Space exploration: Where do we go from here?

[MichVandal]

SpaceX is the worst (big) company I have come across for work-life balance. Startups are a whole different ballgame. When we moved to Florida, my wife was looking for a job and came across a posting for a position working launches at the cape. Right on the job description, it said to expect 60-hour weeks, minimum. And yet, SpaceX routinely shows up as #1, by far, in lists of companies that STEM undergrads say they want to work for. Most burn out long before they spawn - they never even have a chance to meet someone.

Musk treats his human capital as far more disposable than his rockets.

On a side note- are there any aerospace companies that are sucking up all of these former SpaceX people? And then treating and paying them fairly? Seems like there would be a glut of huge talent that would not need any re-training. Heck of an investment.

[RaceBoarder]

SpaceX is the worst (big) company I have come across for work-life balance. Startups are a whole different ballgame. When we moved to Florida, my wife was looking for a job and came across a posting for a position working launches at the cape. Right on the job description, it said to expect 60-hour weeks, minimum. And yet, SpaceX routinely shows up as #1, by far, in lists of companies that STEM undergrads say they want to work for. Most burn out long before they spawn - they never even have a chance to meet someone.

Musk treats his human capital as far more disposable than his rockets.

From what Geoff has posted in the past, that seems to be the norm industry wide. I know he has posted numerous times at how demanding his own schedule can be.

[Kepler]

Wow.

[MichVandal]

Video of landing- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4czj...b_channel=NASA

[aparch]

I know its nothing special, but the audio of the wind noise into the microphone that they released was amazing to hear. It's the first audio on the surface of another planet!!! My inner geek is screaming! This mission has been amazing, and they're only four sol's into the mission.

[MichVandal]

I know its nothing special, but the audio of the wind noise into the microphone that they released was amazing to hear. It's the first audio on the surface of another planet!!! My inner geek is screaming! This mission has been amazing, and they're only four sol's into the mission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtNe...VideoFromSpace

You are not the only one nerding out.

[Kepler]

These are amazing. The definition of the landing footage is stunning.

[MichVandal]

These are amazing. The definition of the landing footage is stunning.

I thought I heard that they used really good commercial cameras for that work. Which would mean space spec GoPros. Or something like that. That's one of the best parts about modern launches is seeing the very clear cameras that are all over the rockets. Seeing this landing like that is... well.. hard to describe how cool that is.

[MichVandal]

Rocket scientists are nerds- https://observablehq.com/@dmadisetti...ance-parachute

[LynahFan]

Only tangentially related to space, but highly related to nerds:

Did you hear about the two antennae who got married? The wedding was okay, but the reception was amazing!

[Kepler]

This is adorable.

Perseverance has a stick figure family of all the Mars rovers:

[Slap Shot]

[BassAle]

I thought I heard that they used really good commercial cameras for that work. Which would mean space spec GoPros. Or something like that. That's one of the best parts about modern launches is seeing the very clear cameras that are all over the rockets. Seeing this landing like that is... well.. hard to describe how cool that is.

https://link.springer.com/article/10...14-020-00765-9

[MichVandal]

https://link.springer.com/article/10...14-020-00765-9

You know the other thing that's pretty amazing- how far we have come WRT space rated memory. The radiation requirements in space, especially around Mars, is MUCH worse than it is here (gotta love the magnetic field we have). So to be able to store all of that data is a significant undertaking.

Makes me wonder if they have changed the data format some more to get more info in a smaller memory space, too.

All of this advancement does help all of us on a commercial basis.

Let alone the solar, and power storage, etc.

[dxmnkd316]

This is adorable.

Perseverance has a stick figure family of all the Mars rovers:

It’s like that ape-to-man progression... likely not by accident.