wowbagger's recent activity
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Comment on The Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next great observatory, is ready to launch Aug 30 in ~space
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Comment on The Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next great observatory, is ready to launch Aug 30 in ~space
wowbagger (edited )Link ParentI think there are two main reasons: Webb was in development (and being repeatedly delayed) for much longer, so it had more time to work its way into the public consciousness. By the time it...I think there are two main reasons:
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Webb was in development (and being repeatedly delayed) for much longer, so it had more time to work its way into the public consciousness. By the time it finally launched it felt like a real triumph against the odds. While Roman being ahead of schedule and under budget (and costing a third of what Webb did) are huge successes by NASA's standards, it doesn't allow nearly as much time to hype it up.
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Webb was a comparatively much larger step up than Roman, in a few visible ways. JWST has an extremely complex architecture with lots of interesting mechanisms, a cool hexagonal segmented mirror, and a huge multi-layer sunshield. By comparison, Roman is a return to a simple Hubble-style cylindrical design, so it's a lot less flashy. And with Webb launching just 5 years ago, it doesn't represent the same leap in technical capability that Webb did over Chandra or Spitzer 20 years before. I think if you're not constantly upping your game the public gets bored rather quickly – see the later Apollo missions for a great example of that.
NASA has spun up the PR machine for RST significantly more this year, and if you follow any of their accounts on social media you've probably seen some stuff about Roman. I'm also doing my best to spread the word by posting about it here and elsewhere. Hopefully once the images start rolling in there will be even more positive public attention!
Edit: forgot to mention Artemis! Naturally the moon missions suck a lot of oxygen out of the room. JWST didn't really have the same competition for airtime that Roman has had with Artemis II -
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Comment on The Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next great observatory, is ready to launch Aug 30 in ~space
wowbagger Link ParentI am a mere engineer and no astrophysicist, so I'm sure there are plenty of details I don't know. But as I understand it, the two will work in tandem. Infrared observations are easier to make from...I am a mere engineer and no astrophysicist, so I'm sure there are plenty of details I don't know. But as I understand it, the two will work in tandem. Infrared observations are easier to make from space because you don't have the atmosphere getting in the way. But on the ground, you have the luxury of a stable platform and practically unlimited space and mass to work with. In the end I imagine it evens out somewhat.
But Vera Rubin and Roman were recommended by the same astrophysics decadal survey in 2010, so scientists clearly see the need for both. There is no such thing as too much data when it comes to science – we don't know what we don't yet know.
There is also fierce demand for observing time on these telescopes. I think Roman is basically booked solid already for its entire 5-year mission, and it's not even operating yet.
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Comment on The Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next great observatory, is ready to launch Aug 30 in ~space
wowbagger (edited )LinkNASA is less than a month from the launch of their next flagship space telescope, named for the pioneering astronomer Nancy Grace Roman. It's an infrared survey telescope, meaning it will image...- Exemplary
NASA is less than a month from the launch of their next flagship space telescope, named for the pioneering astronomer Nancy Grace Roman. It's an infrared survey telescope, meaning it will image huge swaths of the sky in wavelengths best suited to study red-shifted objects (very far away). The amount of data we're going to get from this thing is truly insane: roughly 20 petabytes over the life of the mission, which is many orders of magnitude more than we will get from Hubble, or even the newer James Webb telescope. And all of it will be publicly available as soon as it's processed!
The enormous field of view will allow scientists to better understand dark matter and dark energy, by studying the large-scale structure of the universe and examining how galaxies have moved and distorted over time. Secondarily, the coronagraph instrument will let us see exoplanets that we previously haven't been able to, including ones corresponding to our own solar system (eg, gas giants in distant orbits).
I worked on this observatory for more than 5 years, doing structural analysis and helping out with integration and test. Here's me in the cleanroom at Goddard with the segment I worked on, called the Outer Barrel Assembly. This mission was up for cancellation at least four times, but in the end we finished it under budget and ahead of schedule – unheard of for a NASA Class A mission. I'll be down at Cape Canaveral at the end of next month to see it launch on a Falcon Heavy, and I'm so excited! I can't believe that something I poured years into and laid hands on is going to space, finally.
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The Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next great observatory, is ready to launch Aug 30
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Comment on NASA launched this spacecraft to save a satellite. Now, it needs saving too. in ~space
wowbagger Link ParentNo you're right, it's predicted to re-enter by the end of the year. The solution would have been to not wait all the way until last summer before starting work on a boost mission. One year is...No you're right, it's predicted to re-enter by the end of the year. The solution would have been to not wait all the way until last summer before starting work on a boost mission. One year is simply not enough time to design, build, and test a new spacecraft.
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Comment on NASA launched this spacecraft to save a satellite. Now, it needs saving too. in ~space
wowbagger LinkAn unfortunate side effect of breakneck spacecraft development, I'm afraid. In the article posted here prior to launch just over a month ago, the PI was bragging about the "unprecedented" pace of...An unfortunate side effect of breakneck spacecraft development, I'm afraid. In the article posted here prior to launch just over a month ago, the PI was bragging about the "unprecedented" pace of this mission, from zero to launch in under a year. Well, it turns out there's a reason we take the time to test these things. Kind of embarrassing to make statements like that and then lose both of your attitude control systems on-orbit.
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Comment on Toll roads are spreading in America in ~transport
wowbagger Link ParentHi, it's me, one of those drivers. When going home to Ohio from the DC area for the holidays, I will often opt to add more than an hour to the trip by taking the southern route through Cumberland...Hi, it's me, one of those drivers. When going home to Ohio from the DC area for the holidays, I will often opt to add more than an hour to the trip by taking the southern route through Cumberland instead of paying the usurious PA turnpike tolls.
I would take the train in a heartbeat if it was viable, but every time I look into it the itinerary is twice as long as driving and usually more expensive than a flight. A Greyhound would take many extra hours compared to driving either route. So in my case the toll is purely detrimental to the environment: all it does is incentivize me to use more gas.
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Comment on Messenger, a cute little 3d browser game in ~games
wowbagger Link ParentI found an in-game easter egg that seems to confirm this!I found an in-game easter egg that seems to confirm this!
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Comment on Draw a fish. Go on. Draw one. in ~games
wowbagger Link ParentI drew a jellyfish and got the same message. Didn't realize we were working with such a narrow definition here, jeez!I drew a jellyfish and got the same message. Didn't realize we were working with such a narrow definition here, jeez!
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Comment on Shouldn't somebody *stop* "Meta Superintelligence Labs"? in ~tech
wowbagger Link ParentI'm not convinced Elon himself actually wants to go to Mars, anyway. Crew Dragon has been flying for years, why hasn't he gone to space yet? Branson and Bezos both have...I'm not convinced Elon himself actually wants to go to Mars, anyway. Crew Dragon has been flying for years, why hasn't he gone to space yet? Branson and Bezos both have...
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Comment on The state of American men is — not so good in ~life.men
wowbagger Link ParentI'm also a young man who didn't realize this saying was a quote. It's been recited to me as received wisdom more than once, always from older women (aunts, grandmothers). The worst part is that...I'm also a young man who didn't realize this saying was a quote. It's been recited to me as received wisdom more than once, always from older women (aunts, grandmothers). The worst part is that they're pretty unambiguously calling you unattractive in the process.
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Comment on What's a new skill that you've picked up recently? in ~life
wowbagger Link ParentI took an "Audio Technology" class in high school and this is literally the only useful skill I learned from it. I'll almost certainly never need to adjust knobs on a sound board again, but damn...I took an "Audio Technology" class in high school and this is literally the only useful skill I learned from it. I'll almost certainly never need to adjust knobs on a sound board again, but damn is it cool to be able to toss a coiled extension cord across the yard and have it lay itself out neat and tidy. Over-under is something everyone should know!
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Comment on Georgia woman shares how she survived three weeks lost in the California Sierra Nevada mountains in ~life
wowbagger LinkAccording to the article she last talked to her family on "April 20th, at the start of what was supposed to be a three-day vacation before starting medical school." Yet she's last seen four days...According to the article she last talked to her family on "April 20th, at the start of what was supposed to be a three-day vacation before starting medical school." Yet she's last seen four days later, heading into the mountains. She abandons her bike in a blizzard at high elevation, continues over the pass on foot, is caught in an avalanche and swept off a cliff. She then hikes 17 miles deeper into the mountains with an injured leg.
The survival story is incredible, I'm just wondering what the hell she was doing there in the first place. Seems like maybe she was running away from something.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~enviro
wowbagger Link ParentThis also isn't anywhere near as bad as it can get. This was Magnitude 7.7 or so and averaged 3m of slip along a 500km fault.[1] The last Cascadia megathrust quake in 1700, the type that we know...- Exemplary
This also isn't anywhere near as bad as it can get. This was Magnitude 7.7 or so and averaged 3m of slip along a 500km fault.[1] The last Cascadia megathrust quake in 1700, the type that we know happen in the Pacific Northwest every 500 years or so, is estimated at Magnitude 9 (10x stronger, it's a log scale), averaging 20 meters of slip over more than a thousand kilometers![2]
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Comment on Evidence of controversial Planet 9 uncovered in sky surveys taken twenty-three years apart in ~space
wowbagger Link ParentI like to remind people that before New Horizons flew past in 2015, this was the clearest image we had of Pluto. That was taken with Hubble, the best tool we had available at the time. We...I like to remind people that before New Horizons flew past in 2015, this was the clearest image we had of Pluto. That was taken with Hubble, the best tool we had available at the time. We basically had no idea what it looked like until we sent a probe out there.
The proposed Planet 9 is much larger, yes, but it's 16 times further out than Pluto. That's so unbelievably far away. Even if we locate it definitively we most likely won't know much about it until (if) we can send a spacecraft.
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Comment on Thousands of falling satellites put the atmosphere at risk in ~enviro
wowbagger Link ParentThat 17 tonne number is daily, so roughly 6000 tonnes per year. 15% increase from the 40k annual baseline. And that's just Starlink. There are multiple constellations being built now.That 17 tonne number is daily, so roughly 6000 tonnes per year. 15% increase from the 40k annual baseline.
And that's just Starlink. There are multiple constellations being built now.
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Comment on What is a misconception you are passionate about and would like to clarify? in ~talk
wowbagger Link ParentMach Number is primarily used to identify the flow regime, so you know what approximations to use. The speed of sound is also the speed that information propagates in a fluid, and that heavily...Mach Number is primarily used to identify the flow regime, so you know what approximations to use. The speed of sound is also the speed that information propagates in a fluid, and that heavily influences how it behaves. Different assumptions need to be made depending on the Mach Number. The "Sound Barrier" is the point at which your vehicle is traveling faster than the air can react, which has all kinds of aerodynamic implications.
It's been quite a while since I did any aerodynamics but I seem to remember that it's also sometimes useful to non-dimensionalize the velocity when manipulating the Navier-Stokes Equations.
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Comment on What is a misconception you are passionate about and would like to clarify? in ~talk
wowbagger (edited )Link ParentMach Number is velocity divided by the speed of sound, my point is that you don't know the speed of sound without knowing the temperature, and it can vary a lot. As you go up in altitude and the...Mach Number is velocity divided by the speed of sound, my point is that you don't know the speed of sound without knowing the temperature, and it can vary a lot. As you go up in altitude and the air gets colder, the speed of sound drops, so your Mach Number will be higher than it would be at sea level at the same speed. And as you say, in space it's entirely meaningless.
Here's an example using the International Standard Atmosphere and the National Weather Service's Speed of Sound Calculator. Say you're in an SR-71 Blackbird, going Mach 3 at 20km above sea level. The temperature at that altitude is -56.5°C, so the speed of sound is only 295 m/s. You're going 885 m/s – pretty fast! But if you instead used the sea level value for speed of sound (343 m/s at 15°C), you might think you were going 1029 m/s. That's a 15% overestimate.
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Comment on What is a misconception you are passionate about and would like to clarify? in ~talk
wowbagger Link ParentAs a rule of thumb, larger planes are safer. If you're booking a scheduled flight on a passenger jet, even through a budget airline, you've got nothing to worry about (at least in the western...As a rule of thumb, larger planes are safer. If you're booking a scheduled flight on a passenger jet, even through a budget airline, you've got nothing to worry about (at least in the western world). Accident rates spike as aircraft size decreases – especially single-engine propeller planes. That's not to say all air taxis and sightseeing companies are death traps, but statistically the risk is much higher. Even if a charter airline is doing everything in its power to promote safe operations, the margins of safety are tighter and the consequences when something goes wrong are often much more severe. It's an inherent risk that can't be entirely avoided except by not flying on small aircraft. Personally I would only ride an air taxi if I had no other options, I would hesitate to take a sightseeing flight at all, and unless I am being rescued from something I will never set foot in a helicopter.
Many orders of magnitude more than Hubble, but probably only one order of magnitude more than JWST. Here's an infographic comparing the three. Keep in mind that's just for the initial primary mission of 5 years, though. JW is expected to last closer to 20, and I suspect Roman will have a similar lifespan. So the difference will be even greater by the time they're decommissioned.
You are right that too much data is a problem! That's one of the motivations for making everything publicly available immediately, rather than the one-year lockup period that Webb has. NASA is hoping that scientists will be able to come up with methods to sort through the data and find interesting things, most likely using machine learning and AI. You definitely can't look through 20 petabytes using human eyes alone.