Why Does it take BepiColombo 7 Years To Get To Mercury?

And other questions people have been asking me about this european space agency mission. It'll take 7 years to get to Mercury and then reach a lower orbit than MESSENGER with more payload.

[@petlahk4119]

Someone designed this entire mission in KSP. You can tell because they went with Ion engines and a half-dozen or so assists.

[@Draugo]

Let's hope they remembered to check their staging

[@screwaccountnames]

Think of all the science! The multiplier for experiments in space near Mercury is insane, and then you get all the different biomes!

[@nathanaelvetters2684]

Wait, who uses multiple gravity assists in KSP? The mission planning required for that...

[@martinborgen]

yeah, ksp is the opposite of many assisits, unless your youtube channel haas more than a few thousand subscribers

[@NoNameAtAll2]

@@nathanaelvetters2684 Kerbin-Eve-Kerbin-Kerbin-Jool is supposedly easy gravi maneuver

[@deusexaethera]

TL;DR: Because going from Earth to Mercury is equivalent to falling down a _57 million mile_ cliff and trying to land softly at the bottom. The spacecraft has to bleed-off a huge amount of potential energy that it has by virtue of being built on Earth, it's totally impractical to carry enough fuel to use rockets to slow down that much, and there aren't many places between Earth and Mercury where a spacecraft can do a gravitational-momentum-transfer maneuver to bleed off energy. So it has to take the long way around.

[@deusexaethera]

I did actually watch, btw. Scott's videos are always interesting. But I already knew the answer to this one, so I thought I'd help-out anyone who is too ADHD to watch the whole thing. :)

[@rushoffman965]

@@deusexaethera thx my dude

[@a2broslol]

TL;DW :)

[@Filip_Phreriks]

@@deusexaethera Much appreciated

[@charadremur333]

@@a2broslol lol

[@thirteenthandy]

I hope you post more videos before 2025.

[@Argysh]

Next week on goodfriday would be a good time for a follow up video when the first and only earth flyby happens. Scott should be able to see it from LA at approx 05:36 UTC right after it re-emerges from Earths shadow. It'll be at a minimal range of 27,000 km for someone in LA. South American observers will also be able to see it before it enters the shadow.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

That multi assist animation was gorgeous

[@manictiger]

I can't begin to comprehend the amount of equations and thinking (thrust placement, fuel weight) it took to plan this venture. They probably have like 40 different contingency plans, too, because just a little bit of asteroid dust and this thing's going to be off-course.

[@TheBowersj]

@@manictiger it's fake get over it

[@manictiger]

@Guy Fawkes Yeah yeah and the Earth is flat, sure.

[@etbadaboum]

Imagine doing it in pre-Copernician coordinates, just for fun

[@die1mayer]

+manictiger The dust is hardly a problem, if you consider the ernormous distances in the solar system and the probability of a collision. The probability was much higher on that Pluto mission by NASA, in which it was discovered late in the mission that Pluto's orbit was filled with debris. The contingency plan was to use the radar dish as makeshift shield shortly before impact, but such an event would have most likely destroyed core components of the space proce and thus lead to a total loss. (unsurprising seeing the speeds involved and the casing being made of foil)

[@maan7715]

I am really disappointed by the lack of a lander now that I know that it was considered. I know it might not worth it from a science point of view, but I think it's a great stepping stone for humanity every time we land on a new planet in the solar system and send photos back home.

[@K1lostream]

I'm sure they wanted to as well, and I don't suppose the decision to drop it was taken lightly, but they're already having to jettison part of it to get 'stopped', let alone having to stop the lander bit as well - I share in the disappointment, but I'm sure it's solid technical reasons and not some foolish lack of consideration of the aesthetic and inspirational aspects that lies behind the decision.

[@SirZeu]

hopefully they will try a soft landing once the space craft is close to his end mission

[@maan7715]

@K1lostream Remember, the Juno cam was almost not included , because a mere optical imager was deemed not important enough from a scientific point of view. So who knows.

[@blahfasel2000]

CageReview: Ain't gonna happen. This isn't some small asteroid with barely noticeable gravity, where orbital velocities are so slow that you can basically just make your orbit intersect the surface and that's it, and your biggest concern is not bouncing off again after you have landed. Mercury is a proper planet, slowing down to land would take orders of magnitude more delta-V than the probe has available at that point.

[@nathanaelvetters2684]

Guys, let's not forget that it would take over 3 kilometers per second of delta v to land on Mercury from low Mercury orbit. It's barely able to get down to that orbit to begin with.

[@augustvctjuh8423]

So apparently my uncle was the project manager of this epic mission. I had no idea he was such a badass!!

[@SFSAtlas]

Nice!

[@matisiekierka6105]

Awesome

[@PWALPOCO]

Greetings from Madrid, Spain - I am not far from the ESAC site at Villafranca Del Castillo where friends were working on the planning for this mission. As we speak, inside the JAXA element of the mission, embeded in the memory of one of the systems there is a video of myself and a few others singing Bohemian Rhapsody at a Karaoke place not far from the Sunshine 60 tower in Ikebukuru, Tokyo. Why my esteemed Japanese friends did that I am not sure, but it's my 5 minutes of fame and I love it. Man, that slow spiral to Mercury is tricky ... the sun forever pulling Bepi in closer and closer ... always easier to go outwards than in, I hope my digital copy doesn't get too toasty!!

[@kspencerian]

BepiColombo helped me appreciate why getting to Moho in Kerbal Space Program was so difficult. KSP allows somewhat overpowered spacecraft. But even these aren't enough against the sheer speed you build up in reaching Moho. It's why BC is doing the slow route. I'd love to try to emulate this in KSP but I understand the scale of the system doesn't emulate the gravity assists as well. But still, might be fun.

[@whereswa11y]

Colombo always walked away and came back :"one more thing" So maybe BepiColombo is doing that. ie gravity assists to slow down...

[@Duncan_Idaho_Potato]

Lol, I'm glad I'm not the only old here thinking the same thing. Columbo was really something unique: a detective that carefully, brilliantly, charmingly ANNOYS bad guys into confessing their crimes. We need a reboot! RIP Peter Falk.

[@openmythirdeye]

Add in the cigar and sweet duster and you got me

[@lake258]

It's a shame the guy never was promoted further than a lieutenant!

[@edwardokaa]

Cut to Venus confessing to the murder of Pioneer 13.

[@marcopederzoli4939]

wasn't Steve jobs the one saying "one more thing"?

[@oregonsbragia]

So it will actually arrive in 3 years, but to slow down enough for orbit it will take 7 years. Makes sense. Thanks!

[@JeffreyBue_imtxsmoke]

I was watching the ESA youtube vid about this the other day and was asking "why" it was gonna take 7 years for this probe to reach Mercury and as usual... Scott comes through again!!! thanks brother!!!

[@YamiOni]

The Gravity Assist animation was very helpful in explaining the entire process. Much appreciated.

[@_Agosto_]

Bepi Colombo UniPD pride! "Bepi" is a very common nickname for "Giuseppe" in Veneto

[@ciano5475]

I was searching for this comment, I'm from Padua too. :D And I'm very proud that they picked the Venetian nickname.

[@HectyPizza]

Bella lì

[@TomasAntonioLopez97]

Imagine this thing being named "BeppeColombo" instead. I would have laughed my ass off at it.

[@MrInsideEye]

I started aerospace engineering in Padua 3 weeks ago and I already feel like I'm part of the team Go Bepi!

[@RamiKattan]

I'm also a proud graduate of Padova University... Computer engineer and KSP fan.

[@Karibanu]

Hats off to whoever worked out that trajectory, it makes my head hurt considering how you'd have to go about it...

[@ApolloWasReal]

One of the things that the movie "The Martian" really got right is that space navigation is mostly about velocity and not very much about altitude (or position). But the common misconception persists, which is why people have a hard time understanding why, given how close Mercury is in distance, that it takes so long to get into its orbit.

[@mr.sandman4782]

Thanks for making these videos because I'm dumb and need explaining and also it hard to keep up with the space news. Loved the video, keep them coming

[@thehouseofspoons5511]

My father worked on the BepiColombo satellite, been watching your channel for a while now so thank you for the kick you gave my father by making these videos. I love to see it

[@z3lop59]

Hey! I study physics at the uni of Brunswick where they developed parts of the spacecraft! Everyone here is quite excited about it!

[@braylonvuong8445]

Well, guess I’ll check back once I graduate from college!

[@XH1927]

Real talk: take that loan and start a business, do not go to college.

[@charadremur333]

@@XH1927 amen

[@stealthcactus]

How’s school going?

[@MoniQue1995sco]

I love your videos so much! Keep them coming! ❤

[@feynstein1004]

This was an excellent video. Liked. I wish there were more space missions. There's an entire universe out there to explore and colonize :)

[@ChAnimations]

When I read about BepiColombo on german news Tagesschau I was really shocked about the poor article, they claimed that BepiColombo would land on Mercury on 2025 and didn't really mention much more detail.

[@FukU2222]

Scott - kinda random, but could you do a video on data acquisition//sensors used for missions like this? As an auto technician it intrigues me to wonder what kind of sample/refresh rate they would be working with both on a local level (aboard the craft) and at mission control. I know when you are logging parameters via CANBUS//OBD in a car or in any ECM, the more parameters you are logging/retrieving the slower the refresh rate gets. Would be interesting to know about, sorry if you've already done a vid on this too, am a relatively fresh subscriber, heh.... Cheers, from Vinland.

[@almafuertegmailcom]

The refresh rate issues you suffer with cars has more to do with the backwards ways things are done in the auto industry (because of a million reasons, backwards compatibility, cost savings, and the general "good enough for our needs" rule). Basically, sensors themselves operate a lot faster than you see them, but of course, you're getting the values the ECU is pulling, and it's the ECU and the shitty bus slowing you down. Super-crappy temperature sensors (the kind you get for less than a dollar a piece buying bulk) have a refresh rate around 2hz, meaning you could poll them once a second, that's the low-end, spend just a little bit more, and you've got more accurate sensors with a 10-20Hz refresh rate. If you have a proper RTOS, enough IRQs and data lines, and a decent processor, you can poll hundreds of sensors with very low latency and high refresh rates. In fact, you CAN get better in the auto industry, but you've got to get an expensive racing-ready ECU. Many manufacturers actually cap cheaper ECUs so you can't use them for making complex real-time calculations, because basically their el-cheapo and the super-mega-racing versions are the same hardware, and they want to sell you the expensive one if you're gonna use it in racing. Regarding what they get at mission control, they're fucked over by latency (around 7 minutes to mercury) and by bandwidth (you're very far away, and you have to get the most out of every watt you have), so they often try to transmit exactly what they need, and often also start cutting capabilities further and further as the mission progresses and becomes more constrained because of reduced power.

[@cuteraptor42]

I know it's a quite old post but here is a reply as a space technician: Nowadays satellites manufacturers try to use SpaceWire network inside the satellite (Standard with hardware and protocol specifications made by ESA up to 600 MBps) and soon SpaceFibre (2.5 - 40 GBps). It's a quite robust protocol for space application but a lot of other manufacturers prefer still using Ethernet, 1553, UART or RS-422/485 with some CRC to ensure data integrity. Data flow inside the satellite can be high (multiple frames per seconds) for some instruments like a star tracker but it's filtered, processed and only the orientation values are refreshed maybe once per 5s in the end. Temperature sensor may also be sampled multiples times per second but filtered and sent once per minute only as a mean (or median) value. Regarding the cameras for the flyby on bepi for example, they can burst images quite quickly and fill a buffer of 64 images but the link to earth is slow and need to be used for hours or days to be transferred entirely. Usually all instruments are either configured to just send some housekeeping datas to check that parameters are inside the correct range (once per sec to once per 10min), only errors or stats are useful to be logged and can be transferred back to earth, either bursting a lot of data inside memories or at the on-board computer during critical phases. For deep space missions, it's usually preferred to process and filter data on the satellite before sending them to earth because of all the limitations of bandwidth. While keeping a way to access part of the raw data later if needed. I don't really know what kind of refresh rate are received at mission control but it would be interesting to know a bit more.

[@darth856]

Great video, Scott. The first Mercury flyby is coming up tomorrow. Exciting times.

[@Samizdata]

Lovely presentation and good data as always!

[@snoortpod6462]

That's a very interesting game of ping pong in getting to Mercury.

[@Live.Vibe.Lasers]

Scott, you have all the answers to my questions before I even get a chance to research them myself. Get out of my head!

[@qerfqbAZRE]

I love your channel dude !

[@TheCaluha]

just read the article 2 days ago. since english is not my native language i had a hard time to understand. first thing that came into my mind was: "hopefully scott is making a video about it" :D gretting from germany

[@benistingray6097]

What a violent start. Crazy how fast the first acceleration is after igniting!

[@freeman2399]

Baby Columbo, can't get that image out of my head.

[@EikeHenning]

Maybe you should write a book. Like Space for Dummies . Like your videos a lot!

[@HectyPizza]

I’m from Padua! And I love your channel Scott 💪🏽

[@scottmanley]

I visited there once!

[@mrpicky1868]

few vlogers actualy do the good work for viewers. thank you!

[@darthelooi8021]

I just love your videos!

[@asicdathens]

In the comments section of an article about this launch someone ( Musk fanboy) asked why SpaceX wasn't chosen - they could have cut the trip in months. Somehow people are convinced that E. Musk can bend the laws of physics and reinvent Newtonian mechanics. The article was in space .com btw.

[@RoySchl]

if you have enough money, of course, you can shorten the trips time like crazy, just shoot enough deltaV up there, maybe with multiple launches docking/refuelling stuff in orbit. It's not the laws of physics that make those trips long, it's the tiny budget for space exploration that forces them to do it like this, to save on cost.

[@blahfasel2000]

Even if you had more money, you would probably put it into sending a bigger (or multiple) spacecraft instead of cutting down the travel time. The expected science isn't some humanity saving, "need to get it yesterday" stuff, waiting a few years for it isn't really a problem (you don't need that much permanent support staff on the ground during the cruise phase of the mission, compared to the total mission cost this is miniscule).

[@RoySchl]

what would realistically be done is another question, but OP made it sound like the laws of physics prevent us from getting there (or anywhere) faster, which is false. Also once we would have put enough money into a space infrastructure with mining, living, working in space, and a flight to orbit being as routine as a flight to another continent today, i think you would also make sending probes to mercury much faster, just because there is not much reason to do it slow anymore.

[@5Andysalive]

Elon Musk is the Chuck Norris of space. For some at least. Funny how people can be fans of a rocket (find that still weird) but never ever get some level of interest and knowledge in the topic.

[@ale131296]

@@RoySchl Well, I know about a law of physics that imposes a limit on the velocity you can travel :)

[@cgweycbuweyuv]

Someone said "Giuseppi"? Thx Scott, always interesting contents.

[@ltr4300]

Thank you for normalizing the camera angle. Much more comfortable to watch.

[@Zarcondeegrissom]

Ah yes. Every time I get frustrated by the lack of fault-system info around the Tharsis region and basic geology of Mars, I can remind myself that on Mercury real geology happens that does not have basic research sidelined in favor of looking for signs of life on a rock that has no magnetic field to protect the surface from solar radiation, lol. For once I think I am excited about a mission, and I suspect BepiColombo will result in a better geological understanding of Mercury then the past twelve years of Mars missions have provided of Mars. MRO has been in orbit for twelve years, and still not a single GPR pass of Valles Marineris, My best wishes for BepiColombo and team. B) Great vid Scott and crew. B)

[@R_Nedza]

I wonder what launch mass would have been like for a vehicle capable of of using propulsion as a main method of approach? Thanks for this interesting update Scott.

[@PTuffduty]

thanks! very thorough.

[@brucegoodwin634]

Impressive mission! Viva BepiColombo!

[@Raging_H2O]

7:20 no i can't wait till 2025 for your next video ;_;

[@robertlinke2666]

i was thinking the same

[@Gremlins422]

I interpreted that as scott manley being scott manley until 2025.

[@piteoswaldo]

In 2025 he will switch his name to Hermes Manley.

[@charlese2412]

Can you do a video on the Artificial Moon that China is trying to send up? Maybe also talk about the failed version Russia tried to launch in 1999?

[@therookie9276]

China's imagination is going too far lol

[@TeddyKrimsony]

you mean the Znamya? the first 2 were a success but the third one was torn by the Soyuz

[@freesaxon6835]

Ha just read your post, I suggested the same

[@Supergecko8]

Is this a troll?

[@robertlinke2666]

nope, China is actually trying to send an atrificial moon, to reflect sunlight onto area's to help reduce energy requirements for certain cities

[@chrispowers3636]

Mr. Manley do you have any idea what the minimum altitude of the second to last Messenger orbit was? Would be cool if it came down to a few meters above the surface at orbital velocity.

[@bat2293]

Looking forward to your 2025 edition of the BepiColumbo report!

[@chrictonj9503]

2025. And your age then? I'll be some 70 years. Will I be around for future space ventures? I certainly hope so.

[@polarisgemini52]

Hi there! I hope you are around to see the Mars landing and beginning of colonisation

[@XxKINGatLIFExX]

No no no you have to make another video before 2025 Scott. I can't wait that long.

[@kelvinyang7475]

Basically you can buy delta v with fuel or with time and computing

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

I like how the lander would've had a "tethered minirover" that sounds cute. Now I want a tethered minirover...

[@uglyduckling81]

How much did the orbit change each time it went around? With no atmosphere I can image it screaming by the planet a few times 50m from the ground.

[@chrismusix5669]

How exactly do they do the calculations for these slingshots anyway? Is it mostly done by computers now? How would someone approach the calculations necessary to do this with a slide-rule?

[@t65bx25]

Could you do a video on the New Horizons rendezvous set for Jan. 1, 2019?

[@thom3124]

Why is the CM missing from your Saturn 5 model?

[@Wdomino]

ahh, that animation makes so much more sense now why it will take 7 years. I hope space exploration will evolve to make these ventures more possible and hopefully a lander once. I think we can learn a lot more of Mercury with this.

[@BsKB1000]

Another great and very informative video, Scott!! Love 'em!! On a sidenote; shouldn't it be BeppeColombo, if it originated as Guiseppe?

[@BsKB1000]

I now see some comments that Bepi is the right 'abbreviation'. Sorry, my bad!

[@ToddWaters_tw]

Thank you

[@ruthmoreton6975]

A friend of mine actually worked on this and was at the launch!

[@GhostFlashDrew]

thank you Scott :D

[@crowdinggalaxy8236]

Very interesting vid

[@johnmontgomery560]

Could you do a video on how space craft navigate. On Earth we use latitude and longitude. What points of reference do space probes use ?

[@parkershaw8529]

Ice giant orbiter is my next Xmas wish.

[@sulijoo]

I've been playing ksp v1.2.2 forever and I only just noticed "Flying Safe" in the witty loading hints. 😂

[@masskilla469]

Scott are there any thermal images of the moon? Also are there any daytime images of the far side of the moon?

[@thomasfholland]

Why doesn’t your Apollo model have a capsule Scott? I’ve been wondering about this for a few weeks now.

[@GoldSrc_]

Rocket science is hard alright, that gravity assist was beautiful.

[@jamaly77]

fascinating animation

[@BaronVonQuiply]

Scott, would you mind checking with NASA to see if I can have those solar panels when the probes are done with them? I'll get started building the giant catcher's mitt.

[@KaletheQuick]

Another fantastic video :) We should send you to space :D

[@milkygal3717]

what is the name on the cola bottle in the background

[@marcustulliuscicero5443]

The funny thing is that way back in the day everyone was lamenting the huge insertion burn needed to get into Moho orbit, and despite me more than once suggesting repeated gravity assists I have not once seen it done once. Everyone just brute-forces it with massive burns.

[@MW-wv8pb]

About time for a Mercury mission. Now we just need to convince them to go back to Venus!!

[@DobromirManchev]

How are these space-craft actually commanded? Do we send out radio in their general direction or use lasers or something else?

[@TheEvilmooseofdoom]

Most of it is done via the Deep Space Network. You can even go to their site and it'll show which antenna is communicating with which space craft.

[@duran9664]

In the film Ad Astra, is Pitt jump between spaceships through Neptune rings possible/logical?!

[@nsteen1711]

What is the acceleration of the ariane 5, it looks faster then most rockets

[@RFC3514]

Bepi isn't exactly a nickname(*), it's just short for Giuseppe (like Joe is short for Joseph). (*) Incidentally, "a nickname" is just a misspelling of "an eke name", meaning "a little name", so in that (older) sense, it is.

[@pegasusted2504]

I disagree and so would anyone called richard who have the unfortunate distinction of being shortened to "Dick". A nickname isn't only a reference to a abbreviated version of someones name, it can also be an object or idea or any other thing that is apparent at the time when the nickname was discovered. My name was originally John but I changed it after getting the nickname teddyboy from an old video game and it over time got shortened to Ted. Since it was a name I gained for myself and was more applicable to me I changed it when I was old enough at 18. :~) Just something for your consideration.

[@delayed_control]

@@pegasusted2504 Thank you for the story of your life, but you have no idea what you're talking about... Look up the concept of "diminutive" - or specifically how it works in languages other than English, because this is NOT an English name and NOT EVERY LANGUAGE WORKS LIKE ENGLISH DOES - in fact you could argue that *no* language works like English, because English grammar is an anomaly resulting from merging of Germanic grammar with a large amount of Romance influences as well as some from the Celtic languages. You have described how nicknames work in English, but as OP said, this is NOT a nickname, it's a diminutive, a grammatical feature of the language this name comes from, specifically Italian. OP simply didn't know the English term for this.

[@vipermark7]

Is that a Gozanti Class cruiser on your shelf?

[@cuteraptor42]

I'm happy they installed our 'selfie cam' to get some things to show until 2025... The first image came like 2-3 hours ago :D

[@Teh509]

I really wish I could have gone to uni and studied under you.

[@plauze82]

2:25 - 3:40 Physics are awesome!

[@bobsaget8791]

I hope the devs make it easier to recreate this mission in KSP, it would be cool to have arianne 5 and beppicolombo parts

[@hellovikramjeet]

Can you do a video on the "kozai mechanism," please?

[@sjwatt]

How do you even receive radio signals from something that close to the sun in the sky? Are they relayed from somewhere else?

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

oh, it transmits during the night.

[@zact9941]

Hey Scott: it seems like it is really hard to get into Low Mercurian Orbit, but what would it be like for a lander type vehicle such as the BFR? I have the cosmic train schedule, and it shows a typical trip to Mercury lasting only ~105 days. For example it shows a Mars journey lasting ~260 day

[@scottmanley]

That time doesn’t mention the fact that BFS doesn’t have delta v to stop at mercury.

[@zact9941]

Im not a KSP junky, but how much Delta V is missing? Is it an amount that a vehicle like the BFR couldnt do a turn over burn and compensate for with refuel stages? The reason I am asking, is because if a mission profile could be developed for BFR to Mercury, than Mercury could be turned into an absolute power house of the inner solar system industry with its incredible mining potential combined with it having a holman alignment with every body in the solar system every 3 months. Think of Mercury like the solar gateway/airport.

[@antoniomaglione4101]

How much fuel would be required to loose some orbital energy to get closer to the Sun?

[@caseygoddard]

This actual mission to Mercury is surprisingly similar to a mission to Moho I did in KSP about five years ago...

[@Norman92151]

I'm still amazed how long these spacecraft can be in a dormant or highly reduced mode and then be brought "to life" for years of data collection. Imagine your car sitting in your driveway for 7 years.

[@Vistico93]

I wonder how much more it would've cost to give the craft enough fuel to go straight to Mercury and make the necessary slowdown right then and there?

[@lake258]

I thought it was named after Lt. Colombo. But will it send some cool pics back?

[@SarahLJP]

6:45 perihermion as in Hermes? The Greek equivalent to Mercury.

[@Deplorable_Nerfherder]

I'm curious about if they know that the craft will eventually crash into the surface anyway then why not make it deliberately transition into becoming a lander and send surface data as it's final act?

[@imagineaworld]

"These are not my tear drops, daughter dear, but just a sheen of dew that lingers here, past other fields where other fathers lie, who kept their daughters better far than I." -Giuseppe in another universe

[@raintrain9921]

TLDR: mercury is too hot, were giving it bepis to cool off, but we didnt want to pay for 2 day shipping so its gonna take 7 years to get there

[@s0vietonion]

🅱️epis > conke confirmed

[@raintrain9921]

@@s0vietonion never in my days have i seen a man be so right

[@raintrain9921]

@Carlos Saraiva oh shit, cancel the order and add some toe warmers to cart

[@motokid6008]

I wonder what kind of rocket it'd have taken for a direction ejection/injection.

[@rustyshackleford234]

A lot of people don’t realize this: Mercury has REALLY strong gravity for its size, nearly the same as Mars’s, and as someone who has played Spaceflight simulator and KSP, I know it’s almost impossible to get to without gravity assist anyway.

[@fabianespinozaiii6058]

Are those SW Armada ships on your shelf?

[@Andrew-fn9oc]

The 2020's are more and more sounding like an amazing time to live... :D As I believe Space X is launching their Crewed BFR's to Mars in 2024, will arrive in 2025, and plan on sending 2 unmanned BFR's in 2022 as well... Hope they make it, even if there are some delays which are likely... There are also other things but I'm not going to sit here for an hour saying them all, so I just said the most exiting one :)

[@whereswa11y]

Holy frame of reference batman. So once in space we "go down to the sun"

[@McHeisenburger]

Why is your Saturn V model missing the CM & LES?

[@bennylofgren3208]

Name not found Pad abort on launch of course!

[@painmono2478]

Interesting that they can figure out such an intricate ballet beforehand

[@scottmanley]

Orbital mechanics is predictable