It has been said that a second shuttle which would normally have taken a couple of months to prepare could be readied in a bit over a week but the launch would then be another massive risk as the normal procedures would be by-passed.
Whether NASA has any plans for a standby for the future remains to be seen but it could prove extrememly costly to always have the next shuttle immediately ready.
Its good that America wants to keep sending people into space but I can't help wondering about the politicism of the date.
After all, rumoured to be around December this year, China is preparing to strap a hero of the communist state (a Taikonaut) to the front of an over-engineered Long-March rocket and send him for a couple of laps.
I hope that NASA isn't being asked or pressured to rush things.
In Communist China the rocket launches you!......oh wait......
Its going to make the shuttle one incredibly expensive taxi service for the ISS.
When the shuttle launches equipped to dock with ISS, it has an ammount of its payload bay consumed with the docking adapter.
If the shuttle is used for the originally slated US module launches, this would indicate a valid use (although still very expensive in comparison to a Soyuz module launch).
Now, here's my thinking. The Shuttle was a severe compromise of an originally good system (Flight launch Horizontal TakeOff and Landing) but ended up with the return vehicle pointlessly (and expensively) attached to an SRB+LOX rocket system.
NASA is now likely to resume using the Shuttle - apart from anything this is quite political with China probably joining the elite club of nations who have launched people into space later this year. What NASA ought to be doing is saving the pennies by retiring the shuttle - not neccesarily immediately, but soon and putting out to tender a contract for a brand-new cost-effective launch system.
The new system could be based around the original Ho.T.O.L concept which was mean to be the Shuttle.
At the same time, NASA can be doing lots of new research into aerodynamic re-entry to safeguard lives in the future (FYI 2 aero-re-entry incidents to date - 1, X-15 and 1, STS).
The major sticking point is simple: The U.S. government would have to get their wallet out!
Technically speaking you'd be donwloading the WEB not the Internet
Trouble is with googles web cache, theres no pics; just think of all the beautiful images of pet dogs and holidays at Weston-super-Mare you'd be missing out on!
Use the little exit road from the services which takes you onto a minor road in Frankley near the Brothel on the Hill instead of carrying on to the A38 junction like a good little boy?
Well, if you look at the picture mentioned with the guys in the back of the pickup, it is to be hoped that neptune is not being situated too far from the ecliptic.
After all, have you noticed the dirty-great big power lines just above them??
Also, if this is to scale, exactly how big are real solar power-lines?
Its late, I'm drunk, I should put my sense of humor to sleep......
Actually 'blowing-up' foreign countries equipment deliberately would be likely construed as a declaration of war.
This would especially be the case between certain 'western' countries.
Hello my sane-minded American friend, I too am attempting to effect an escape from the U.K. into Europe. (I don't enjoy my country following the Bush administration round like a dog on heat).
Now I haven't quite formulated a plan for escape yet but needless to say, I hope to use GPS for navigation en route.
Rumour has it that this may have been tried before, there is even talk of a tunnel having been built between the U.K and Europe!
I often wonder that if we travelled back in time to speak to all the brave souls who fought and died to protect our freedom in the second world war, and we told them that England would have gone to S#!t by the end of the same century, would we have influenced the outcome of the war?
It's not so much the 'air-traffic-problem', more the increased likelyhood of an aircraft actually striking a tether with all the associated unpleasant consequences.
Its worth noting the majority of G.A. traffic operates on average at 2,000ft and there is rather a lot of military traffic down to 150-200ft. Just this-afternoon, I watched 2 RAF Tucanos near my house skirting the local ATZ at about 300ft - thats only 5 1/4 miles from a major city centre. Now, I estimated them to be running at about 250kts and in loose formation. With there being two of them, that must increase the chance of a strike by 2.
One of these tethers must be damn near invisible, especially when the balloon is in the cloudbase. To be fair, from 3 miles away on a dull day, the Sutton Coldfield transmitter which is a thick metal structure extending over 1000' can be hard to spot and that thing is lit-up like a christmas tree! Its not too far-fetched that they would have a coming together sooner-or-later as in the early 90's the Daventry transmitter (a mast) had a guy-cable snapped by a BAe Hawk.
I'd rather forgoe the 'benefits of aerial-broadband' for sake of not having the sharp-end of an aircraft on my head;)
Alright, alright, you do actually have to be inside the mooring compound to do it but if you are prepared to go running round the English countryside with large, high-powered rifles, this should be small-fry!;)
Well, the C.A.A. has approved 2 of these sites in Yorkshire with cables extending to 1500m (approx 5000ft AGL).
Now, this is all very good and well until they decide to apply for licences in high aviation traffic areas say: West of the Pennines or anywhere within 75miles of Manchester Airport.
It seems unlikely that the licences would be granted as these things don't just require "Danger-Area" status but a complete DNF area status for serveral miles around. With the U.K. having very little airspace available below the 'airways', this could get to be a major hassle for G/A and Military aviation.
Note: For those of you not in the UK, airspace below the 'airways' is largely populated by Aerodrome Traffic Zones and MATZ due to the small land-mass and (relatively) high density of major airports.
It's nearly ten years ago that we (a group of friends in the U.K.) were using the FM 'C.B.' band to transmit data between our systems over a 40sq mile area. - Sure, it was nothing more than an experiment but with todays technology......
Of course, we were using the 27/81 channels without a 'rig' licence. Working on the principal - if my wahing machine can legitimately generate this frequency at 10meters, why can't this little box do the same at 1000meters:)
The trick is to get good 'spotters' for when the DTI is in the area;)
Amazon also attempts to patent: Patent Application 20040182-2774b[ii] - Fibrous cellulose sheeting for the removal of extraneous faeces from the exterior surfaces of corporate buildings.
They later discover that Microsoft and the RIAA are already in legal wrangling with simmilar applications:)
North Korea AFAIK has never signed an anti-proliferation treaty on nuclear or other arms. It wouldn't be Americas place to 'contain' or otherwise act against North Korea unilaterally.
It would require that all countries that have signed anti-proliferation treaties to first attempt to engage in talks and then discuss together any further action
If America constantly cuts everyone out of the 'loop', everyone else will create a new 'loop' which will exclude America. - This is what I was getting at when I mentioned 'global alienation'.
At the moment, to an outsider, America appears as an unfriendly, neurotic and potentially dangerous creature.
Hmm, this thread has gone so far off the main topic that I'm going to need a GPS & some binoculars to find my way back:)
Just a thought, nobody ever seems to mention that China could deliver a nuclear payload just about anywhere, they have decent ICBM systems (after-all they are looking to send a man on a couple of orbits later this year).
I know that China has no terrorist leanings or interests but it is amusing that America almost appears to be ignoring their old worst-nightmare (A communist country with nuclear capability).
To be fair China is a very level-headed country and have always stood by their no-first-use policy, but backing it up with a Mutually Assured Destruction policy if you hit them.;) Its funny now how they take their Communism in a very Neo-Capitalist way:)
I can't help thinking that Americas worst enemy could turn out to be itself in terms of total global alienation.
Slashdot Mirror
It has been said that a second shuttle which would normally have taken a couple of months to prepare could be readied in a bit over a week but the launch would then be another massive risk as the normal procedures would be by-passed.
Whether NASA has any plans for a standby for the future remains to be seen but it could prove extrememly costly to always have the next shuttle immediately ready.
Its good that America wants to keep sending people into space but I can't help wondering about the politicism of the date.
After all, rumoured to be around December this year, China is preparing to strap a hero of the communist state (a Taikonaut) to the front of an over-engineered Long-March rocket and send him for a couple of laps.
I hope that NASA isn't being asked or pressured to rush things.
In Communist China the rocket launches you!......oh wait......
Its going to make the shuttle one incredibly expensive taxi service for the ISS.
When the shuttle launches equipped to dock with ISS, it has an ammount of its payload bay consumed with the docking adapter.
If the shuttle is used for the originally slated US module launches, this would indicate a valid use (although still very expensive in comparison to a Soyuz module launch).
Now, here's my thinking. The Shuttle was a severe compromise of an originally good system (Flight launch Horizontal TakeOff and Landing) but ended up with the return vehicle pointlessly (and expensively) attached to an SRB+LOX rocket system.
NASA is now likely to resume using the Shuttle - apart from anything this is quite political with China probably joining the elite club of nations who have launched people into space later this year. What NASA ought to be doing is saving the pennies by retiring the shuttle - not neccesarily immediately, but soon and putting out to tender a contract for a brand-new cost-effective launch system.
The new system could be based around the original Ho.T.O.L concept which was mean to be the Shuttle.
At the same time, NASA can be doing lots of new research into aerodynamic re-entry to safeguard lives in the future (FYI 2 aero-re-entry incidents to date - 1, X-15 and 1, STS).
The major sticking point is simple: The U.S. government would have to get their wallet out!
Exactly how my last post was trolling?
*Cough*
Technically speaking you'd be donwloading the WEB not the Internet
Trouble is with googles web cache, theres no pics; just think of all the beautiful images of pet dogs and holidays at Weston-super-Mare you'd be missing out on!
Use the little exit road from the services which takes you onto a minor road in Frankley near the Brothel on the Hill instead of carrying on to the A38 junction like a good little boy?
:)
Well, do you?
Naughty Naughty
Image a Beowulf cluster of Beowulf clusters!!
Is that even possible by definition?
Well, if you look at the picture mentioned with the guys in the back of the pickup, it is to be hoped that neptune is not being situated too far from the ecliptic.
After all, have you noticed the dirty-great big power lines just above them??
Also, if this is to scale, exactly how big are real solar power-lines?
Its late, I'm drunk, I should put my sense of humor to sleep......
Thats very nicely put, do you think if I escaped the UK I could claim asylum in Europe?
Actually 'blowing-up' foreign countries equipment deliberately would be likely construed as a declaration of war.
This would especially be the case between certain 'western' countries.
If you suceed in infuriating your 'allies', they quickly cease to be your 'allies'.
Eventually they become your enemies.
One thing that happened to be dragging our armed forces into a war.
Obviously thats only a little 'one' thing.
Hello my sane-minded American friend, I too am attempting to effect an escape from the U.K. into Europe. (I don't enjoy my country following the Bush administration round like a dog on heat).
:P
Now I haven't quite formulated a plan for escape yet but needless to say, I hope to use GPS for navigation en route.
Rumour has it that this may have been tried before, there is even talk of a tunnel having been built between the U.K and Europe!
Will soldiers be able to complain in real-time when somebody starts Team Killing?
And I presume that the court-martial procedure will be simplified with a KICK followed by a BAN.
So dropping thousands of shards of extremely fine foil strip on top of advancing American soldiers seems like a good bet.
:)
I seem to remember this stuff plays havoc with just about all radio signals
...that the majority of families these days are disfunctional and are incapable of socialising in the home.
I'm sure you are not to know, but it is actually now Illegal to defend your own property on private land in the U.K.
What is the world coming to?
I often wonder that if we travelled back in time to speak to all the brave souls who fought and died to protect our freedom in the second world war, and we told them that England would have gone to S#!t by the end of the same century, would we have influenced the outcome of the war?
It's not so much the 'air-traffic-problem', more the increased likelyhood of an aircraft actually striking a tether with all the associated unpleasant consequences.
;)
Its worth noting the majority of G.A. traffic operates on average at 2,000ft and there is rather a lot of military traffic down to 150-200ft. Just this-afternoon, I watched 2 RAF Tucanos near my house skirting the local ATZ at about 300ft - thats only 5 1/4 miles from a major city centre. Now, I estimated them to be running at about 250kts and in loose formation. With there being two of them, that must increase the chance of a strike by 2.
One of these tethers must be damn near invisible, especially when the balloon is in the cloudbase. To be fair, from 3 miles away on a dull day, the Sutton Coldfield transmitter which is a thick metal structure extending over 1000' can be hard to spot and that thing is lit-up like a christmas tree! Its not too far-fetched that they would have a coming together sooner-or-later as in the early 90's the Daventry transmitter (a mast) had a guy-cable snapped by a BAe Hawk.
I'd rather forgoe the 'benefits of aerial-broadband' for sake of not having the sharp-end of an aircraft on my head
Yes, no need for high powered weapons when you apply the Black & Decker 4 1/2" Angle Grinder directly to the tether!!
Alright, alright, you do actually have to be inside the mooring compound to do it but if you are prepared to go running round the English countryside with large, high-powered rifles, this should be small-fry!
Well, the C.A.A. has approved 2 of these sites in Yorkshire with cables extending to 1500m (approx 5000ft AGL).
Now, this is all very good and well until they decide to apply for licences in high aviation traffic areas say: West of the Pennines or anywhere within 75miles of Manchester Airport.
It seems unlikely that the licences would be granted as these things don't just require "Danger-Area" status but a complete DNF area status for serveral miles around. With the U.K. having very little airspace available below the 'airways', this could get to be a major hassle for G/A and Military aviation.
Note: For those of you not in the UK, airspace below the 'airways' is largely populated by Aerodrome Traffic Zones and MATZ due to the small land-mass and (relatively) high density of major airports.
Rip it the first time you play it?!
Gawd Ormighti!
It's nearly ten years ago that we (a group of friends in the U.K.) were using the FM 'C.B.' band to transmit data between our systems over a 40sq mile area. - Sure, it was nothing more than an experiment but with todays technology......
:)
;)
Of course, we were using the 27/81 channels without a 'rig' licence. Working on the principal - if my wahing machine can legitimately generate this frequency at 10meters, why can't this little box do the same at 1000meters
The trick is to get good 'spotters' for when the DTI is in the area
Amazon also attempts to patent:
Patent Application 20040182-2774b[ii] - Fibrous cellulose sheeting for the removal of extraneous faeces from the exterior surfaces of corporate buildings.
They later discover that Microsoft and the RIAA are already in legal wrangling with simmilar applications
North Korea AFAIK has never signed an anti-proliferation treaty on nuclear or other arms. It wouldn't be Americas place to 'contain' or otherwise act against North Korea unilaterally.
:)
It would require that all countries that have signed anti-proliferation treaties to first attempt to engage in talks and then discuss together any further action
If America constantly cuts everyone out of the 'loop', everyone else will create a new 'loop' which will exclude America. - This is what I was getting at when I mentioned 'global alienation'.
At the moment, to an outsider, America appears as an unfriendly, neurotic and potentially dangerous creature.
Hmm, this thread has gone so far off the main topic that I'm going to need a GPS & some binoculars to find my way back
Just a thought, nobody ever seems to mention that China could deliver a nuclear payload just about anywhere, they have decent ICBM systems (after-all they are looking to send a man on a couple of orbits later this year).
;) Its funny now how they take their Communism in a very Neo-Capitalist way :)
I know that China has no terrorist leanings or interests but it is amusing that America almost appears to be ignoring their old worst-nightmare (A communist country with nuclear capability).
To be fair China is a very level-headed country and have always stood by their no-first-use policy, but backing it up with a Mutually Assured Destruction policy if you hit them.
I can't help thinking that Americas worst enemy could turn out to be itself in terms of total global alienation.