Artemis 1 29AUG@Cape Canaveral

Thank you for the recc, but I just checked their website and they are booked for the night before the launch. Not surprisingly.

I'd be happy with just getting as close as Orlando TBH. We're not strangers to getting up and running early for an event like this. We got on the road at 3am from the hotel in Nebraska to the viewing spot I had picked out near Glendo Lake, WY when we went to see the eclipse a couple of years ago. The one in 2024 is going to be a total eclipse in my front yard.

 

And I’m planning on bringing a tent to come see it

 

Come on down!

 

If I didn’t have my brother staying in my spare room I would have put you all up for the night. He just got hired with Southwest so he’s staying with me till he gets sorted . Although now I think about it my cats would probably freak out with a dog. I don’t think they have ever seen one. Lol

 

Make sure to lok for poop before you put your tent down.

in case he brings his work home...

 

Unfortunately, Dobby has seen a cat. It wasn't pretty. Good thing dogs aren't good tree climbers!

 

If there’s none there before we set up camp, you can be sure there will be when we break camp.

 

Where ever I'm scooping, I just throw it into the neighbor's yard and leave a card.

 

Wow beautiful dog

 

Yeah, after reading a bit more about the progress of the program, I've decided that we're not going to make the drive down for this.

Specifically, reading about what NASA calls a Wet Dress Rehearsal, where they full-on test every single system all the way up to the famous 10 second countdown.

Turns out, NASA has tried this 4 different times without making it all the way to T-10. Each time there's been a mission critical failure in one system or another. The 4th one they got to T-23 and had a failure and curiously called it 'close enough' and called the WDR a success.

Maybe an unmanned mission is somewhat less crucial? That makes sense in a way, but before I strapped my ass in a rocket I'd damn sure want it to have a decent amount of successful launches.

Anyway. We can't just hang out for a week if the primary window gets scrubbed.

I think we'll wait and see if that African-American guy can make something take off from South Texas. I hear he's got a much bigger rocket.

Wait... That didn't sound right...

 

The Mini Missions Aboard the Artemis Rocket Pack a Big Punch
"Ten tiny satellites will be hitching a ride en route to the moon, each with scientific objectives of their own"

https://www.wired.com/story/the-min...-rocket-pack-a-big-punch/?mbid=social_twitter

 

I’m reading there was a hydrogen fuel leak and it may be delayed. Just a heads up.

 

Yep.

Another issue found:

"Teams also are assessing what appears to be a crack in the thermal protection system material on one of the flanges on the core stage. The flanges are connection joints that function like a seam on a shirt, are affixed at the top and bottom of the intertank so the two tanks can be attached to it."

The NASA page is pretty good at detailing the issues and the descriptions for normal folk.
https://www.nasa.gov/content/live-coverage-of-nasas-artemis-i-mission-to-the-moon

 

Leak might be OK if it’s from a seal but if it’s from a crack that would likely scrub it. Also heard one of the engines isn’t cycling hydrogen. Not sure how “reconfiguring” it will fix it but that’s what they are trying now.

why using hydrogen as a fuel is hard. It’s small and leaks. The South African prefers methane and also hates flanges and he still blows things up

 

Now a crack on a feel tank flange.....be careful fellas.

 

Jesus. Just send someone to the pad to hit the bleed valve with a mallet already. Let’s get this thing lit

 

Flight has been scrubbed for today

Engine 3 Bleed issue

 

Glad I didn't end up going to FL for this

 

Yep!

 

This is par for the course which is why I kinda poo poo'd your trip