The Space Show is back up
David Livingston has done yeoman work and gotten the Space Show website back on line, making it possible for him to resume his live streams and podcasts, with the first to be this Sunday, March 3, 2024.
My canceled appearance from earlier this week has now been rescheduled for Monday, March 5, 2024, at 7 pm (Pacific).
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
David Livingston has done yeoman work and gotten the Space Show website back on line, making it possible for him to resume his live streams and podcasts, with the first to be this Sunday, March 3, 2024.
My canceled appearance from earlier this week has now been rescheduled for Monday, March 5, 2024, at 7 pm (Pacific).
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Just watched this deep dive into the engineering and construction of the hot ring, structural changes and upgrades.
They also cover the possible failures that happened on the second starship test run leading to the abort. The possible unintended consequences of the tilt of the grid fins to aid in turning the booster? (as we speculated before, a weakness causing mixing between the fuel and oxygen is the leading explanation of the point of failure)
An hour and 20 minutes but very informative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIisBG3NV8Y
I was imagining what could cure the problem of damage from negative thrust to a sudden 3 gravity‘s when 10 tons of 02 propellant come slamming down on the bottom of the tank? (sloshing)
Ratcheting baffles that move down during fuel consumption can only work if the walls are smooth, I believe the best solution is if they make the header tank and descending supply line for methane, re-engineered into a smooth one piece tank inside of the oxygen tank running the length of the rocket!
Not only will baffles be doable, but the thickness/weight of the walls of inner tank could be reduced due to the oxygen pressure against the tank walls. As the oxygen is being consumed, it’s boil point it’s colder than methane which could lead to freezing of the methane… prevention methods like insulation to lessen the chance of icing or chunks of ice making it into the turbo pump may be necessary? It would be worth it for better control of unintended sloshing, less points of failure.
There is the added benefit of better control methods during refueling in weightlessness. (The tanker, without this modification, would require minimum directional gravity thrust to keep the fluid in the pump suction port without the clamps that locks the two vessels together from failing)
I still believe the current design is adequate if they put thrusters (as designed for lunar/Mars landing) just under the crew quarters of starship and use those during separation. This way they can eliminate the hot ring and it’s considerable weight. (they cover the weight in the above video)
Throttle back booster to one gimbaled motor with a quarter to a half G thrust, while starship side thrusters initiate separation at two gees giving some space before igniting main motors. Economical, safe and effective.
This is the future of all landing craft, until a better design comes along. (current design is for atmospheric use, future construction in/for vacuum will be better suited as landing platforms with elevated landing thrusters aimed away to prevent dust/rock kickback which damages the lander… and not requiring elevators to reach the surface)
Robert!
It sounds like you were a veritable Superman in helping Dr. Space through his hacker woes. His tribute to you on his web site is well deserved. Thanks for your efforts.
James