Comments on: SpaceX launches 28 more Starlink satellites

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 07:43:19 +0000

Rob Crawford noted: “The Shuttle did contribute to thrust during launch, so it wasn’t a completely passive payload. The external tank was fuel for its main engines.”

True, true, and I was, and am, a Shuttle fan, for what it *did* accomplish. All a bit tongue-in-cheek. Shuttle likely did more to move people to the STEM side of things than any other government program. Similar to ‘Star Trek’ and the Apollo program of the late 60’s/early 70’s. It’s why I went to engineering school. “How can this be made real?”

By: Rob Crawford

Rob Crawford — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 19:03:05 +0000

The Shuttle did contribute to thrust during launch, so it wasn’t a completely passive payload. The external tank was fuel for its main engines.

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 07:18:55 +0000

Jeff Wright commented: “My favorite plane to ride was the 727.”

Ditto’s on that, but my understanding is it was not popular with pilots, as it required certain techniques to land smoothly.

Not sure if Shuttle should be classified as a ‘launch vehicle’. The Orbiter was the payload of the expendable ET, and only slightly less so SRB’s. It did carry the nominal payload, so the characterization is fair. Sort of a payload-on-payload deal.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 02:57:50 +0000

My favorite plane to ride was the 727.
I sat in the back of an L-1011 once.

The center engine sounded like Smaug snoring.

By: Ronaldus Magnus

Ronaldus Magnus — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 22:49:33 +0000

Last week we flew from Kalifornia to North Carolina and back. Each way had one stop on the way. Smooth as silk. Felt like someone from SpaceX was in charge.