U. S. tries it again... I mean, going "up there"...

[Bombast the Blue]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aymrnzianf0

NASA TV's live transmission...

Delayed due to the weather.
Next try Saturday...

[Radoye]

It's kind of sad this is a big deal, something that the US routinely did decades ago and at least two other nations still do to this day, basically technology that was abandoned as outdated in favor of the Space Shuttle 40 years ago, after all this time it has to be re-learned. And still this only restores Gemini-program capability of low-orbit fight, yet 50 years ago we were going to the moon.

[Bombast the Blue]

I believe the race to the moon was an endeavour offset from what would have been the logical sequence, from the scientific point of view.
Triggered by a reasoning of geopolitical nature more than anything else.

An advancement as the Shuttle may appear to have been the fact is that it served orbital missions much closer to home, not at all the moon.
Which seems to confirm the above paragraph.
Actually, the thing was much larger than proposed by scientific experts and its "gigantism" had much to do with military (payload) reasons.
How much that contributed to development and use problems is probably still under discussion somewhere.

The SpaceX thing is new in some respects.
To boot, being originally of private initiative it seems aimed at meeting demand.
I just hope primarily scientific demand, precisely the type that seems to have been left behind in earlier phases.
I'd say that means, at short term, precisely what they're starting to do: transporting people and cargo in ISS's service and trying to be economic about it.
What really gives me the creeps is that landing process, commendable as the concept of reuseability is.

Later, there may other things to think about, like additional space stations and assembling ships in orbit to return to the moon and go beyond.
That'll may require new transporter models eventually.

That if human overpopulation doesn't end up solving itself in a radical way...

[Bombast the Blue]

The Chinese Chang'e 5 probe has landed... will it be able to collect samples and bring them back?
https://www.space.com/china-chang-e-5-l ... ar-samples

Also:

The iconic Arecibo radiotelescope has collapsed after a long decline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vchDbyIRP44

[Bombast the Blue]

Well, it seems the Chinese did it but now its about NASA's return to Mars...
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53129281

[Bombast the Blue]

https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages

[randowe]

Yep, it's crazy to see all these galaxies in the SMACS 0723 picture!

[Bombast the Blue]

https://digg.com/space/link/difference- ... VhghYu44z0

A comparison with a Hubble image.
The problem of reaching farther is becoming ever more apparent.
We go on into the era of the gravitational lens.

But also into the era of industrial outer planet hunting.

That is... if Earth isn't "hunted" down one of these days...

[Bombast the Blue]

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/20 ... in-decades

While there are some whose astronomical interests seem to be solely focused on going straight into Uranus (maybe the reason why its axis is tilted) we go beyond and into Neptune.
James Webb has caught not only the rings but also the very faint bands, closer to the planet, unseen since Voyager 2's flyby.

[Bombast the Blue]

https://time.com/6233724/watch-nasa-art ... unch-live/
(actual launch a bit under the 2 hour mark)

Artemis 1:
Back to the Moon on the way to Mars.
Or at least that's what they say...

[Ale]

...and after Mars, next logical step is Uranus... and then greed, corruption, wars (first Mars war, second Mars war etc) social tensions, bad population and family planning and once peaceful and prosperous planets turned into Earth... ;

just for pub fun, while i like the subject and was personally one who read Carl Sagan even before I was 10 y/o, collected SF works and similar, today i have one thought about space and our place... whenever I see those beautiful space pics and so many galaxies, nebulas, stars and planets outhere - question of life and other civ lifeforms comes naturally... and then I, presuming there is a lot of life and civilizations there, must ask myself "out of all those planets with possible life, did I have to be born on this one"

i support subject - though i personally think still more rockets are made to harm than to explore - but had to add this on pub level, there is really need for some action, you are old member and remember how lively old forum "pubs" looked like... my hobby scientifically was once vulcanology though so imagine me as some younger Pierce Brosnan - just without hair and with few more kilos than him in his prime, but generally sexier miladies ; ....but I like space, not only that i read alot about it before, was enthusiastic, but also am from country that once greeted, waved and honored both Gagarin and Apollo crew (some say that we started whole US space program etc)... philosophically, even think humanoids need big ideas - just like people once needed religion in tribal times not to eat their dead relatives or impregnate and sleep with their kids (so religion formed supporting taboos) today (I guess) they need space as idea to give some quasi-globalistic feel and "vision", advanced ideas etc. to cooperate like we and Japan, for example

will not add anything substantial to thread as my big space exploration days are over (but not support) so few thoughts you don't mind of course ; ...but generally first to buy ticket for Uranus and appluad our success, and of course do join us in pub - there is wide range of subjects here for you all... we need membership and internationalism here, so Bombast tried, i tried on other subjects i know about... do join us and help us become more successful than Musk both in space explore and online social media (he also used our last name and 100 dinars banknote face for his car factories, btw)

[Ale]

...if our international readers and space travelers do not mind small digression and since I mentioned old friend Pierce ; ...he was, among many future stars (on planet not space) also our invention beck in the late 80s. He filmed mini-series "Around the world in 80 days" back around here and our city and anecdote is that our filmmakers discovered him during making of that (also great international theme) film constantly shouting to him: "Hey, pretty boy don't just stand there. What do you think you are, some James Bond? Those scenery/coulisse is not gonna move by itself so give us a hand!" ...the rest is history and his career launched.... just one of the whole constellation of "Celtic stars" we recognized, Burton, him, Butler etc. many... hope we enter them freely sooner than we conquer Mars

like the story - we, England, Thailand and China (today not then as it was HK and Macau) as main locations. Example "par excellence" of international co-op, longer lasting.... generally we are still somewhere around idea to watch others "traveling around the world" on TV and reaching far planets like Thai ...btw, and not important, I noticed that on English lingo Wiki articles "many" international films that were filmed in Yugosarmatia, often is mentioned specific country and even location (for example Slovenia, Croatia even city) while in this particular case/article (while US experts say that it was mainly filmed in Belgrade and Serbia) while article says only "Yugoslavia" so why not separating it and mentioning explicitely like others - not important but noticeable ;

sorry for addition - think it is interesting for our wide international public - but nothing close to "translations" so you excuse and I finish with this post and i think generally related to cooperation and space exploration... but you know the "pub", someone says "was a good game..." and other says "my wife/life is so..." etc. so OK... most seriously and most proudly dream of a moment we and Thais to conquer Uranus together not for any selfish interest, for humanity... hope they join us, was a noble try

[Ale]

...to be back on track, earthly things and humans are our problem, while space much greater and glorious and common home, non-solar reader and friend... even wars (although bad) are not worst things - always know they finish sooner or later, worst things for humanity is that after wars finish states and populations remain...... ...more in line with line from some humoristic site (like uncyclopedia wiki) where it was said like "events in Ukraine raised high hopes around the world for possible ww3" and how much we humans like eachother... (even if 100 dinars is in question let alone global politics and mining Uranus)

aanyway and seriously want to add some impressions on topic, must say i missed many things in recent decades, not present in Sagan's books... like this (quasi, hope it is not artist or computer work)) photo from "Hubble" of well known HH object 24 i found recently while looking where to fly next... beautiful. HH objects are basically and my interpretation, lighter part of darker nebulosities brighter and might be connected to newly formed stars, collision of stellar emissions/ejecta with nearby clouds not more than few light years away, or more, really small ; it is also short lived as effect - no more than few 10000 of years, very short... it is also relatively close, just aproax. 1400 light years away... in Orion, as quasi-position based on our "sky maps" but it is in reality not there, those are our schemes... nice pic.

talking about it always admired that old and imaginative tribes (Mayas, Greeks, S'rbas...) all other over the world, for seeing such vivid forms and "pictures" in the sky like hunters, bears etc... must admit i hardly recognize any such forms in the night sky... second, did you know that "light-year theory i.e. definition" also uses Julian calendar ; but light years are really more "pop-astronomy" thing, pros - my collegues hm,hm - use parsecs as distance measure... never understood that light-year thing completely and light travel thing in that part that if i look at thing 1400 l-years away do i see it how it was then... but not important, i'll look online to remind myself on topics or at Sagan's classic i own

always welcome and like to talk it, and for some optimism. we go there... not sure if it is true color, infra-red, false ones, school kids color or else, but simply must interest you in subjects... if you need help, i am here to discuss. maybe i post some-pop article and own interpretation of space-things, but doubt... very hopeful - though it is about humanity not country - that we could have highest number of astronauts (and nebulosity travelers)) per capita in no more than 1000 light years seriously, for support of subject and (quasi) knowledge - and ultimately content, if you missed this one like me... do join, very interested to hear what's hot about space among younger population in your place... i believe that lasers are not optical/telescopic thing/effect but real gas beams maybe in some false color... think also our kids might like these, actually like local football games - so if properly directed...

[Ale]

so how can we relate stars and cosmical things (not to mix with cosmetics) to our situation on Earth, mainly on example of stellar evolution and phases etc.

first there is Europe, undobtedly and with little imagination translated into stars - our exemplary model of "white dwarf". Very old and nearing the end of line... although there is some vitality and hope for prolonging its shine/life, mainly in processes taking place in Ukraine & Russia (dual system with material exchange) and adding some fuel to nuclear processes of Europe's core, ocassional extra fusion that may enable Europe longer life and shine ) ....then it comes Asia, exemplary model of "yellow star" i.e. main-sequence, middle aged, almost mature and healthy star giving a lot of life around and to orbiting planets, generally stable and with nuclear processes under control, long way to go (except Japan... love you sis)). Although Asia - just visual perception phenomenon - might on some places appear a bit "reddish"....) Then there is typical "red giant" in our sector of universe - the America. Impressive looking and eye-catching but some may argue a bit inflated on the surface and style, arguably with unhealthy processes in its core - but cathing all attention and inflating proudly around ; Then there is Africa - our mysterious "black hole" - not so visible but powerful, so powerful that nothing can escape it, even light so no sign of light is visible from there (but most important and main one) And there is also Latina America but science argue if it is really star or some failed star that could end up like Jupiter, usually orbiting some other star that gives it life ....Australia and Oceania are not stellar mapped yet, there is no consensus if it is actually nebula and future star, or ex-supernova where many explosive events took place once....

satirical though a bit fastly written, could've added few lines here and there... no offense, colors were just great comical tool present indeed in star types, so do not take them as important, more humoristic part.... we are funny planet but with clear path.

on serious side of topic I want to add that Sagan, mentioned few times by me, said himself that one of virtues of "critical thinking" is sometimes avoiding "argument from authority" in that sense himself or any leading astro-scientists, simply we (he-he) might be wrong sometimes including cosmical conclusions and theories... Einstein at least masked it very good in his "relative theory" to avoid criticism... join us. (space-ally Thailand or else, i'm your man for all themes... but i finish here now with some smile, until something truly Saganian... i tried my all now)

[Bombast the Blue]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66594520

Very important achievement for India... potentially very important mission for the future of solar system manned exploration...
Let's cross fingers that the rover will also be able to perform well and do its scientific experiments.

[Bombast the Blue]

www.montanheiros.com/camoesproject/

CAM - Caving Analog Mission - for Ocean, Earth and Space Exploration.

Lava tubes.
There are some in the Azores and it seems there are similar structures in the Moon.
They are often referred as potential best spots to build Moon bases.
So, we are talking studying the next and definitive step to establish bug man on another "ball".
That is, if we don't blow this "ball" up even before we get the chance...