PC NASA/SpaceX Demo-2 launch coverage

I was in high school when the shuttle first launched and I watched every one of them live. I was in an organization called the Civil Air Patrol (a civilian auxiliary to the USAF) and teaching aerospace to kids younger than I, so the then 'new' shuttle was of special interest. Watching yesterday's broadcast was a bit surreal given the very obvious commercial aspect to the SpaceX/NASA partnership. Space launches were always very dry, by-the-book exercises in planning and execution. Yesterday's action obviously had that careful planning and execution under the covers, but the covers had threads of "let's see how our hashtag is trending!" and "isn't Elon Musk just the greatest?". I think the partnership is absolutely the right way to go and that SpaceX has innovated much more quickly than a 100% NASA effort ever could. But...it's surreal to watch a for-profit company do the presentation.

The capsule and the suits are pretty amazing, tho. Looking very Star Trek-ish.

 
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Boidster said:
I was in high school when the shuttle first launched and I watched every one of them live. I was in an organization called the Civil Air Patrol (a civilian auxiliary to the USAF) and teaching aerospace to kids younger than I, so the then 'new' shuttle was of special interest. Watching yesterday's broadcast was a bit surreal given the very obvious commercial aspect to the SpaceX/NASA partnership. Space launches were always very dry, by-the-book exercises in planning and execution. Yesterday's action obviously had that careful planning and execution under the covers, but the covers had threads of "let's see how our hashtag is trending!" and "isn't Elon Musk just the greatest?". I think the partnership is absolutely the right way to go and that SpaceX has innovated much more quickly than a 100% NASA effort ever could. But...it's surreal to watch a for-profit company do the presentation.

The capsule and the suits are pretty amazing, tho. Looking very Star Trek-ish.
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Yeah, the first thing you notice is the slick new suits. a Lot more agile and comfortable, and SpaceX nailed it with the aesthetic as well. The capsule is just amazing. If you think of the cockpits of earlier systems, and now the astronauts can walk in to the capsule and take their seats as if taking a first class flight.....and then you can go in to the minor details, right down to little hand rails by the touch screens to hold on to, so your arms don't get too tired . 

 
Boidster said:
This is the first US launch of a crewed rocket since the last Space Shuttle mission in 2011 and the first ever commercial crewed launch. Coverage is beginning now (12PM EDT), launch is scheduled for 4:33PM.

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
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Uhh, don't they launch ppl into space every 6 months or so to re-supply and rotate staff members working in the satellites orbiting Earth?

Maybe you're just referring to SpaceX's first attempt? And I'm not surprised the launch was scrubbed. Elon fails at pretty much everything he's in charge of except make a butt load of money with his fairy tale promises. He loves to cut costs and take shortcuts on everything. I can only hope he succeeds with a launch as ppl's lives are at stake this time, or they shut it down completely.

 
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Marinxar said:
right down to little hand rails by the touch screens to hold on to, so your arms don't get too tired
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Yeah I noticed that too. Brilliant. I wish I had one of those little finger rests on my car's display.

Fox said:
Uhh, don't they launch ppl into space every 6 months or so to re-supply and rotate staff members working in the satellites orbiting Earth?
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Well, no. We have been hitching a ride on Russian rockets since 2011. This will be the first crewed US launch since then, and the first commercial crewed launch ever. The Falcon rocket has sent un-crewed supply modules to the ISS, but never a crew. There are not, to my knowledge, any staff working in satellites orbiting Earth. Only the ISS.

Fox said:
And I'm not surprised the launch was scrubbed. Elon fails at pretty much everything he's in charge of
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Elon is in charge of the weather? Holy crap he has too much power.

 
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Boidster said:
Well, no. We have been hitching a ride on Russian rockets since 2011. This will be the first crewed US launch since then, and the first commercial crewed launch ever. The Falcon rocket has sent un-crewed supply modules to the ISS, but never a crew. There are not, to my knowledge, any staff working in satellites orbiting Earth. Only the ISS.

Elon is in charge of the weather? Holy crap he has too much power.
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Ah, ok. I knew Americans and Canadians were being sent up there, I just didn't know how, though I suspected the Russians might of had something to do with it. Thanks for the correction.

I missed the live feed and therefore missed the reasoning for the scrubbed launch. I still think Elon is over-hyped and far dumber than everyone thinks he is. As I said before, he's always looking for shortcuts and ways to cut costs which is never going to work in the long term.

 
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I think SpaceX and, to a lesser extent, Tesla are decent companies with very interesting technology. I think their CEO is a narcissist and a nutjob who has had a few envelope-pushing, if not visionary, ideas. The engineers working for the nutjob are brilliant, and, like workers everywhere, the source of the nutjob CEO's success.

I don't think I would enjoy working for Elon Musk, though I think the work itself would be fascinating. I do enjoy listening to the kids talk about the rocket they built. I cheer for their success, not so much Elon's, though I don't wish him any particular ill will. Except for that whole pedophile libel incident with the kids trapped in the cave dealio. He should have paid a price for that bulls***.

He also should get a visit from CPS for naming his kid "X Æ A-12". That is future child abuse! I am not kidding.

 
Boidster said:
I think SpaceX and, to a lesser extent, Tesla are decent companies with very interesting technology. I think their CEO is a narcissist and a nutjob who has had a few envelope-pushing, if not visionary, ideas. The engineers working for the nutjob are brilliant, and, like workers everywhere, the source of the nutjob CEO's success.

I don't think I would enjoy working for Elon Musk, though I think the work itself would be fascinating. I do enjoy listening to the kids talk about the rocket they built. I cheer for their success, not so much Elon's, though I don't wish him any particular ill will. Except for that whole pedophile libel incident with the kids trapped in the cave dealio. He should have paid a price for that bulls***.

He also should get a visit from CPS for naming his kid "X Æ A-12". That is future child abuse! I am not kidding.
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Agreed. Though, sometimes even good staff aren't enough to make things happen. Like the embarrassing Hyperloop and bumpy tunnel system which will never serve a real purpose. And omg, did you see that abomination he calls a truck? Even the Youtuber "Simone Giertz" was able to engineer something way better and caught way more attention than his.

And I feel so bad for his kid having to put up with a ridiculous name like that and having parents like them.

If only Jacque Fresco had his level of fame and money... amazing things could definitely have happened with him in charge.

 
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Everybody catch the launch today? My 14-year old daughter got teary-eyed. 

I've never been more proud of her.

 
Great stuff. 

Strangely reminds me of Kerbal Space Program.

But NASA kind of never really mentioned Musk in the whole stream, while the astronauts drive to the pad in Teslas, wearing a SpaceX suit, going to a SpaceX rocket...

 
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They need better uplink from Of Course I Still Love You and from the 1st stage booster. They cut out at the 2nd best part of the launch! We get the re-entry burn then blank screen. A few seconds of the heaving deck of O.C.I.S.L.Y. then blank screen. Blank screen. Blank screen. Suddenly,

image.png

I WANNA SEE THAT PART DANGIT!

Other than that, bravo, top notch, ⭐⭐⭐would stream again.

 
I watched the launch live and my inner-evil-nerd just couldn't help saying aloud: "Not bad, but pretty crappy special-effects".

-Morloc

 
I love anything Space, I grew during the space race and was 15 when we landed on the moon! I was so disappointed when the shuttle program was cancelled without a replacement available. Yes I know the Russians and their Soyuz capsule gets us there but Russians, really, JFK is rolling in his grave. Watching SpaceX Dragon launch and dock with the ISS is very cool and once again the USA is back in the space game. Next stop, back to the Moon and than unto Mars!!!   

 
Morloc said:
I watched the launch live and my inner-evil-nerd just couldn't help saying aloud: "Not bad, but pretty crappy special-effects".
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Worry not, KSP2 will have been released long before the next launch.

 
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