 Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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OP
Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
After the failed Soyus launch, they've determined that the abort was caused by a failed sensor. They worked out what to do to stop that happening. They've scheduled the next launch for Dec. 3.
Elsewhere in space, the Hubble telescope is scheduled to be decommissioned. As far as I know, the only real problem is a failed gyro. If they had enough sense to get a working replacement before closing down the shuttle program, they could probably go fix it again.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,685 Likes: 20
Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,685 Likes: 20 |
So, 50 years ago we landed on the moon with people. Today we have global climate change that threatens all of mankind. We have not left low orbit with people for 4 decades if my memory serves me right.
I have a drone, I can fly it about two miles all by itself and take 4k pics for less than a weeks pay as it WIFIs back where it is and what it sees. Its been on 100s of those trips. The people who sell them make about 200% profit on them. We had a Mars rover that drove around, picked stuff up and analyzed it.
Make a container like Hubble, put a gyro in it, make a satellite with articulating arms. Suspend it, learn how to couple it and work the arms then send it up to replace the gyro as we control it from here. Or, make a new Hubble. It should cost about 10% of the original because the tech is 1/2 century old and mass produced today. We don't need a shuttle. Or, the Russians could put it up there.
I think space is cool. Until we learn to freeze or suspend bodily functions for months and years, low orbit spinning around the earth doesn't need people in it. IMHO.
In 1974 the University of Delaware made a Solar House. Yep, 45 years ago, self contained. Why do I still get an electric bill? The navy has been sailing with Nuclear for over 1/2 century. A carrier can produce enough electricity for a small city as evidenced in disaster relief. Back to why do I get an electric bill?
There comes a point where we have to say humans are not meant to be in space until we learn to go 50x faster or suspend our aging and bodily functions.
To drift back on topic, just build another Hubble and shoot it up there. A few decades newer it would be better than the old one.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,028 Likes: 8
New Tires
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New Tires
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,028 Likes: 8 |
Astronauts have fixed Hubble once before. The original mirrors were ground incorrectly, because math is hard.
Global climate change? “If only there were some… external factor that could account for the variations in global temperature. Such a hypothetical external factor would have to be very large, though — on the order of magnitude of our own Sun.”
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,995 Likes: 10
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,995 Likes: 10 |
Quote:
So, 50 years ago we landed on the moon with people. Today we have global climate change that threatens all of mankind. We have not left low orbit with people for 4 decades if my memory serves me right.
I have a drone, I can fly it about two miles all by itself and take 4k pics for less than a weeks pay as it WIFIs back where it is and what it sees. Its been on 100s of those trips. The people who sell them make about 200% profit on them. We had a Mars rover that drove around, picked stuff up and analyzed it.
Make a container like Hubble, put a gyro in it, make a satellite with articulating arms. Suspend it, learn how to couple it and work the arms then send it up to replace the gyro as we control it from here. Or, make a new Hubble. It should cost about 10% of the original because the tech is 1/2 century old and mass produced today. We don't need a shuttle. Or, the Russians could put it up there.
I think space is cool. Until we learn to freeze or suspend bodily functions for months and years, low orbit spinning around the earth doesn't need people in it. IMHO.
In 1974 the University of Delaware made a Solar House. Yep, 45 years ago, self contained. Why do I still get an electric bill? The navy has been sailing with Nuclear for over 1/2 century. A carrier can produce enough electricity for a small city as evidenced in disaster relief. Back to why do I get an electric bill?
There comes a point where we have to say humans are not meant to be in space until we learn to go 50x faster or suspend our aging and bodily functions.
To drift back on topic, just build another Hubble and shoot it up there. A few decades newer it would be better than the old one.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Yeah, well, we Yanks have been pretty darn impressive lately when it comes to space-bound launch vehicles too, ya know.
(...or did some of you miss catching on the news Hawthorne California based SpaceX's latest successful launch of their Falcon 9 two-stage rocket just the other day?)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55 |
Last I heard they are working on sending men to Mars.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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OP
Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
SpaceX has been building 2 stage rockets for some time that auto-dock with the ISS with the first stage returning to tbe launch pad on its own.
It only took about a month to sort out this sensor problem and deal with it. Anyone remember how long it took NASA to sort out an Oring problem?
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55 |
gotta hate those O ring problems.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,236 Likes: 56
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,236 Likes: 56 |
Quote:
Last I heard they are working on sending men to Mars.
Yah and women to Venus. 
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55 |
Quote:
Quote:
Last I heard they are working on sending men to Mars.
Yah and women to Venus.
People had that same attitude about going to the moon before we did it.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,685 Likes: 20
Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,685 Likes: 20 |
So, why don't we keep going to the moon? What do you do when you get there?
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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OP
Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
Quote:
So, why don't we keep going to the moon? What do you do when you get there?
From what I've heard, the problem they have been working on is the moon dust. It is very fine and very abrasive. It gets into everything and grinds it up. It looks like they may have found a way to deal with it because there are plans in the works to go there again.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,060 Likes: 6
Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,060 Likes: 6 |
Quote:
Quote:
So, why don't we keep going to the moon? What do you do when you get there?
From what I've heard, the problem they have been working on is the moon dust. It is very fine and very abrasive. It gets into everything and grinds it up. It looks like they may have found a way to deal with it because there are plans in the works to go there again.
And that is particularly good news for the Military, which I'm sure NASA will share, in case we need to "bring more democracy" to Middle East countries, where there were similar problems. 
Fidelis et Fortis
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55 |
Back to the moon is part of the planned Mars mission. They want to have a base there to launch to go to Mars due to the lower gravity and less power needed to achieve escape velocity for Mars.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 432
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 432 |
It Seems like today, we don't repair anything in the U.S., We just replace it with something new.
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,186 Likes: 55 |
I am old enough to remember rebuild kits for mechanical fuel pumps. We rebuilt everything possible back then.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Wow, those Russians are impressive!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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OP
Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
Quote:
I am old enough to remember rebuild kits for mechanical fuel pumps. We rebuilt everything possible back then.
We even made cell phones from soup cans and a length of string.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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