John Carmack, Rocket Boy

will_edit_for_food writes "Space Future has an interview with John Carmack (of Doom and Quake fame) about his new company Armadillo Aerospace and their plans to build a passenger-carrying vehicle for space tourism." Carmack's involvement with unconventional rocketry is well-known, but this interview offers a glimpse into the details of Armadillo's approach to the skies.

Comments

I'll belive it when I see it.

[autopr0n]

from the site:

We straightened the bent frame by wedging it between the trailer and Joseph's tractor, and running a floor jack under the middle until it straightened out. Russ gave it a quick paint job.

I don't doubt that Carmack is a smart guy, but these guys are basically garage tinkerers. I wouldn't really want to fly into space on a vehicle that used duct tape as an integral part of the craft. Even if these guys can build something capable of propelling someone into space, I wouldn't want to actually be on it until the design had been worked out by real engineers.

Aside from some of the computer control stuff, I doubt they are really doing all that much innovated (well, aside from cost saving measures :P). I'm sure they're having a lot of fun though :)

Re:I'll belive it when I see it.

[Anonymous Coward]

About 2 million duct tapes are used when doing preps for each shuttle mission. We have such a large order that 3M has it's own division set out for us. Ductape is an intergrial (no joke) part of all space research. Oh I'm at NASA btw.

Re:I'll belive it when I see it.

[RocketGeek]

This attitude of people being "real" engineers, and others being perceived as garage tinkerers is not only arrogant and misguided, it is what holds non governmental spaceflight back.

I've seen supposed "real"engineers, in fact some with degrees from Universities such as Oxford, and supposed space engineering backgrounds, blow up rocket motors through simple and avoidable mistakes. Then again, I've seen non engineers, working without much funding (the supposed garage tinkerers), build comparable rocket motors that quite literally blow the "real" engineers efforts away in terms of reliability and robustness.

The difference, is those without the attitude, and without the government/big business mentality, seem to have a better overall grasp of how the systems go together, not always, but in my experience, generally enough that it is noticeable. There's also another facet those you refer to as garage tinkerers have that I tend to see missing in many "real" engineers in space related disciplines; it's called common sense.

As for your duct tape remark, and your comment on real engineers working out designs. I take it you've never been in one of the older space capsules ? It's always so easy to be an armchair expert when you have the benefit of ignorance to back you up. I would not, if I were you, ever go inside a Vostok or a Soyuz capsule, because if your comments above are anything to go by, you'd have a fit.

When I worked professionally in the space industry on a project in Russia, I was amazed at the simplicity of the early manned space capsules. Technology has moved on sufficiently now, that people such as John Carmack (who is far from a garage tinkerer) could develop a manned capsule to match those, of that I have no doubt.

I can't wait until John Carmack gets something manned flying. It will be like DC-X all over again. All these nay saying supposed "real" engineers suddenly changing their tune and saying "well I thought it would work actually, but I didn't say anything". Yeah right.

Armadillo Aerospace will succeed where others have failed, precisely because they don't have the attitude so prevalent in large aerospace engineering projects.

Re:I'll belive it when I see it.

[D_Fresh]

Yeah, you're probably right. I know at least a dozen guys on my block alone who are designing and building single-stage-to-orbit manned launch vehicles. Nothing good ever came out of garage tinkering, anyhow.

Re:I'll belive it when I see it.

[CoolVibe]

"Grey tape has a lot of uses. We use it for almost everything"

That's a quote from a real astronaut, although I don't remember which one... heck, if NASA uses it, I might just be able to justify my excessive use of it at work as well to whoever complains at work :)

So what's the difference between NASA's duct tape, and the "normal" type I use?

Re:I'll belive it when I see it.

[bsartist]

So what's the difference between NASA's duct tape, and the "normal" type I use?

About $150 a roll.

The CATS Prize?

[ArsSineArtificio]

Presumably to be award to those on their way to destruction, or possibly those who have no chance to survive make their time.

directions to space

[kyras]

But, Carmack says, "we are taking complimentary directions to space."

I hope those directions are up.

Re:Where's my Doom III?

[DrVxD]

> WHy doesn't carmack stick to what he is good at.
Because he's made a load of cash from doing "what he's good at", and is now enjoying that cash. He started Armadillo primarily because he thought it would be cool, not to make money out of it. If he makes money out of it too, then that'll be cool. But mostly, he's just a boy playing with his toys. He doesn't need to finish Doom 3 - the guy could retire today and never worry about having to feed himself. But I suspect he'll finish D3 - "when it's done", because he still enjoys that too.