Topic: MISSION SUCCESS!!!

[SSCF-LeRoy]

The Burt Rutan Spaceship One has made a safe n' sound landing after yet another successful launch into suborbital space. WOOHOO!!!

[Jack Morris]

While I'm excited too, it does us no good IMHO as long as we are facing WW3. The arms race is going on worldwide, not with navies or airforces or armies and such, but WMDs that can reach out and touch someone, or worse, be smuggled into a country undetected... 

History is one of the most disregarded subjects in our universities, yet history teaches us far more than current politicians can, and if someone or a group has a weapon, eventually they will use it.

[S'Raek]

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/xprize_success_040929.html

Good news!  Now we will see if they can make it back up again in the required two weeks. 

[kmelew]

You have to hand it to pilot Mike Melvill! 

After SpaceShipOne went into a roll, he was told by his controllers to shut down the booster, but he kept going for an extra few seconds so he could gain the necessary altitude.

[Just plain old Punisher]

The arms business has been both a help and a hinderance since grog made the first club and decided to sell it to the other cavemen.

In the hundreds of thousands of years since then, we've managed to made clubs just as good, they just cost 500 dollars.

[SSCF-LeRoy]

<eyes Punisher and Jack Morris>

And all that has to do with this topic how...?

[Just plain old Punisher]

It's my job to confuse and befuddle.

[Don Karnage]

if the NASA put there hand on it it will be a disaster waiting to append like what append to both shuttles, BTW i was wondering something about Columbia, the always said it was the mother of the shuttle, what append to the shuttle enterprise?, and the should get the Russian shuttle since the wont use it the USA should take it and update its computer, when the chines when to space the show it on TV to show look what we just did, are we great?, yea right you have made some thing that was made    30 years ago by other contry, its nothing since the technologies existed already like take the old Apollo rocket and put a man in space with it, its not big deal, go ahead and put one man on the moon an show it to the world that you just put a man on the moon, nothing special to that the USA have made it in 1969, i don't know if the will be able to send the ship in space and if the do well its not what m interested, i want a space ship that can go to mars, when the able to do that i will be impress, intill that day its just child play, nothing more.

[Hale]

Everyone piddles on the Shuttle, but its an impressive piece of engineering.   Compared to previous rocket programs, the Shuttle's work and cargo areas are huge, and its mostly reusuable.  Even the Apollo missions were like going into space in a bathtub, and it was all single use, once and done.  Go to the Kennedy visitor center and see for yourself.   I talked to a Shuttle astronaut who said he couldn't get into the Apollo program because he was too tall (6'3" IIRC), but went up in the Shuttle several times.   

The fact that NASA does everything on a comparitive shoestring budget makes it even more impressive. 

[RogueJedi_XC]

<eyes Punisher and Jack Morris>

And all that has to do with this topic how...?

Space-based clubs, that's what. Inside info has it the next war will be fought on the moon...with clubs. We simply must have the best space-based clubs....

[NJAntman]

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/xprize_success_040929.html

Good news!  Now we will see if they can make it back up again in the required two weeks. 

I'll bet the Viagra is being loaded already.....

(cheesy, yes, but it was there so I had to..)

[Nemesis]

if the NASA put there hand on it it will be a disaster waiting to append like what append to both shuttles, BTW i was wondering something about Columbia, the always said it was the mother of the shuttle, what append to the shuttle enterprise?,

The Enterprise Shuttle was only a prototype used for glide testing.  It never had engines and was never intended to. 

When judging the shuttle remember that it is 1970's tech.  Years ahead of anything else - when designed.    Successors at least now know one thing that was only believed  when the shuttle was built - that it could be done.   It is much easier to travel the frontiers when others have blazed the path, as the shuttle has done for future travellers.

[kmelew]

if the NASA put there hand on it it will be a disaster waiting to append like what append to both shuttles, BTW i was wondering something about Columbia, the always said it was the mother of the shuttle, what append to the shuttle enterprise?,

The Enterprise Shuttle was only a prototype used for glide testing.  It never had engines and was never intended to. 

When judging the shuttle remember that it is 1970's tech.  Years ahead of anything else - when designed.    Successors at least now know one thing that was only believed  when the shuttle was built - that it could be done.   It is much easier to travel the frontiers when others have blazed the path, as the shuttle has done for future travellers.

The Enterprise is currently at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum/Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport.  I saw it when I visited in early August.  It is gutted and undergoing restoration.

Any word if the X2 flight is go for Monday?

[Nemesis]

Any word if the X2 flight is go for Monday?

Everything I have heard is yes.  Barring finding a major flaw that caused the spin or bad weather. 


From what I have read the spin may be an inherent "feature" of the design if it encounters certain types of turbulence.  Not dangerous in itself and if that is what caused the spin in this flight then it would not block Monday.

Now who do you think has the rights to the SpaceShip One / White Knight model kits?

[kmelew]

Now who do you think has the rights to the SpaceShip One / White Knight model kits?

Well Estes is an X-Prize sponsor--an Estes multistage rocket would be cool!

This might interest you!

[Nemesis]

Now who do you think has the rights to the SpaceShip One / White Knight model kits?

Well Estes is an X-Prize sponsor--an Estes multistage rocket would be cool!

This might interest you!

Interesting Link.  Thanks.

The combined flying model plane and rocket would be popular but more difficult to design, assemble and operate.

I haven't built models in years but would make an exception for a display only model of WhiteKnight carrying Spaceship One. 

[SSCF-LeRoy]

and the should get the Russian shuttle since the wont use it the USA should take it and update its computer

That old, dilapidated trash heap was designed without main engines unlike the US shuttles. All it has for onboard propulsion is maneuvering thrusters. I doubt NASA would want anything to do with it. Right now it's a rotting monument at some park somewhere in Russia I think. Either that or somebody bought it on eBay; can't remember which

[Soreyes]

and the should get the Russian shuttle since the wont use it the USA should take it and update its computer

That old, dilapidated trash heap was designed without main engines unlike the US shuttles. All it has for onboard propulsion is maneuvering thrusters. I doubt NASA would want anything to do with it. Right now it's a rotting monument at some park somewhere in Russia I think. Either that or somebody bought it on eBay; can't remember which

It's a restaurant in Gorky Park

[Nemesis]

That old, dilapidated trash heap was designed without main engines unlike the US shuttles. All it has for onboard propulsion is maneuvering thrusters. I doubt NASA would want anything to do with it. Right now it's a rotting monument at some park somewhere in Russia I think. Either that or somebody bought it on eBay; can't remember which

The engines not being in the shuttle itself need not be a bad thing.   If the main engines are separate (and still recoverable) they can be used on other payloads rather than just being dedicated to one craft.  Think of the classic transport truck.  The trailer is separate from the cab which contains the engines.  While the trailer is being loaded/unloaded the cab (engines) are off delivering another load. 

In the case of the shuttle the engines could be returned to the ground for refurbishment and reuse while the main vehicle was still in orbit doing whatever.    One trip they could be carrying a module for the space station another it could be cargo container or interplanetary probe before going back to propelling the passenger carrying engineless shuttle. 

The shuttle itself was designed to allow the different components to be packaged in many different ways.  NASA didn't get to use many of the options at all. 

Envision this. 

Mission 1 the tank has a module on top protected by a heat shield.  The tank remains in orbit. 

Mission 2 the tank again has a module and is left in orbit.   But the heat shields on both tanks are removed one reveals a connector that can link 2 tanks end to end.  The connector also links to add 6 other tanks perpendicular to the first 2.  The 2nd module is tools and parts for assembling tanks to the linking module.

Mission 3- Mission 8 tanks are left in orbit one by one until the nascent station has an axle composed of two tanks and 6 spokes.  It can be rotated for gravity. 

Mission 9 - Mission 14 tanks are left in orbit, each wih a module on one end.  Once all 6 tanks are present the stations rotation is stopped and the 6 tanks each are hooked across between 2 spokes using the modules to connect the new tanks to the spokes and to each other.   Rotataion is restored.  The basic station is now assembled. 

Ensuing missions leave tanks to store excess fuel and tanks to dissasemble to provide floors, walls etc inside the station.

Over time more spokes and rings can be added or more stations can be built and moved to where needed.

Later a group of tanks full of excess fuel are linked together with a spare engine module from the fleet.  A command Module is launched and the Mission to Mars begins.

[kmelew]

That old, dilapidated trash heap was designed without main engines unlike the US shuttles. All it has for onboard propulsion is maneuvering thrusters. I doubt NASA would want anything to do with it. Right now it's a rotting monument at some park somewhere in Russia I think. Either that or somebody bought it on eBay; can't remember which

The engines not being in the shuttle itself need not be a bad thing.   If the main engines are separate (and still recoverable) they can be used on other payloads rather than just being dedicated to one craft.  Think of the classic transport truck.  The trailer is separate from the cab which contains the engines.  While the trailer is being loaded/unloaded the cab (engines) are off delivering another load. 

In the case of the shuttle the engines could be returned to the ground for refurbishment and reuse while the main vehicle was still in orbit doing whatever.    One trip they could be carrying a module for the space station another it could be cargo container or interplanetary probe before going back to propelling the passenger carrying engineless shuttle. 

The shuttle itself was designed to allow the different components to be packaged in many different ways.  NASA didn't get to use many of the options at all. 

Envision this. 

Mission 1 the tank has a module on top protected by a heat shield.  The tank remains in orbit. 

Mission 2 the tank again has a module and is left in orbit.   But the heat shields on both tanks are removed one reveals a connector that can link 2 tanks end to end.  The connector also links to add 6 other tanks perpendicular to the first 2.  The 2nd module is tools and parts for assembling tanks to the linking module.

Mission 3- Mission 8 tanks are left in orbit one by one until the nascent station has an axle composed of two tanks and 6 spokes.  It can be rotated for gravity. 

Mission 9 - Mission 14 tanks are left in orbit, each wih a module on one end.  Once all 6 tanks are present the stations rotation is stopped and the 6 tanks each are hooked across between 2 spokes using the modules to connect the new tanks to the spokes and to each other.   Rotataion is restored.  The basic station is now assembled. 

Ensuing missions leave tanks to store excess fuel and tanks to dissasemble to provide floors, walls etc inside the station.

Over time more spokes and rings can be added or more stations can be built and moved to where needed.

Later a group of tanks full of excess fuel are linked together with a spare engine module from the fleet.  A command Module is launched and the Mission to Mars begins.

Have you read Stephen Baxter's Voyage?  He describes a very similar scenario, except he uses Saturn V's!