Posted by
CmdrTaco
on from the thats-just-bizarre dept.
cbull writes "USA Today has an article about practice for the attempts to capture the Genesis capsule. Helicopter stunt pilots will have 5 chances to capture the 400-lb. capsule. Military pilots were unavailable, due to the 6-year commitment required."
"So you're all astronauts on some sort of... star trek?"
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Hmm... sounds tricky
by
petra13
·
· Score: 5, Funny
The stunt pilots say their biggest challenge will be flying at 40 mph nearly a mile over the Utah desert without any visual reference points to judge distance or speed as they close in with hook and cable on the capsule, which will be descending 400 feet a minute at a forward speed of 20 mph.
So will the capsule get bonus points if it takes out one of the helicopters without the pilots seeing it first?
Re:Hmm... sounds tricky
by
MikeMacK
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· Score: 5, Funny
Because of that, the pilots rate the difficulty of the maneuver at an 8 or 9 on a scale to 10.
So, what the hell rates a 10?
Re:Hmm... sounds tricky
by
sigxcpu
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· Score: 4, Funny
trying to do it while being shot at.
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Re:Hmm... sounds tricky
by
erick99
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· Score: 5, Funny
I don't know about bonus points but I wouldn't want the pressure of trying to catch this thing while half the world watches:
The civilian pilots have replicated the retrieval without fumbles in dozens of practice runs, but are terrified of flubbing it live on NASA television with a worldwide feed.
Hell, I'll be watching! How often do you get to see a helicopter try to catch space puke?
As pilot Tom Paris experienced: a 10 out of 10 maneuver would be flying in some sort of quantum state where you capture memories by pure chance of instantly visiting all over the place.
I know Voyager wasn't the best ST series but at least you could have watched it once to prove your nerdyness. Tom also taught hopeless nerds how to get a girlfriend, simply put up with a aggressive woman who beats YOU around.
Re:Hmm... sounds tricky
by
xSauronx
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· Score: 2, Funny
flying into the death start and blowing it up...in a helicopter
as obviously its rather easy to do in even a dated starship...
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I've got the training!
by
twenty-exty-six
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· Score: 5, Funny
Where do I sign up. I've spent months working on an intense helicopter simulator, fine-tuning my skills to perfection.
Why did the pilots have to commit for 6 years? Does it seriously take that long to learn how to catch a falling space probe with a hook dangling from a chopper?
Amateurs.
Re:6 year commitment?
by
keiferb
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· Score: 3, Funny
Sure... but seriously, why not two one year commitments: one for the testing before launch, and one to re-acquaint the pilots with the procedure before re-entry?
I mean, come on... catching a probe that's re-entering the earth's atmosphere with a hook and rope dangling from a chopper is like riding a bike.. once you learn, you never really forget.
I'm a little baffled over what to yell out when the catch is made. "He's out!" "Goal!" "Touchdown!" "Tiddlywinks!" and "KHAAAAN!" are all pretty good options IMO
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Why do they need to put this?
by
FooAtWFU
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· Score: 3, Funny
Why do they need to put this? Are people really that stupi... oh, wait a minute. =b
Since this mission is named Genesis and will tell us about the beginning of the solar system, will it try to prove or disprove the Bible?
The Genesis mission will collect samples of the solar wind, material flowing outward from the Sun, and return these samples to Earth. Scientists will be able to compare the compositions of these samples with known compositions of the planets and help in the effort to understand how our solar system and its planets formed. It is not NASA's role to address theological questions or interpretations, and Genesis' investigation will be studied as a scientific question, not a theological one.
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Overheard during the "catch"...
by
NarrMaster
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· Score: 2, Funny
Pilot: "I got it! I got it!"
(chop chop chop chop chop) ..... "Don't got it...."
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Some kind of Genesis device? KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
So will the capsule get bonus points if it takes out one of the helicopters without the pilots seeing it first?
Where do I sign up. I've spent months working on an intense helicopter simulator, fine-tuning my skills to perfection.
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Please don't overdo your bad jokes about the following topics:
If it's the boy Spock in there, they might get an extra pass at it.
Please make sure you make a lot of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan Generis planet jokes.
Why did the pilots have to commit for 6 years? Does it seriously take that long to learn how to catch a falling space probe with a hook dangling from a chopper?
Amateurs.
[goes off to RTFA, grudgingly]
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I'm a little baffled over what to yell out when the catch is made.
"He's out!"
"Goal!"
"Touchdown!"
"Tiddlywinks!" and
"KHAAAAN!"
are all pretty good options IMO
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
Pilot: "I got it! I got it!"
..... "Don't got it...."
(chop chop chop chop chop)
That's right. All your base.