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Ugandan Seeks To Build Backyard Space Shuttle
An anonymous reader writes "Who says that only big, militaristic states are capable of manned space flight? The BBC reports on an attempt by Chris Nsamba to build what he hopes would be the first crewed spacecraft designed and built in Africa. Not that Nsamba, the Ugandan founder of the self-styled African Space Research Program, doesn't have any good role models. NASA's first African American flight director, Kwatsi Alibaruho, traces his roots to Uganda." Hopefully the press will help Nsamba's cause. I sincerely hope he makes it into space one day.
A lack of local facilities is hampering the project and I asked Chris Nsamba how he plans to simulate zero gravity, for example, in Kampala.
"Easy" he said. "I've got a jet engine on order so I'm planning to build a tunnel, put the engine at one end and when I throw a guy in he'll float in a similar way to how he would in space."
Mexicano AeronÃutica y Spacial AdministraciÃn
an adorable sidekick, like a bonobo or a kitten or something.
Then he can easily get the popularity and funding to make this happen.
These guys already beat him to it...
No sig today...
Test pilot!
I have no doubt they have the ability to make a "spacecraft".
Actually getting that in to space, particularly with squishy meat bags on board that don't want to go "pop", is another story.
he'll make Captain.
People have touched the edge of space with lesser requirements than your typical huge roaring rockets.
Can't a man dream anymore?
Are you just automatically assuming that, because they are in Africa, they have no chance?
Almost seems insulting.
I hope they do it and then years from now I can watch about it in movie form, it will be the spiritual sequel to the movie Cool Runnings.
When I was a kid, I used to build shuttles in my living room all the time.
On a related subject, don't miss the Black NASA documentary.
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
Who else thought of the Mexicans in Free Willzyx? $200 for a trip to the moon? No problem.
That is NOT adequate to teach "the dangers of re-entry".
I'd bet that they won't even get off the ground, much less into space, and it's a good thing too because there is NO way their project would survive re-entry.
And yes, I understand that the photograph is a plane, not a space-ship. They haven't started building the space-ship.
half-assed, self-taught english :
"Everything is something happened" Fatih Terim, Technical Director
(he is trying to say better to have any result than nothing at all).
funny tho it is, this guy have directed various turkish premiere teams, turkish national teams, ac fiorentina, ac milan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatih_Terim
he insisted in talking his half assed self-taught english despite everyone told him to use his assigned translator. ill leave you with another quote from his splendidly horizon-widening english :
"I want to look front - i dont want to look back"
(he means to say he wants to concentrate on matches are to come, rather than dwelling on results of past matches).
Read radical news here
Reminds me of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere_(rocket_family)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR97o_FuX-c
-- perl -e'print pack"H*","6e656d6f406d38792e6f7267"'
Maybe they'll beat NASA back to space?
http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/space-robin
long before he ever thinks about a space shuttle being built in Africa.
This Ugandan must be some sort of prominent well-fed individual, because 95% of all the other Africans are thinking about food because they are the ones that couldn't migrate to the former Rhodesia region Zimbabwe where the Afrikaaners created farming communities.
and getting it back safely to Earth is another. I wish 'em luck.
No one ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke!
Gravity. That's who.
FROM: Mr. Chris Nsamba
TO: Dear Sirs
Madam:
I have been requested by the African Space Research Programme to contact you for assistance in resolving a matter. The Programme has recently finalized a large number of contracts for space exploration, in time producing moneys equalling US$40,000,000. However, because of certain regulations of the Ugandan Government, it is unable to move these funds to another region.
You assistance is requested as a non-Ugandan citizen in moving these funds out of Uganda. If the funds can be transferred to your name, in your United States account, then you can forward the funds as directed by the African Space Research Programme. In exchange for your accomodating services, you will to retain 10%, or US$4 million of this amount.
Please call me at your earliest convenience. Time is of the essence in this matter; very quickly the Ugandan Government will realize that the Programme will be maintaining this amount on deposit, and attempt to levy certain depository taxes on it.
Yours truly, etc. and so forth.
Chris Nsamba
Who says Uganda is small & peaceful?
Leandro Guimarães Faria Corcete DUTRA
DA, DBA, SysAdmin, Data Modeller
GNU Project, Debian GNU/Lin
I can't help but feel this will end up something like Zambia's space programme from the 60's.
Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and stupid comments are intentional.
I hope they aren't seriously considering the shuttle design. It was an expensive lesson for a big country. 1. The vehicle was below the boosters, and easily damaged. 2. The promise of quick turnaround with a reusable vehicle never materialized. 3. You need top notch pilots and/or very reliable computer systems to deadstick land every time.
They should work their way up the ladder of rocketry (sounding rocket, space rocket, satellite, manned satellite). It's a proven path to success.
They won't get there with paint brushes and sandpaper. Space is a long way. They've not even built a working rocket engine yet, and a small team of engineering students? and he thinks he can do it in 6 years? I'm wishing it was possible too but it isn't.
If video games influenced behavior the Pac Man generation would be eating pills and running away from their problems.
I hope he makes it back ... alive.
That they've retained Billy Bob Thornton as a consultant.
They were covertly funding a space program!
Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
Build it, and they will come.
A real project is a terrific way to enhance the teaching of engineering, both concepts and practical mechanics. It is the next step after the story-problem, that puts calculations into application formats.
In addition, "insurmountable" barriers are the best incentives to innovate. Consider the "barriers" that the builders of the Paul Allen Spaceship One confronted, and devised solutions for, including a workable para-wing re-entry speed modulating system, in lieu of the ceramic heat-shielding tiles and surfing to hold shy of burn-up.
Even if the Ugandan engineering students never get into space, for having done worked from math to hands-on application they willl have more engineering education than those math-centric 'engineers' who only imagine an idea, draw a concept, look up material and load limits and transfer-calculate them, then go to the machine-shop and say, "Make something like this. Change what you need to.", or ask "Can you make this so it will work for us?"
It's far from complete, there's still no engine...
Bah! Details, details.
he's been teaching them how to calculate the distance between planets for example
Why? This thing will be lucky to not fall apart before it reaches the upper atmosphere, let alone travel to another planet.
I asked Chris how he plans to simulate zero gravity: "Easy" he said. "I've got a jet engine on order so I'm planning to build a tunnel, put the engine at one end and when I throw a guy in he'll float in a similar way to how he would in space."
Except for the small fact that you have high velocity air screaming at you and every small movement will change your attitude, direction, etc. due to that wind. And this is the guy in charge.
He has little money. They don't have the experience to complete the task. It's my guess that they will not succeed but I sincerely hope he proves me wrong.
But they are giving it a go. Instead of insulting the man why doesn't someone on Slashdot with some basic skills or knowledge of the subject offer to lend a helping hand. Maybe some of the amateur rocket scientist could take their knowledge and understanding and help. Perhaps there could be some mutually beneficial outcome.
I have got more sympathy for this man than any of the fat slobs who sit pontificating about the failings of the project or taking easy pot shots.
Why? Space is even more hostile than Uganda.
Constructing an imitation of an existing craft (Scaled Composites): check
No engineering, or even basic science, experience: check
No budget: check
No materials: check
Friends of the guy pretending to do work for the reporter: check
It's just a typical African publicity prank/scam, just more ambitious in premise than usual.
Please help metamoderate.
It's nice to know that someone still has the guts to try something daring rather than hide behind pathetic excuses in this day and age.
Am I seeing things, or is the African space
shuttle being built in someone's backyard,
Powered by a jet engine, and made of wood?
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This is just scary" I asked Chris how he plans to simulate zero gravity, for example, in Kampala.
"Easy" he said. "I've got a jet engine on order so I'm planning to build a tunnel, put the engine at one end and when I throw a guy in he'll float in a similar way to how he would in space.""
And come out well done .
Hey if they where trying to launch a satilltite that would be one thing. Build a manned spacecraft like Mercury, maybe. A shuttle? They are out of their minds.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
As long as he's better at flying than his countrymen are at special effects....
Lutz Kayser and the OTRAG corporation already did this in Zaire (now Dem. Republic of Congo) in 1977.
Wikipedia link --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OTRAG
It may not have been a "shuttle", per se, but the project proved without a doubt that advanced orbital capability is within the technical reach of individual countries on the African continent. The construction of a facility on par with a modern vehicle production plant could churn out ten-tonne-to-orbit capability in a couple of months; the materials and expertise needed would equal a lot full of BMWs (for example), which have been built near Pretoria since 1968.
Building things can be difficult. At least it is for me. My variable power source I built out of a kit does work. The scanner I tried to build from parts never did work. "The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind" http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/williamkamkwamba/book.html is an excellent account of What Can Happen If You Try. This attempted shuttle is just sad. They could build a nice glider with what they have to work with, perhaps. A glider would be a fine thing to have built.
One has to say it once in a while: The emperor is naked.
And I don't mean it in reference to the poor sods who are building a future child's playground prop in their back yard. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that when one's IQ is below a certain level, one simply does not have the insight so see how stupid you are yourself.
I am of course referring to the reporter and others who patronizingly exclaim how wonderful and inspiring this attempt is, and also warn off any laughing at from the outset.
...Salvage1.
Hopefully theres someone else here who knows what im talking about :)
K