It's great that the government is starting to buy into the open-source software mentality, but is this really a good idea? I mean, if they open the source to satellite protocols then it can allow the terrorists access to our spy satellites and our space probes. If they get access to those they can use the satellites to spy on US! and make it so we can't spy back on them, and also they can use the probes to contact other races in the universe! We have a hard enough time with them as is, let's not give them an added advantage. I don't want our hard earned tax dollars on the mars rover used to contact aliens so they can kill us like terrorists. That's not a good idea. NOT AT ALL MISTER BUSH! NOTICE HOW I DIDN'T SAY PRESIDENT YOU UNELECTED WORM! I can't believe they would be so flippant about the nation's security.
NASA has become too lax on security. They really need to work on that -- maybe we should institute an "office of space security" to lead and watch over NASA. Especially with the Chinese in space -- with other rogue countries soon to follow -- the heavens are about to become the new battlefield. We need to be prepared.
Agreed. In fact, I see a mostly-reusable ballistic capsule system as one of the most ideal idea configurations. Wings aren't necessary for a spacecraft, and with steerable parachutes they aren't even necessary for targeting.
I'd love to see the Orbital Space Plane designed as a capsule. It might not be quite as flashy, but damn it, it would get the job done!
I think something many people overlook is that large-scale shuttle type vehicles are extremely complex and difficult to engineer. We can't just slap one together and put it on top of one of our current rockets -- nothing is big enough to launch a similar vehicle!
By seperating the system into two less-complex vehicles, they can focus more on the specifics of both vehicles. Instead of making a jack-of-all-trades, good-at-none "solution", the engineers can focus on making sure each vehicle does it's mission well.
As for non-reusable -- so what! For now, that might be the way to go. Perhaps in the near future the system can be modified with next-generation technology, but again, simplicity is where it's at. Let's not make another overly complex mostrosity with tens of thousands of pseudo-redundant interconnected systems.
You've got the jist, but there's one detail I'm going to have to nitpick.
The 100 megaton test was not the United States. It was the USSR's "Tsar Bomba". The test was the "cleanest" nuclear explosion ever -- 97% of the energy was due to nuclear fusion. There's a lot of information on it's development here. There's mixed reports on if it was ever weaponized, but most people seem to agree that it wasn't.
The actual test blast was done at 50% power. The overall yield was 50 megatons (or 57, if you believe Khrushchev), and it was never tested at it's full yield.
Even so, 50 megatons is complete fucking overkill. Gotta agree with you there. But just turning our backs on a technology in hopes that noone will ever go through with the engineering -- and, for that matter, the use -- seems hopelessly naive. We are a rock-stupid race of warriors, and when we find a newer, shiner rock someone will want to bash someone else's head in with it.
I think it's just to underline how fucked up this guy is. Read it again -- he was a neo-Nazi, but his father was Jewish. Nazis and Jews haven't exactly had a peachy relationship. It'd be the same as saying "...former KKK leader who turned to the spam business in 1999 after it became public that his father was black.".
The impression I think the author is trying to get across is that this guy has issues -- when it became clear that he is exactly what he hates, he changed tracks slightly and went into spamming.
Gregory also dropped a strong hint in Dayton that the so-called Orbital Space Plane, not targeted for 2008, could be a capsule.
The very name of the program, Gregory cautioned, is not meant to imply that the final design will be a winged vehicle. He also said that the chosen design would stress very mature, well-understood technology.
"You will see things that some will call 'retro'," he said. "But when you delve into its capabilities they will be very sophisticated, utilizing all the latest technologies."
When asked at the end of a presentation here why NASA was preparing to spend $20 billion on a "gold-plated Soyuz," Gregory praised the reliability of the Soyuz, but disavowed the questioner's cost estimate.
"I don't think anyone has settled on a number such as that before," Gregory said.
So yeah. Turns out that NASA seems to understand a winged vehicle might not be the optimal way to go for a quick schedule on existing boosters.
Also, considering that Soyuz is about 7150 Kg, a similar (conceptually) spacecraft could easily be launched on an Atlas IIAS or Atlas III rocket, and considering that these vehicles have a 100% success rate thus far...
Lift numbers: Atlas IIAS: 8610 Kg to LEO Atlas IIIA: 8640 Kg to LEO Atlas IIIB: 10,718 Kg to LEO
If they ended up using an Atlas V or Delta 4 EELV, they could get away with significantly more payload as well... but on a very new launch platform. Delta 4's can carry from 8600 to 24000+ Kg per laucnch. Atlas V's can lift from 10300 to 25000 Kg to LEO.
Traditionally, advertisement has been seen as a "second class" form of speech. IANAL, but I think it's the difference between speech by a person and speech by a corporation.
Southwest will not be buying these, but United, American, etc will buy fleets of these.
LOL.
Maybe you haven't noticed, but these two airlines are in some major financial trouble.
The day of the enormous super-carrier is over. They may have thrived during the positive economy of the 80's and 90's, but now they don't stand a chance. This kind of airline survived during the 70's only because of regulation... but guess what. Airlines are deregulated now. No more federal price fixing, and unlike Europe, no federal funding of carriers.
The future is low-cost carriers such as Southwest or JetBlue.
Several airlines are in bankrupcy, and many are talking Chapter 9 liquidation.
Many fleets of 747s are being grounded and being replaced by the lower-capacity 777... including in Pacific Rim routes. They just can't afford to fly that many empty seats, and that large of an aircraft is just less efficient than a two-engine.
So why is Airbus gambling that the world needs an enormous airplane? It seems like extreme fiscial irresponsibility, especically considering they're government-funded! America certainly won't be buying, and I doubt much rest of the 100 plane order will go through if the economy continues to degrade in the rest of the world.
It almost reminds me of the Spruce Goose. Have fun paying off your new boat anchor, Europe. Welcome to recession.
I am hosting a small Superbowl gathering at my residence. However, I have come upon a true crisis:
We've run out of Nacho Cheese Dip.
Now, let me explain the situation a little further. I am posting from my kitchen, and outside are two pregnant ladies, three 250+ pound men, and an eight year old child, with his paintball gun that his oh-so-intelligent father was so quick to buy him.
If I don't come back with something, there will be a "conflict". And by "conflict" I mean it in the same way the Israeli-Palestinian situation is a "conflict".
This is where you come in: Send Nacho Cheese.
My girlfriend and I are armed only with a few cans of Keystone Light. Please. We don't want to die.
Slashdot Mirror
Does this worry anybody else?
It's great that the government is starting to buy into the open-source software mentality, but is this really a good idea? I mean, if they open the source to satellite protocols then it can allow the terrorists access to our spy satellites and our space probes. If they get access to those they can use the satellites to spy on US! and make it so we can't spy back on them, and also they can use the probes to contact other races in the universe! We have a hard enough time with them as is, let's not give them an added advantage. I don't want our hard earned tax dollars on the mars rover used to contact aliens so they can kill us like terrorists. That's not a good idea. NOT AT ALL MISTER BUSH! NOTICE HOW I DIDN'T SAY PRESIDENT YOU UNELECTED WORM! I can't believe they would be so flippant about the nation's security.
NASA has become too lax on security. They really need to work on that -- maybe we should institute an "office of space security" to lead and watch over NASA. Especially with the Chinese in space -- with other rogue countries soon to follow -- the heavens are about to become the new battlefield. We need to be prepared.
Linux Journal: Apache on Linux
Uptime: Down faster than a drunken cheerleader on prom night
George W Bush: IIS on Windows 2000
Uptime: Still going!
HTH HAND!
Something I noticed...
Our good old friend Steve Woston, Lead Programmer of J-J-J-Julius Games, has some insightful comments on this here.
Glad to see the great Mr. Woston back discussing Serious Issues.
Agreed. In fact, I see a mostly-reusable ballistic capsule system as one of the most ideal idea configurations. Wings aren't necessary for a spacecraft, and with steerable parachutes they aren't even necessary for targeting.
I'd love to see the Orbital Space Plane designed as a capsule. It might not be quite as flashy, but damn it, it would get the job done!
I think something many people overlook is that large-scale shuttle type vehicles are extremely complex and difficult to engineer. We can't just slap one together and put it on top of one of our current rockets -- nothing is big enough to launch a similar vehicle!
By seperating the system into two less-complex vehicles, they can focus more on the specifics of both vehicles. Instead of making a jack-of-all-trades, good-at-none "solution", the engineers can focus on making sure each vehicle does it's mission well.
As for non-reusable -- so what! For now, that might be the way to go. Perhaps in the near future the system can be modified with next-generation technology, but again, simplicity is where it's at. Let's not make another overly complex mostrosity with tens of thousands of pseudo-redundant interconnected systems.
MAN CREATURE IS HUNGRY. GET THE HUNGERFOOD FROM THE CARRYPACK.
;D
Please, please don't tell me that was actually a line.
If it is, on the other hand, I've gotta start using it
You've got the jist, but there's one detail I'm going to have to nitpick.
The 100 megaton test was not the United States. It was the USSR's "Tsar Bomba". The test was the "cleanest" nuclear explosion ever -- 97% of the energy was due to nuclear fusion. There's a lot of information on it's development here. There's mixed reports on if it was ever weaponized, but most people seem to agree that it wasn't.
The actual test blast was done at 50% power. The overall yield was 50 megatons (or 57, if you believe Khrushchev), and it was never tested at it's full yield.
Even so, 50 megatons is complete fucking overkill. Gotta agree with you there. But just turning our backs on a technology in hopes that noone will ever go through with the engineering -- and, for that matter, the use -- seems hopelessly naive. We are a rock-stupid race of warriors, and when we find a newer, shiner rock someone will want to bash someone else's head in with it.
Wonder if he got his head broken by OOG THE CAVEMAN's open-source CD!
I think it's just to underline how fucked up this guy is. Read it again -- he was a neo-Nazi, but his father was Jewish. Nazis and Jews haven't exactly had a peachy relationship. It'd be the same as saying "...former KKK leader who turned to the spam business in 1999 after it became public that his father was black.".
The impression I think the author is trying to get across is that this guy has issues -- when it became clear that he is exactly what he hates, he changed tracks slightly and went into spamming.
NO! These are obvious lies, made up by anti-freedom anti-privacy haters! They want to write you parking tickets and kill your puppy!
Just one more reason to join the mile-high club!
...the Orbital Space Plane, which was discussed in this article, might not have the problems we thought.
In This Space.com article on Space Shuttle Weather Scrubs, there's a selection of an interview from NASA's deputy administrator:
Gregory also dropped a strong hint in Dayton that the so-called Orbital Space Plane, not targeted for 2008, could be a capsule.
The very name of the program, Gregory cautioned, is not meant to imply that the final design will be a winged vehicle. He also said that the chosen design would stress very mature, well-understood technology.
"You will see things that some will call 'retro'," he said. "But when you delve into its capabilities they will be very sophisticated, utilizing all the latest technologies."
When asked at the end of a presentation here why NASA was preparing to spend $20 billion on a "gold-plated Soyuz," Gregory praised the reliability of the Soyuz, but disavowed the questioner's cost estimate.
"I don't think anyone has settled on a number such as that before," Gregory said.
So yeah. Turns out that NASA seems to understand a winged vehicle might not be the optimal way to go for a quick schedule on existing boosters.
Also, considering that Soyuz is about 7150 Kg, a similar (conceptually) spacecraft could easily be launched on an Atlas IIAS or Atlas III rocket, and considering that these vehicles have a 100% success rate thus far...
Lift numbers:
Atlas IIAS: 8610 Kg to LEO
Atlas IIIA: 8640 Kg to LEO
Atlas IIIB: 10,718 Kg to LEO
If they ended up using an Atlas V or Delta 4 EELV, they could get away with significantly more payload as well... but on a very new launch platform. Delta 4's can carry from 8600 to 24000+ Kg per laucnch. Atlas V's can lift from 10300 to 25000 Kg to LEO.
Surely you jest. Nothing can top the old YRO colors -- puke yellow and burnt red.
Now that was enough to make anyone want to gouge their eyes out. This is soothing in comparison.
Part of what makes this one so cool is that the sculptures race on both land and water.
Um... yeah, same thing with Boulder Kinetics.
Are there Kinetic races without the water part? That'd be pretty lame... just an overglorified bike race!
Pregnant man gives birth. That's a fact!
(Sounds like a good reality TV show to me.)
:)
Yeah, until everybody gets sick of the reporter and they steal the video-headset.
That said, I can't wait
Traditionally, advertisement has been seen as a "second class" form of speech. IANAL, but I think it's the difference between speech by a person and speech by a corporation.
Fuck, man. I just want it to stop.
Southwest will not be buying these, but United, American, etc will buy fleets of these.
LOL.
Maybe you haven't noticed, but these two airlines are in some major financial trouble.
The day of the enormous super-carrier is over. They may have thrived during the positive economy of the 80's and 90's, but now they don't stand a chance. This kind of airline survived during the 70's only because of regulation... but guess what. Airlines are deregulated now. No more federal price fixing, and unlike Europe, no federal funding of carriers.
The future is low-cost carriers such as Southwest or JetBlue.
Just ask anyone at United.
The economy is in the shitter.
Several airlines are in bankrupcy, and many are talking Chapter 9 liquidation.
Many fleets of 747s are being grounded and being replaced by the lower-capacity 777... including in Pacific Rim routes. They just can't afford to fly that many empty seats, and that large of an aircraft is just less efficient than a two-engine.
So why is Airbus gambling that the world needs an enormous airplane? It seems like extreme fiscial irresponsibility, especically considering they're government-funded! America certainly won't be buying, and I doubt much rest of the 100 plane order will go through if the economy continues to degrade in the rest of the world.
It almost reminds me of the Spruce Goose. Have fun paying off your new boat anchor, Europe. Welcome to recession.
A new spaceplane, designed for crew. See the Orbital Space Plane.
A new technology, reusable launch vehicle. See the Space Launch Initiative.
Continuing with the Prometheus Project. We fucked up when we stopped persuing NERVA/Rover.
Mars. Need I say more?
I'd also like to see a space elevator persued, but I don't know that we have the tech yet. Then again, I haven't looked into it that much either.
Yeah, so that's my wishlist. Only a few hundreds of billions of dollars in imaginary cash NASA doesn't have...
I *really* wish I could mod this up to +5, Insightful.
As it is, I'm just able to thank you for one of the few well-thought-out rebuttals to the VentureStar program.
I just wanted to send out props to KBFR, Boulder Free Radio at 95.3 evenings and weekends... when the feds don't work. :)
Take a listen next time you're in Colorado, or try out the stream at KBFR.org.
All random shit. All the time.
I am hosting a small Superbowl gathering at my residence. However, I have come upon a true crisis:
We've run out of Nacho Cheese Dip.
Now, let me explain the situation a little further. I am posting from my kitchen, and outside are two pregnant ladies, three 250+ pound men, and an eight year old child, with his paintball gun that his oh-so-intelligent father was so quick to buy him.
If I don't come back with something, there will be a "conflict". And by "conflict" I mean it in the same way the Israeli-Palestinian situation is a "conflict".
This is where you come in: Send Nacho Cheese.
My girlfriend and I are armed only with a few cans of Keystone Light. Please. We don't want to die.