APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
wfischer

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by wfischer » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:10 pm

drollere wrote:it's a wasp, probably a yellowjacket. observe the downward curl in the tips of the antennae. the head and thoracic segment are greatly enlarged in comparison to the abdomen due to extreme foreshortening. but it's a wasp.
I'm thinking a spider wasp -- family Pompilidae -- but it's a little challenging to pick out the spines on the tibiae of the rear legs ...

cosmo-not!

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by cosmo-not! » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:19 pm

:evil: It's a horse fly.

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Wolf7 » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:26 pm

Its a giant alien insect attacking the Falcon 9.

SpaceX_Falcon9-BugAttack
Image
Last edited by Wolf7 on Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by John S » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:31 pm

Happy to see the private sector taking on space. Now maybe some, many, or all the Science Fiction dreams can move forward. If there is money to be made, capitalism rules. Move out of the way NASA. I know some of you think NASA should continue and they are doing great science and all, but it wasn't NASA that decoded the human genome or recently proved synthetic life is possible and custom writing DNA will allow people to work and stay in space longer, even live out their lives in space. What an exciting for my kids to grow up in.

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by John S » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:32 pm

It was a venusion wasp!

Gravel

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Gravel » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:50 pm

Obviously, it was "Mothra."

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Beyond » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:04 pm

Ahh....The 'magic' of Space Flight! - Even more-so now that "Merlin" is getting them there!!
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.


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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Ann » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:14 pm

Hmmm, imagine if those rockets (or whatever they are) had brought that bug back from wherever they're going.... :mrgreen:

And thanks for your birthday greetings, Beyond! No, my ears haven't turned green yet, I think!

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(And Beyond, what you said... it sure isn't easy to work out the bugs!)

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by FrogSplash » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:50 pm

tneuschatz wrote:Apparently insect identification is rocket science. It was an arachnid.

Spiders do not have wings or antenna or for that matter 3 segmented bodies. The insect on the screen had all of those.

FS

peatjohnston

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by peatjohnston » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:06 pm

The video footage of the successful rocket launch was great.

With regard to the post of the insect in question, it was from the order Hymenoptera and does resemble one of the wasp families. My best guess is that it is in the family Pompilidae, common name spider wasp, but we would need to see the transverse sulcus across the mesopleuron. It could be from the family Sphecidae, or something else closely related.

Cheers

BugMan

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by BugMan » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:17 pm

Definitely a wasp, probably polites but not a yellow jacket.

Duke Nukem

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Duke Nukem » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:20 pm

Anyone else notice that the launch vehicle was spinning oddly at the end of orbit insertion? Flight control system problem perhaps?

Worker Bee

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Worker Bee » Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:24 pm

The object that briefly appears in the video of the Falcon 9 could be a falcon but is probably a wasp or maybe a Bald-faced Hornet.

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Beyond » Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:25 pm

I stand corrected!! Not everyone that uses big long unpronouncable words has over 500 posts.
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markm3164

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by markm3164 » Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:52 pm

the insect was a wasp maybe whats called a mud dobber not sure on the species

AC

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by AC » Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:58 pm

I see some idiot posted a youtube link, so all I see is a page with no picture. Great job, Lou. Either use Theora or mp4 videos, which everyone can see, or use an animated gif (which everyone can also see), or don't bother. Flash and YouTube both suck, stop using them. Stupid.

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:19 pm

AC wrote:I see some idiot posted a youtube link, so all I see is a page with no picture. Great job, Lou. Either use Theora or mp4 videos, which everyone can see, or use an animated gif (which everyone can also see), or don't bother. Flash and YouTube both suck, stop using them. Stupid.
The point of using YouTube is that the video is hosted. Your suggestion of formats isn't useful for those without the ability to host the data. Flash is ubiquitous; any device or OS worth anything supports it, and this forum is set up to easily accommodate embedded video from YouTube (and from Vimeo) . If you aren't seeing anything, you need to upgrade to modern equipment and software.
Chris

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oldtechie

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by oldtechie » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:32 pm

I am not an entomologist, so I'll go with wasp; never saw a winged spider. Thank God someone is keeping us (USA) in space; Congress certainly doesn't appear to be interested. By the way, Ann, Happy Birthday! Congratulations to the SpaceX team and keep flying, Falcon 9. 8-)

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by rstevenson » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:37 pm

Chris Peterson wrote:... Flash is ubiquitous; any device or OS worth anything supports it, ...
Thoughts On Flash, by Steve Jobs.

(Couldn't resist.)

Rob

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by keir » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:40 pm

Why is it that Falcon 9 is already ascending before the atdio countdowns has completed?
Keir Vaughan-Taylor

Jovian

Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Jovian » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:54 pm

tneuschatz wrote:Apparently insect identification is rocket science. It was an arachnid.
Do you know what an arachnid is? They don't have wings...

The insect was a wasp.

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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:58 pm

OK! By now we all know that it was a wasp! Is anyone still doubting it? :? I'd still like to know more about the Dragon! I knew they were working on a reentry vehicle; but was unaware of it's nearing completion. Besides; I thought a lot of funding was cancelled for the space program. I am thankful that we got something going. :)
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Re: APOD: Falcon 9 Launches to Orbit (2010 Jun 08)

Post by Arie Melamed-Katz » Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:13 pm

I wonder if it's one of the couple of insects seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pOegGGHrP0#t=1m05s

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