# The Great Ongoing Space Exploration Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** science-math\ **Created:** [November 16, 2020, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703 "2020-11-16T12:18:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/462 "2022-11-05T02:22:11Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Because the guy is a narcissist? And so are half the public figures out there. Politicians, actors, business people, activists… Narcissists abound. So what? The Elon hate is getting pretty crazy, and so are the arguments justifying it. He’s not a saint, he gets lot wrong, nut he’s done a tremendous amount of good for the world, and continues to do so. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/463 "2022-11-05T02:49:19Z")
Just because you’re a narcissist doesn’t mean you’re bad at everything. 😆 (Or some strange play on having paranoia. I guess that joke didn’t quite land. They can’t all be winners.) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/464 "2022-11-05T02:58:21Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > The Elon hate is getting pretty crazy Mocking isn’t hate. Elon invites it, relishes it. Bathes in it. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/465 "2022-11-05T03:56:48Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Mocking isn’t hate. Elon invites it, relishes it. Bathes in it. One could say it is his essence, his scent, daresay his musk…_Ode de Conceit_, available on QVC and The Shaper Image stores everywhere. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/466 "2022-11-05T20:32:15Z")
> **[Japanese Company Aims to Land the First Private Moon Mission Later this Month](https://gizmodo.com/private-japanese-lunar-lander-ispace-commercial-mission-1849727891)** > > The private lander will bring some cool toys to the lunar surface, including a baseball-sized transformable robot. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/467 "2022-11-05T20:37:28Z")
Welcome back, **Stranger**! It’s been a while. So, what does the office pool have to say about whether SLS flies on the 14th? Or this year? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/468 "2022-11-05T22:23:05Z")
It had better. There are two limits it’s running up against: It no longer has any ‘rollbacks’ left without a waiver, and I believe the side boosters technically expire in December. They’ve been stacked for two years now, and originally were only certified for a year. Last year a waiver ws given to extend their stacked life to two years, and this December is it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/469 "2022-11-05T23:43:24Z")
If there’s one thing NASA’s good at, it’s planetary and deep space exploration. But if there’s _two_ things they’re good at, it’s that plus convincing themselves that they can stretch the envelope by just a little bit more because they haven’t seen a problem _yet_. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/470 "2022-11-06T12:31:18Z")
Yeah. And we all know how well that ended up the last few times they did it. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/471 "2022-11-06T12:55:18Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > convincing themselves that they can stretch the envelope by just a little bit more because they haven’t seen a problem _yet_. Indeed…it is this very tendency we’re telling students about, in the space flight ops class this semester (Purdue). As it directly contributed to both the Space Shuttle disasters. “Normalization of deviance” is the term. A great summary read on the topic is [Feynman’s Appendix F to the Rogers Commission Report](https://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v2appf.htm) (on the Challenger Disaster). ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/472 "2022-11-08T05:02:55Z")
Moderating: After noticing that not only did you insult another poster: > [@nate](#): > > I was replying to someone that capable of reading. You also insulted the disabled: > [@nate](#): > > I don’t know if I’ve had a stroke or that you are absolutely terrible at communicating I’m upgrading that mod note to a formal warning. Insults of the innocent, and of your peers, don’t belong on MPSIMS. Sorry this took so long. I’ve been at an IRL event. ---
**Author:** ![nate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nate/32/13085_2.png) [@nate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nate)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/473 "2022-11-08T05:33:59Z")
Nevermind. I see what you were referring to. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/474 "2022-11-15T19:50:29Z")
Space X tested the super heavy today, 7 million pounds thrust. I can see a pad that weighs over 7 million pounds, but what can withstand such force to hold the booster down? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/475 "2022-11-15T20:16:57Z")
The Saturn V first stage produced slightly more thrust than the super heavy. They managed. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/476 "2022-11-15T20:29:40Z")
What mechanical means is used to hold the rocket on the pad? Is there a steel structure fastened to the pad, and in turn to the rocket? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/477 "2022-11-15T20:36:40Z")
I can’t speak to the Super Heavy, but here’s how they did it with the S V first stage (7.5 million lbs thrust) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-rP6k18DVdg/maxresdefault.jpg "Saturn V S IC Static Firing (archival film)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rP6k18DVdg) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/478 "2022-11-15T20:51:13Z")
Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/479 "2022-11-15T20:53:02Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > The Saturn V first stage produced slightly more thrust than the super heavy. The Super Heavy has 33 engines at 500k lbs thrust each for 16.5M lbs. The Saturn V was a mere 7.9M lbs thrust. Yesterday’s Super Heavy test was only 14 engines, so slightly less than the Saturn V. They’re still ramping up. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/480 "2022-11-15T20:54:27Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The Super Heavy has 33 engines at 500k lbs thrust each for 16.5M lbs Ah, thanks. I was going from carniverousplant’s figure. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/481 "2022-11-15T20:55:42Z")
No problem. Yeah, it wasn’t clear that it was only a partial test. Still, impressive that they’re in the same ballpark with less than half the engines being fired. It will be a beast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703.md?page=25)