no real big ones to be seen):
(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww134/The-Ferry-Man/Space/100_7573.jpg)
Bare in mind also it was taken with my old camera (Kodak Z740) by sticking the lens to the telescope eyepiece as close as possible and hoping for the best - took a few shots as well before I even got a good one with it in. This was through a... alpha filter I believe (it was a few years ago now)
As a responsible forum user... apparently... I should give Health and Safety advice...*
Do not look at the sun with a normal telescope, this was done with a special sun telescope. If you do you will burn your eyes/go blind. Do not stare directly at the sun.
*I never thought I would give H&S...
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Nice picture, TFM! :thumbs:
I wonder if it is just a stain on the lens or a solar flare but I guess it's the last. :)
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Nice picture, TFM! :thumbs:
I wonder if it is just a stain on the lens or a solar flare but I guess it's the last. :)
Oh thanks :p
It wasn't a stain, the astronomer told me it was one, it was at a special space event at a observatory 8)
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An impressive gallery of photos here! (http://news.discovery.com/space/photos-ron-garan-space-station-odyssey-110929.html)
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Man, if I were in the ISS, I would spend my whole stay in that glass dome! :2thumbs:
I already know this for a little while now, but it is to anyone who doesn't know this gallery. :)
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
I really like the picture of 2011 september 15 on that link! :o
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u know what really grinds my gears?-peter griffin, family guy
mr bigshot prezident obama cancelled NASA. >:(
so no more shuttle missions, no more international space station, and no colonization of the moon NASA was planning. :P
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u know what really grinds my gears?-peter griffin, family guy
mr bigshot prezident obama cancelled NASA. >:(
so no more shuttle missions, no more international space station, and no colonization of the moon NASA was planning. :P
You should read more on why the program was cancelled.
NASA has its budgets (controlled by the President of the US of coarse) and flying with the Space Shuttle to space began to be too expensive. 1 Space Shuttle is about 2 billion dollars (2 space shuttles were lost) and 1 launch is about 450 million dollars.
But NASA has developed a new rocket called the SLS (Space Launch System) to replace the Space Shuttle missions. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDQpFAUKgvI
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A clear night sky, a bright moon... Perfect sky spotting weather. :)
At 1:18, GMT+1, the ISS is coming over Holland so I will be taking this chance to finally try to photograph it. :P
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If you live in a open countryside you might see it if you have a powerful telescope..
If you live in a city (oh you got problems then)
But clear sky sounds like a small glimme of hope!
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If you live in a open countryside you might see it if you have a powerful telescope..
If you live in a city (oh you got problems then)
But clear sky sounds like a small glimme of hope!
Oh, I forgot all about this. I actually live in a village with some large cities around but I don't have much trouble with them since they're far off. There are some greenhouses nearby which sometimes ruin the view.
But about the ISS; because it's near-wintertime now and also because of the sun going down sooner, the ISS comes between 23:00 to 1:00. Because of these times, the earth will be in front of the ISS so the sun can't lighten it up to be visible, not even with moonlight! :o
So, the ISS will be visible again when its this month not later then 22:00 or something. :(
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Flying Over Earth... (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110927.html)
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Ooo! I wanna go! How much do tickets cost!? :doh:
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Ooo! I wanna go! How much do tickets cost!? :doh:
Lets talk about at least around $20 million a seat. ;D
With that comes a training for space physics which can take about 6 months.
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oh, I can manage that! :doh:
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Got a picture of Ursa Minor (Little Bear) with Polaris (The Pole Star) ;D
(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww134/The-Ferry-Man/Space/UrsaMinorandPolaris.jpg)
*Have marked on the constellation and circled Polaris (also adjusted brightness slightly to make the stars stand out more)
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nice. i see that all the time. ;D
sometimes theres northern lites too. ille try to post pic, if i can shoot one. ;D
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NASA hoping for a test flight of the Orion Spacecraft in 2014...
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/nov/HQ_11-376_EFT.html
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The first step of going to the Moon again. :)
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I wonder If I can spot 2005 YU55 with my eyes...
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I wonder If I can spot 2005 YU55 with my eyes...
is that the asteroid? then not likely. its the size of an aircraft carrier. maybie if u had a telescope...
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nono, I spotted it, no blinkers, no chemtrails... but the strange thing is, it curved...
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but how did u know it was the asteroid?... :o :doh:
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is that the asteroid? then not likely. its the size of an aircraft carrier. maybie if u had a telescope...
its closer to us than the moon is. and i heard it was bigger than an aircraft carrier...
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I was outside until half past 12 and I wasn't able to see it. Besides, even if it is the size of an aircraft carrier, the space between the asteroid and the Earth is just too big, making the asteroid almost impossible to see with the bare eyes. 8 Inch (or bigger) telescopes would be able to catch a glimpse of the asteroid.
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I just ordered the book 'Apollo 13', written by thé flight commander, of Apollo 13, Jim Lovell. I have heared some very good reactions about the book so I will also try to read it. :)
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I have that book ;D
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i hav the movie! ;D
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@The Ferry Man
What is the story like? Tense? Exciting? :)
@Rbsanford
I downloaded it! ;D
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its really good :)
It also shows the stuff happening on the ground too in more detail :)
Definitely Exciting - You will be happy you brought it :thumbs:
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Well, I will find that out as soon as I have it in! :thumbs:
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the movies great. excellant soundtrack. 8 out of ten stars! ;D
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Did I hear it right, or will there be a Soyuz rocket launch in a few hours?
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html