Orion Launch Today

[Chimune]

Molly the heat shield designer is cuute !

[anonymous-user]

i guess they are going for a "steep" high G force entry to try to simulate the typical energies involved with coming back from non earth orbital paths (ie deep space). The requirements for a heat shield are very different, as you need to balance both peak thermal loading with total energy rejection. ie, you can have a thick low grade heat shield that can reject a lower temperature for a longer time (think space shuttle) or a thin high grade one which can resist a much higher temp, but for not as long. Steep entries with large decelerations mean you reach a denser atmosphere at a high speed, rather than spend longer losing your speed at a higher altitude. As such, peak heating is later in the descent profile, and also gives things like your arrester systems the greatest work out etc.

[CrutyRammers]

Fantastic full moon just rising outside my window...very apt.

[Gandahar]

Also Ronnie "The rocket" O'Sullivan is winning in the snooker.

It's all going very smoothly still.

[Simpo Two]

Chimune said:

Molly the heat shield designer is cuute !

Heck. She looks about 20 and there's only one of her. Where's the reassuring roomful of boffins?

[Gandahar]

Simpo Two said:

Chimune said:

Molly the heat shield designer is cuute !

Heck. She looks about 20 and there's only one of her. Where's the reassuring roomful of boffins?

They're all reading shed of the week and debating the pro's and con's of merging in turn.

[anonymous-user]

When you watch the "altitude" counting down on the left of the 3d animated view of Orion, you realise this thing is SERIOUSLY motoring!! ;-)

[dtiom]

Simpo Two said:

Heck. She looks about 20 and there's only one of her. Where's the reassuring roomful of boffins?

But she was talking about friction and heat while rubbing her hands together, I was thinking how lube could reduce heat. Anyways, nearly time for splash down.

[Eric Mc]

20,000 mph is 4 miles per second.

[CrutyRammers]

I never fancied re-entry much, that onboard camera isn't making me change my mind!

[CrutyRammers]

Good work by the drone pilot

[Gandahar]

great remote drone work as well

[CrutyRammers]

Don't think I've ever seen such clear footage of a re-entry.

[CrutyRammers]

Anyone else want to press "." to speed things along?

[anonymous-user]

Surely this level of media coverage is unprecedented? Amazing!

[RizzoTheRat]

Great footage from the drone, looks like they're censoring some telemetry data in the bottom left though

[marksx]

Stream died for me just as the main chutes opened!

[Chimune]

been buffering since main chute was just about to deploy. still nowt ffs.

[Gandahar]

Ustream is working perfectly if you are not on it.

Now floating correctly it seems. Super work so far. First ESA and now NASA. Been a good month.

[jmorgan]

Damn. Ask them to do it again, missed it.