Moon Launch

[Gunz]

Artemis is set to lift off this morning for an unmanned lunar flight and lunar orbit. If your interested here’s live launch coverage and countdown updates. This is a NASA mission prior to a manned lunar flight and the largest rocket we’ve launched since Apollo.

Live coverage: NASA gets late start to loading propellants into Artemis 1 rocket – Spaceflight Now

 

[Gunz]

Never mind. Scrubbed. But it’s a good link for next time.

 

[Devildoc]

Sooooo bummed. I was (still am) looking forward to it. Next launch window Sept 2.

 

[Gunz]

Sooooo bummed. I was (still am) looking forward to it. Next launch window Sept 2.

Yeah. But this is typical NASA. They do all their trouble-shooting on the launch pad. SpaceX would launch the thing, see if it blows up, then figure out why, eat the loss, then have a perfect re-do.

 

[Devildoc]

Yeah. Ostensibly more at risk, there are a lot of international components to Artemis. The fuel tank leak isn't new, and I hope they can figure it out.

I am a NASA/space nut. I love that shit.

 

[Gunz]

Me too. We're about 110 miles west of the Cape and if the weather's clear we can see the launches from our back porch. We don't get the sound or the shockwaves (like you'd get at the Cape), but the engine burns and contrail are very cool.

Shuttle launches were good because of the size of the burns. The launch of this big rocket should be even better.

 

[AWP]

NASA isn't Musk. The former has to consider optics (funding) and the latter has to consider...whatever goes through his mind.

NASA can't afford to make a mistake, so I don't see a lot of dice rolling in this new program.

 

[Devildoc]

Me too. We're about 110 miles west of the Cape and if the weather's clear we can see the launches from our back porch. We don't get the sound or the shockwaves (like you'd get at the Cape), but the engine burns and contrail are very cool.

Shuttle launches were good because of the size of the burns. The launch of this big rocket should be even better.

I saw two shuttle launches, a day launch in May, 1987; a night launch, December 19, 1999. I could only imagine what Apollo was like, and this is supposed to be like that.

NASA isn't Musk. The former has to consider optics (funding) and the latter has to consider...whatever goes through his mind.

NASA can't afford to make a mistake, so I don't see a lot of dice rolling in this new program.

No, and if they took Apollo in baby steps they are damn near sprinting with Artemis. I hope it's not hubris.

 

[Gunz]

Launch today scrubbed again. Hydrogen leak. Possible launch opportunities on the 5th or 6th.

 

[AWP]

NASA isn’t going to yeet this launch, people need to check their expectations on the timeline.

 

[Kraut783]

C'mon NASA....

 

[Gunz]

They’re taking it off the pad back to vehicle assembly building so forget a launch anytime soon. Hell, it takes a week or so just to transport it to the VAB on the crawler.

 

[AWP]

They’re taking it off the pad back to vehicle assembly building so forget a launch anytime soon. Hell, it takes a week or so just to transport it to the VAB on the crawler.

I’d drive it to California if I had to, there’s too much at stake to fail on the first go. For better or worse, this isn’t the 1950’s.