When I worked at #KSC, I was always asked by members of the public, "When can I go into space?"
That era has begun. Today is the second purely private American crew flight to #ISS. #AxiomSpace will launch a crew of four with #SpaceX from Pad 39A. The crew will be led by former #NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, now an Axiom employee.
@WordsmithFL when i was young, i was fascinated by the idea of space travel.
now that i've watched enough space movies about all the permutations space travel could take, may take, & all the fucked up ways you could die in space, etc. i'm like 'nah, i'm good'.
@singlemaltgirl It's no different from the earliest sailing ships set out to explore the oceans, when pioneers set out in covered wagons, or barnstorming aviators first tried to cross the oceans. We need to go thrown the "painful growth" period to get to the point where it becomes routine. It's okay to let others go first. 😉
@clong do you mean me? i'm covered since i'm having orange popsicles 😜 😂 or do you mean these space travelers? if it's the space cadets, they're on their own. not my circus...
We do get something like "space scurvy." Long-time exposure to microgravity cause a loss of bone density and muscle mass. The body urinates out much of the calcium in your system.
We're just now starting to grow food on the #ISS, but we're a long way from growing lemons and oranges and whatnot.
@WordsmithFL i'd heard about the bone density. there was just a study released too, that women's bodies are better for space travel b/c they're smaller, need less fuel as a result, etc. but calcium & bone density is a particular issue for women in later life. i guess figuring out how to deal w/ gravity so that you can build or maintain density & muscle mass on long voyages is the next challenge. 🤔
@singlemaltgirl @clong Remember the old sci-fi movie "Mars Needs Women"?
Another problem with long-term microgravity is it causes eye damage. Bodily fluids float up into the skull and create pressure on an optical nerve. Some astronauts recover their vision, others don't.
But it only happens to the men!
The nerve is smaller in women, so apparently that's why they don't suffer the phenomenon.
@WordsmithFL @singlemaltgirl kinda some offshoot questions here, but is Florida the only launch site in the US? I thought there was one on the West coast. And does Russia only launch during summer months?
@clong @singlemaltgirl A lot more than you might suspect!
https://www.faa.gov/space/spaceports_by_state
Most of these are licensed commercial spaceports but they're not actually used for launches ... Warning, more pontification incoming ... (1/x)
@clong @singlemaltgirl Launch site is determined by many factors.
The closer to the equator, the more boost from Earth's rotation -- if you're launching in parallel with the equator -- so U.S. launch sites tend to be further south.
But it also depends on your destination. Spy satellites typically go in a polar orbit (over the poles), so no boost from Earth's rotation ... (2/x)
Until recently, you always want to launch over water because, if your rocket blows up, it falls on land where people might be. That's why KSC (launch to the east) and Vandenberg (launch to the west) are the most common launch sites for orbital launches ... Launching to the west goes against Earth's rotation so not used for that, just polar launches ... (3/x)
@clong @singlemaltgirl #BlueOrigin suborbital tourism flights launch in Van Horn TX. Straight up and down, about 60 miles, out in the desert, so little concern about falling on populate land.
The same with Virgin Galactic in Truth of Consequences NM. That's a space plane that takes off from/lands on a runway. (4/x)
It's a complicated question. I just read that #SpaceX may get to do equatorial launches east from Vandenberg because the Falcon 9 can return to the launch site and land. That would be a first.
Okay, pontification over. (5/5)
Oh, you asked if Russia only launches during the summer. Nyet! The Soyuz system is quite robust. They've launched in snow storms. Quite beautiful to watch.
They just opened a new launch site, Vostochny Cosmodrome, in the Russian Far East. Baikonur is in Kazakhstan, another nation, so they're afraid of losing it.
@WordsmithFL @singlemaltgirl Russia’s fought tooth and nail for equator real estate. Blizzard launch sounds fun.
@singlemaltgirl I understand. I was just pontificating. It was my job for ten years at KSC.
@WordsmithFL oh, you pontificate away. i suspect there are many peeps who will pay good money to do this, now, w/ all its uncertainty.
there are plenty of early adopters out there. they spend their $$ like its burning a hole in their pocket just to say they got in first. good for them.
the world needs them.
the world also needs survivors so that's what i'm aiming for. 😉 😜
@singlemaltgirl I worked for many years with retired astronauts who came in to lecture, so I've heard it all. I'd be happy for one or two orbits, but that's about it.
I'd take guests to see the "space toilet" and explain how to use it in microgravity. That usually dissuaded the romantics when they realized a "misfire" would float around the cabin.
@WordsmithFL i'm def not the beta tester. i'm waiting till they've figured shit out. in the meantime, i'll be over here on my lily pad sucking on a
or eating some 🍰.😜