Just how massive this rocket is remains difficult to put in perspective -- the flame was probably the best indicator -- must have been amazing to see in person.
To put it in perspective. Artemis is 3km's away in this photo. The tower with the crane (i believe) is the Starship launch tower currently being built. That is 5km's away. In person, it was difficult to measure the flame at 2am. Initially it looked like a nuke was going off. The entire area was lit up for miles around. Once it cleared the pad, the flame was too bright to really focus on the size. It was similar to looking up at the sun. Also the sound is fascinating. Its not anything you can capture on audio. The craft is already up in the air for 30 seconds before you hear anything. It starts off as a dull distant roar and becomes increasingly loud and baffled. There is so much energy the air particles really have no where to go and creates a very interesting sound effect.
One of the craziest stats I remember hearing was that thing was guzzling 1500 gallons of fuel/propellant per second.
A comparison of rocket sizes. Note this was made in 2020 so well before the latest Artemis launch. Also the teaser shot isn't accurate as it's only a 2D comparison but has infor about each rocket.
Reading the comment section for Artemis news on Facebook is sooo entertaining. The amount of stupidity by flat earthers and moon landing deniers is astounding. I cannot believe how many people believe the Artemis launch was faked.
Live feed of the Japanese lunar landing, action should be happening in about 30+ minutes: https://www.youtube.com/live/CpR1UUnix3g?feature=share
I’m not getting a good vibe. They cut away from mission control reactions for a few minutes, and I guy just came back on saying, “We’re still investigating the landers status. So bear with us. Thank you for your patience. We’ll be right back.”
I work at the NBL, and got to meet Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman today. They were doing a suited run in the pool. Kick ass dudes. I make it a priority to make fun of Flat Earthers and Moon Landing Deniers on FB at least for 15-20 min per day. It is well worth it. Idiot Qanon dopes.
The commercial lander has had a problem. Doesn't look good. More at the link. Nuts. First U.S. lunar lander in more than 50 years rockets toward the moon — but suffers early glitch The Peregrine spacecraft should attempt a moon landing Feb. 23, but had to perform an "improvised maneuver" to charge its battery. an. 8, 2024, 3:28 AM CST / Updated Jan. 8, 2024, 1:20 PM CST / Source: The Associated Press By The Associated Press and Denise Chow CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first U.S. lunar lander in more than 50 years rocketed into space Monday, but encountered a problem shortly after launch that may prevent it from reaching the moon. The spacecraft, developed by a private company called Astrobotic Technology, lifted off at 2:18 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket. After safely separating from its booster, the lander encountered an issue likely caused by a propulsion failure that prevented it from “achieving a stable sun-pointing orientation” to charge its onboard battery, the company said in an update. The lander is on a roundabout route to the moon, with the company aiming to touch down on the lunar surface Feb. 23. Not long after publicizing the anomaly, the company said it performed an unspecified, “improvised maneuver” to reorient the spacecraft’s solar panels to face the sun. In another announcement less than an hour later, Astrobotic said the propulsion failure is now causing the spacecraft to run low on propellant. “The team is working to try and stabilize the loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture,” the company posted on X. “We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...rockets-moon-commercial-deliveries-rcna132790
Artemis II pushed back to Sept '25. Everything else shifts to the right as well. Pretty much expected.
