Why take pictures of "space rocks"? Because if one is going to come whizzing at us some day, wouldn't it be good idea to know what it is made out of and what might happen should we decide to shoot the thing?
In the scheme of things we may be just a bunch of smelly monkeys, but I'd prefer to keep on smelling from just as long as I can.
The Saturn V is really a huge expense. There several far less expensive propositions. For example, the early prototype of the Single Stage to Orbit was a great success. Until the budget got axed by congress and one tiny winy little accident. The RAMP engine looks to be the most useful alternative to the shuttle, particularily if it used on a hybrid vehicle that flys on conventional jets until it reaches altitude and then boost from there into LEO. Once in LEO we should seriously consider building space only vehicles that use low G engines with tremendous efficiency, like ION propulsion or Solar Sail.
While an ION engine could get us anywhere in the solar system, it would do so slowly, but what is to stop us from using a big rock as a counter weight and spinning the habitation module for G's? Then the low G ION engine could run all the way to turn over, and then all the way to insertion.
While we're on the topic, Closed Circuit Sewage Treatment systems would allow us to build a system that could produce significant fish (talapia) and green stuff. This would also greatly reduce the cost of the mission. Particularily since the Hab section could be spun up to a near earth G by using a long tether between the hab and its counter weight rock.
No, I think that the Saturn Rockets are properly dead and gone. But I also think that the shuttle has really seen its day as well. Now, if congress would only vote for enough money to actually build a few replacements . . .
Hey! This is great news! I just love when the US passes laws that help bolster the software industry here in Canada. Like your crypto laws. They were the best thing that ever happened to cryptography software. I can run down the estreet and buy 4092 byte encryption software and the best you can do is 128 bit! I could sure use the work programming for all these new Canadian startups that are going to take advantage of this new law! Wow, just think of all the new websites this will spawn! US customers accepted! Buy your software here and avoid stupid laws! Get real support for your product, buy it in Canada! he he
Actually, the stamp uses a simple prom type memory and it has simple binary op codes. Making a port to linux would be truly trivial. It understands a simple serial command language, so if you have any sort of rs232 port you can program this puppy by just dumping the appropriate binary bytes. I babble
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Why take pictures of "space rocks"? Because if one is going to come whizzing at us some day, wouldn't it be good idea to know what it is made out of and what might happen should we decide to shoot the thing?
In the scheme of things we may be just a bunch of smelly monkeys, but I'd prefer to keep on smelling from just as long as I can.
The Saturn V is really a huge expense. There several far less expensive propositions. For example, the early prototype of the Single Stage to Orbit was a great success. Until the budget got axed by congress and one tiny winy little accident. The RAMP engine looks to be the most useful alternative to the shuttle, particularily if it used on a hybrid vehicle that flys on conventional jets until it reaches altitude and then boost from there into LEO. Once in LEO we should seriously consider building space only vehicles that use low G engines with tremendous efficiency, like ION propulsion or Solar Sail.
While an ION engine could get us anywhere in the solar system, it would do so slowly, but what is to stop us from using a big rock as a counter weight and spinning the habitation module for G's? Then the low G ION engine could run all the way to turn over, and then all the way to insertion.
While we're on the topic, Closed Circuit Sewage Treatment systems would allow us to build a system that could produce significant fish (talapia) and green stuff. This would also greatly reduce the cost of the mission. Particularily since the Hab section could be spun up to a near earth G by using a long tether between the hab and its counter weight rock.
No, I think that the Saturn Rockets are properly dead and gone. But I also think that the shuttle has really seen its day as well. Now, if congress would only vote for enough money to actually build a few replacements . . .
Hey! This is great news! I just love when the US passes laws that help bolster the software industry here in Canada. Like your crypto laws. They were the best thing that ever happened to cryptography software. I can run down the estreet and buy 4092 byte encryption software and the best you can do is 128 bit! I could sure use the work programming for all these new Canadian startups that are going to take advantage of this new law! Wow, just think of all the new websites this will spawn! US customers accepted! Buy your software here and avoid stupid laws! Get real support for your product, buy it in Canada! he he
Actually, the stamp uses a simple prom type memory and it has simple binary op codes. Making a port to linux would be truly trivial. It understands a simple serial command language, so if you have any sort of rs232 port you can program this puppy by just dumping the appropriate binary bytes. I babble