I've come to appreciate boring hotfires. Our BE-7 team recently completed a 2,500 second hotfire test at 10klbf on a development engine, setting the record for the longest-duration turbo pump-fed liquid rocket engine hotfire. This built on some of the most rigorous testing in the history of propulsion, with the previous record set by the RS-25 engine that powered the Space Shuttle. They recorded two 2,017 second tests in 1988. It's not lost on us that we're following a path those engineers blazed, and we're grateful for it. Grab the popcorn and enjoy watching 41 minutes of hotfire goodness.
Some LC-36 updates. Now that we’ve had access to the pad and integration facility we can share a bit of good news. The propellant farm, oxygen, liquid hydrogen and LNG tanks are all in good shape. This is good luck because these are very long lead items. The water tower is also good. The big support tower is damaged, but it can be repaired in place rather than torn down and replaced. The booster “Never Tell Me The Odds” and the three GS-2s that were onsite in the integration facility also look good.
I’ve seen some speculation that we might move directly to the 9x4 configuration, but we won’t do that. Rate manufacturing of 7x2 is going well, and we’re going to continue that at pace as planned and store the stages for use. In addition, we had already been working for some time on eliminating our transporter-erector in favor of an alternative vertical conop, and we’ll now go directly to that; so we don’t need a new transporter-erector.
We will fly again before the end of this year. Gradatim Ferociter.
A full-scale prototype of the crew cabin of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 crew lander is now operational for training and testing at @nasa_johnson!
Read how we will be using this crew cabin for simulations to prepare for future Artemis missions >> https://t.co/Lo5tcckxUT
Congrats to Blue Origin on the third launch of New Glenn — their first with a reused booster, and their second successful booster landing at sea. Wow.
Payload’s another story. AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellite was placed into an “off-nominal orbit.”
As an old time baseball curmudgeon, I can attest that ABS is great. The near instant gratification and limited tries per team are like a game within the game.
Also it’s easy to be confident that umps are wrong but I’ve been surprised how much they’re more right than I am.
There are moments that offer a pretty good sense that something new is going to work. This feels like one for ABS. The Cincinnati crowd’s reaction was thunderous. And the situation itself — twice it salvaged a bases-loaded opportunity. This system plays.
Dave Cameron, who taught #Mariners fans about analytics at USS Mariner, now helps shape the M's roster. And in fact, he and another former "blogfather" were instrumental in completing Seattle's Brendan Donovan trade. @shannondrayer has the story.
https://t.co/ZQVyCm01am
A brew crew style powder blue variant would be fun! But trident!!! Don’t ever lose that trident. If you’re done with it as a city connect then pull it into the main kit system please!
@The_Couch_GM@Kevin_Martinez@933KJR@Softykjr Just optimize what you have. Best uniform M’s ever had. Don’t lose the blue and gold and trident. Lettering on jersey is spot on.
Skip black pants.
@Softykjr I still wear it btw. (The compass look). I’ll wear it as long as the team does and I’ll wear it as a throwback if they ever move on. It’s Griffey’s look so it’s part of the legacy. But… sooo 90’s!
@Softykjr Black pants aside, the M’s city connects are the BEST uni by far. A whole kit with home whites and those letters (or sure Sunday creams) would be ace.
Sorry but the compass teal system is so dated now. The most 90’s look in baseball.