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March 19, 2021 Archives
Friday, March 19, 2021
THE HAPPENING WORLD: Cubesat Propulsion with Water Electrolysed by Solar Panels
This is clever: a propulsion system for cubesats and microsats that electrolyses water into hydrogen and oxygen and burns them in a thruster with Isp 310 s, thrust 1.2 N. Avoids the need for toxic propellant and special handling. https://t.co/oekVaYrNDI
— John Walker (@Fourmilab) March 19, 2021
Posted at
16:57
TRACKING WITH CLOSEUPS: The Many Aircraft Powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major Engine
Twenty-eight cylinders in four rows, 71.5 litres displacement, supercharged, optionally turbocharged, output power 3.2 megawatts (4300 horsepower): the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major was the largest displacement piston aircraft engine mass produced in the United States. It powered more than 25 aircraft types, including the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, the B-36 bomber, Northrop YB-35 flying wing, and Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules (“Spruce Goose”).
Posted at
15:54
CONTEXT: NASA Press Conference on Space Launch System Hot Fire Test
All of the taxpayer-funded space cowboys and -girls wear Artemis-branded muzzles so they don't infect anybody who views the video. Meanwhile, here's today's Dilbert.
Mask During Zoom by Scott Adams https://t.co/9hrjPKh2OL via @Dilbert_Daily
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) March 19, 2021
Posted at
14:45
CONTINUITY: March 1965: Atlas-Centaur Fifth Flight Launch Attempt
This is a slow-motion silent film (the launch takes a while to get underway) of the fifth attempt to launch an Atlas-Centaur booster on 1965-03-02. The goal was to place a payload simulating the Surveyor lunar landing probe into a highly elliptical orbit using a single burn of the Centaur upper stage.
It ended badly. Moments after liftoff, the two Atlas booster engines shut down (you can see them “coughing” in the video) and the rocket settled back onto the launch pad, creating a huge explosion. Investigation concluded the booster's fuel pre-valves had only opened partially, then shut due to fuel pressure, starving the engines of fuel.
Here is a view of the same event showing the entire rocket, while it lasted.
Posted at
13:34
THE HAPPENING WORLD: Shuffling Soyuz
Today at 16:38 UTC, #SoyuzMS17 will be redocked from the Rassvet Module to the Poisk module. The maneuver will take about 29 minutes. The redocking is necessary so that Soyuz MS-18 could dock to the Rassvet module, while Poisk could be safely used for the upcoming spacewalk. pic.twitter.com/lkAVopwG63
— Katya Pavlushchenko (@katlinegrey) March 19, 2021
Posted at
13:09