For future Shuttle flight, indeed ANY manned reentry vehicle, my opinion is that they will:
1. Do a visual postflight once it gets into orbit. Dittemore has said they they have the capability to take picture of it in orbit. Maybe even once again on the last orbit before reentry.
So, after every flight, they photo and study the vehicle, to see if there is any visible damage on the outside. If none, ok...continue with the flight. If there is, then:
B. An EVA using a second generation MMU to check it out. At least one of these will be on EVERY shuttle flight. An up close inspection can reveal far more than any telescope. If damage consistent with reentry failure is detected, then:
C. Fix, using some sort of tile repair kit. Obviously, they cannot carry a replacement for every tile. So we develop some sort of expanding heat resistant foam. Maybe a 2 part process, one for the underlying foam, second for the top glass layer. One time use, then replace on the ground, but good enough to land.
Note that I have NO idea how this expanding foam would work, or what it would be made of, but it is obvious SOME sort of inflight repair is needed.
Sending up the shuttle without some sort of inflight repair is like driving your car with no spare tire.
Avert the events of 9/11? Not possible with the environment of the day. Any open society is at risk of such terrorist actions.
We have to be lucky every time, they only have to be lucky once.
Any reasonably intelligent person, with a bit of time and money (and a fanatical following) can come up with a workable terrorist action. And follow it through.
As far as 'giving them' military aid, that's a complex subject.
Three possible benefits spring to mind. 1. Our (common) enemy is defeated. In the case of Afghanistan in the 80's, it was Russia. We funded the 'rebels' in helping to defeat the USSR in their expansionist move. 2. We maintain a presence in that part of the world. 3. Hopefully, the people we fund will turn a little bit less assholish. Sadly, it did not work in this instance. They remained assholes. And even got worse. But if we had not aided them, we and they surely would have lost out to the USSR. The USSR would have been stronger, with a new client State. Possibly delaying or preventing their collapse in the early 90's. And that was NOT in our(the West), or their best interests.
So...what do you do? Leave them alone to fight their own wars? (i.e. NOT help Saddam defend himself against Iran). Or assist, in the hopes that Saddam the insane will see the light, and turn into a GoodGuy(tm).
Look, pretty much all other countries got even older equipment than the stuff you're phasing out.
Where do you think they GOT all that older stuff?
...noone can touch you anyway if it comes to a conventional war.
And we aim to keep it that way. The only way to stay ahead is to keep moving forward.
And the real way to waste money on the military is to do it half assed. Spend some, so it looks like you're doing something. But not enough to actually run (and win) a campaign in the unfortunate event it is needed. Then your investment (and manpower) IS completely wasted.
"Fair" in warfare means "We win, and all my guys come home."
but you can't buy fresh milk in the shops can ya now?
Fresh milk? You mean like the radiation enhanced crap that can sit on a room temperature shelf for weeks on end? Or the non pasteurized stuff straight from the cow? I've had it. Doesn't sound too fresh to me.
the freedom to work for minimum wage for some mega-corp?
No one I know has a minumum wage job. Or are you speaking of the 'freedom' to be unemployed? Check the unemployment figures.
the freedom to join the army
I'd rather have the freedom to choose whether I join the military (and I did), rather than be forced to, as is the case in a lot of countries.
a huge proportion of amerikans don't even have the right to vote! And you know why? They voluntarily gave up their right to vote. Being convicted of a felony can strip you of your right to vote. Want to vote? Don't commit a felony. Simple as that.
Until a few short years ago (1971), 1/2 the population of Switzerland could not vote.
free to say what you like
Really...how is Europe so different from the US in this regard? Specifics please.
free to smoke pot in public
Just as not ALL countries in Europe turn a blind eye on smoking pot, not all States in the US toss you in jail for it either. Learn a little before you make such sweeping statements.
free to move from one country to another without restriction
How soon they forget. Just a few short years ago, people were being shot on sight just trying to go from one part of Germany to another. Freedom? Just a few short years ago, at every border crossing, you had to stop and show your 'papers'.
Freedom to travel to Cuba? Try going from Greece to Turkey. Drive around Albania at night. See how long you last.
Whose country has posted border guards in another country, ostensibly to stop illegal immigrants?
Freedom to travel, as it is in the states, is contingent upon certain rights and responsibilities. it's not quite as 'free' as you imply.
How about the 'freedom' to pay crushing taxes to give the slackers of society a free house. Or the 'freedom' to give to every family a monthly child benefit, regardless of need. I'd rather the money go to those who actually need it, not a government handout to a banker in London.
How about the 'freedom' to be forced to give your employees several weeks of vacation, regardless of merit? Yes, it is nice to have significant vacation time, but should I as an employer be forced to do that?
Should we have kept our military home during WWII? (and no, we did NOT win the war singlehandedly) You'd all be speaking German. The ones left alive, that is. Why did you beg for us to help out in Kosovo? Because you lacked the collective political will to do it yourselves.
I have traveled the world a bit. I dare say, more than you. Grow up a little, and get some time perspective. Stop watching the horrowshow on the TV. Learn what actually happens.
It's easy to say America sucks. When you're the big dog, everyone wants to take a shot at you. And no, it is not perfect.
NASA is over-budget because the ISS is over-budget. The ISS is over-budget because
...we've had to hold up our end and the Russians end of the ISS. Yes, they do launch Promise missions for resupply. But how much is the ISS behind/overbudget because the Russians could not hold up ALL of their end?
Not that this has ANYTHING to do with why Columbia broke up on reentry yesterday.
Seriously, security through ignorance is about as futile as security through obscurity.
Not necessarily. The kids who REALLY want to do it will, class or no class. But the ones who couldn't be bothered to find out for themselves, the marginal ones... won't, and thus not do it, even by accident.
There's plenty of chemistry to learn in HS without the chemistry of blowing things up.
Although is IS a lot of fun...;)
Useless vehicle
on
Advergames
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
from the article: For Pert, the demands of caring for two preschoolers often means he only has time to go four-wheeling via computer while his $25,000 Rubicon sits in the driveway.
``Sometimes when the girls are asleep I sneak off to play,'' he said.
This, from an owner in Kansas. Kansas which is flat as a pancake. If he's not going offroading, why shell out $25k for a Jeep, when any number of regular cars would better suit a family with 2 little kids.
but how many of the carriers have the FA-18s on them?
All of them. (If not -18's, they have -14's which are still pretty potent for air defense)
In addition, a carrier does not cruise alone. It is the centerpiece of a full battle group, with many other ships, whose duty is often to protect the carrier.
If not, my tax dollars are going to waste, because there's absolutely no reason why a rocket that can take 30g turns would not be able to find and hit its target.
SAMs can be defeated in several ways. Chaff & flares as decoys. Jamming, so it cannot see/identify a discrete target. Destruction of its ground based radar while the missile is in flight. It loses track and gets lost.
A missile has a 'cone' in front where the seeker (radar or IR) is effective. Sometimes, jinking just right, at the right moment, you can cause the missile to 'lose you'. Not a threat anymore.
Overwhelming the launchers with multiple targets. A ship may have many missiles, but only a few launchers. Especially with a side on attack. The launchers on the opposite side of the ship may not be able to track a target coming from the other side.
If SAMs were utterly reliable, the air forces of the world would have a MUCH tougher time than they do now.
My dad, who was in one tech job or another since high school, finally gave in his last retiremnt notice at age 81. 5 months later, he passed away.
He had gone from radio repair, to manager at a major defense contractor (fighter jets), to nuclear power plant design. After retiring from the 'regular' job, he went into teaching programming classes at a local computer chain.
An "IT" job does not necessarily mean coding day after day for 40 years. Explore the various segments of the field. As you age, you'll find you some things better than others.
As long as I'm breathing, I'm going to be doing something.
The same restraint as musicians and movie makers have shown? Right. Oft times, getting a more restrictive rating is a GoodThing(TM). Builds up interest, media commentary, and a desire by the younger set to try to sneak in or buy it.
If you really want to save lives you would mandate that all passengers in a motor vehicle wear helmets and sit in seats with four point restraints. Instituting a national speed limit of 20 mph would help too
No...you know what would REALLY work?
Put a 6 inch spike protruding out of the steering wheel. Everyone would drive better.
Don't make crashes safer. Make people avoid the crash in the first place.
Because they are not allocated individually nor sequentially. Stupidly, the telcos assign them in blocks. Even though 212-123-xxxx has not given out all of its 1000 numbers, they are all reserved for future use. So even if there are only 150 in use, the rest are out of circulation. And each 3 digit exchange is tied to a particular location. Just as each 3 digit area code is tied to a larger location.
And we are running out, because there is >1 number per person. Work 1 & 2, home, cell, modem, fax, second ring....
Because it's not about sending people to Mars. It's about sending millions/billions to defense contractors. It will be canceled a year or two before 2010.
And those defense contractors employ thousands. And hundreds of thousands more in support jobs. In a very lackluster segment of the job scene. Yes, it might get cancelled early. But in the meantime, it might just provide the jumpstart that the tech sector needs. Who knows...you or I might get a job out of it.
Ot would you prefer a bottom up economy? Just give money to the poor, instead of creating actual, sustainable jobs.
Slashdot Mirror
For future Shuttle flight, indeed ANY manned reentry vehicle, my opinion is that they will:
1. Do a visual postflight once it gets into orbit. Dittemore has said they they have the capability to take picture of it in orbit. Maybe even once again on the last orbit before reentry.
So, after every flight, they photo and study the vehicle, to see if there is any visible damage on the outside. If none, ok...continue with the flight. If there is, then:
B. An EVA using a second generation MMU to check it out. At least one of these will be on EVERY shuttle flight.
An up close inspection can reveal far more than any telescope. If damage consistent with reentry failure is detected, then:
C. Fix, using some sort of tile repair kit. Obviously, they cannot carry a replacement for every tile. So we develop some sort of expanding heat resistant foam. Maybe a 2 part process, one for the underlying foam, second for the top glass layer. One time use, then replace on the ground, but good enough to land.
Note that I have NO idea how this expanding foam would work, or what it would be made of, but it is obvious SOME sort of inflight repair is needed.
Sending up the shuttle without some sort of inflight repair is like driving your car with no spare tire.
Hey, Abdul...whaddya think? Is that a big fat easy target, or WHAT?
Avert the events of 9/11? Not possible with the environment of the day. Any open society is at risk of such terrorist actions.
We have to be lucky every time, they only have to be lucky once.
Any reasonably intelligent person, with a bit of time and money (and a fanatical following) can come up with a workable terrorist action. And follow it through.
As far as 'giving them' military aid, that's a complex subject.
Three possible benefits spring to mind.
1. Our (common) enemy is defeated. In the case of Afghanistan in the 80's, it was Russia. We funded the 'rebels' in helping to defeat the USSR in their expansionist move.
2. We maintain a presence in that part of the world.
3. Hopefully, the people we fund will turn a little bit less assholish. Sadly, it did not work in this instance. They remained assholes. And even got worse.
But if we had not aided them, we and they surely would have lost out to the USSR. The USSR would have been stronger, with a new client State. Possibly delaying or preventing their collapse in the early 90's. And that was NOT in our(the West), or their best interests.
So...what do you do? Leave them alone to fight their own wars? (i.e. NOT help Saddam defend himself against Iran). Or assist, in the hopes that Saddam the insane will see the light, and turn into a GoodGuy(tm).
And you think someone, somewhere is not working on that?
Look, pretty much all other countries got even older equipment than the stuff you're phasing out.
...noone can touch you anyway if it comes to a conventional war.
Where do you think they GOT all that older stuff?
And we aim to keep it that way. The only way to stay ahead is to keep moving forward.
And the real way to waste money on the military is to do it half assed. Spend some, so it looks like you're doing something. But not enough to actually run (and win) a campaign in the unfortunate event it is needed. Then your investment (and manpower) IS completely wasted.
"Fair" in warfare means "We win, and all my guys come home."
but you can't buy fresh milk in the shops can ya now?
Fresh milk? You mean like the radiation enhanced crap that can sit on a room temperature shelf for weeks on end? Or the non pasteurized stuff straight from the cow? I've had it. Doesn't sound too fresh to me.
the freedom to work for minimum wage for some mega-corp?
No one I know has a minumum wage job. Or are you speaking of the 'freedom' to be unemployed? Check the unemployment figures.
the freedom to join the army
I'd rather have the freedom to choose whether I join the military (and I did), rather than be forced to, as is the case in a lot of countries.
a huge proportion of amerikans don't even have the right to vote!
And you know why? They voluntarily gave up their right to vote. Being convicted of a felony can strip you of your right to vote. Want to vote? Don't commit a felony. Simple as that.
Until a few short years ago (1971), 1/2 the population of Switzerland could not vote.
free to say what you like
Really...how is Europe so different from the US in this regard? Specifics please.
free to smoke pot in public
Just as not ALL countries in Europe turn a blind eye on smoking pot, not all States in the US toss you in jail for it either. Learn a little before you make such sweeping statements.
free to move from one country to another without restriction
How soon they forget. Just a few short years ago, people were being shot on sight just trying to go from one part of Germany to another. Freedom? Just a few short years ago, at every border crossing, you had to stop and show your 'papers'.
Freedom to travel to Cuba? Try going from Greece to Turkey. Drive around Albania at night. See how long you last.
Whose country has posted border guards in another country, ostensibly to stop illegal immigrants?
Freedom to travel, as it is in the states, is contingent upon certain rights and responsibilities. it's not quite as 'free' as you imply.
How about the 'freedom' to pay crushing taxes to give the slackers of society a free house. Or the 'freedom' to give to every family a monthly child benefit, regardless of need. I'd rather the money go to those who actually need it, not a government handout to a banker in London.
How about the 'freedom' to be forced to give your employees several weeks of vacation, regardless of merit? Yes, it is nice to have significant vacation time, but should I as an employer be forced to do that?
Should we have kept our military home during WWII? (and no, we did NOT win the war singlehandedly) You'd all be speaking German. The ones left alive, that is. Why did you beg for us to help out in Kosovo? Because you lacked the collective political will to do it yourselves.
I have traveled the world a bit. I dare say, more than you. Grow up a little, and get some time perspective. Stop watching the horrowshow on the TV. Learn what actually happens.
It's easy to say America sucks. When you're the big dog, everyone wants to take a shot at you. And no, it is not perfect.
Show me a place that is, though.
We need to introduce this:
Barter Your Time and Energy for Media Exchange.
NASA is over-budget because the ISS is over-budget. The ISS is over-budget because
...we've had to hold up our end and the Russians end of the ISS. Yes, they do launch Promise missions for resupply. But how much is the ISS behind/overbudget because the Russians could not hold up ALL of their end?
Not that this has ANYTHING to do with why Columbia broke up on reentry yesterday.
May they rest in peace.
Seriously, security through ignorance is about as futile as security through obscurity.
Not necessarily. The kids who REALLY want to do it will, class or no class.
But the ones who couldn't be bothered to find out for themselves, the marginal ones... won't, and thus not do it, even by accident.
There's plenty of chemistry to learn in HS without the chemistry of blowing things up.
Although is IS a lot of fun...;)
from the article:
For Pert, the demands of caring for two preschoolers often means he only has time to go four-wheeling via computer while his $25,000 Rubicon sits in the driveway.
``Sometimes when the girls are asleep I sneak off to play,'' he said.
This, from an owner in Kansas. Kansas which is flat as a pancake. If he's not going offroading, why shell out $25k for a Jeep , when any number of regular cars would better suit a family with 2 little kids.
And they say advertising does not work.
but how many of the carriers have the FA-18s on them?
All of them. (If not -18's, they have -14's which are still pretty potent for air defense)
In addition, a carrier does not cruise alone. It is the centerpiece of a full battle group, with many other ships, whose duty is often to protect the carrier.
If not, my tax dollars are going to waste, because there's absolutely no reason why a rocket that can take 30g turns would not be able to find and hit its target.
SAMs can be defeated in several ways.
Chaff & flares as decoys.
Jamming, so it cannot see/identify a discrete target.
Destruction of its ground based radar while the missile is in flight. It loses track and gets lost.
A missile has a 'cone' in front where the seeker (radar or IR) is effective. Sometimes, jinking just right, at the right moment, you can cause the missile to 'lose you'. Not a threat anymore.
Overwhelming the launchers with multiple targets. A ship may have many missiles, but only a few launchers. Especially with a side on attack. The launchers on the opposite side of the ship may not be able to track a target coming from the other side.
If SAMs were utterly reliable, the air forces of the world would have a MUCH tougher time than they do now.
With tricare, you DO have the option of having a civilian doctor as your primary provider. Doesn't have to be at a military facility.
Yes, choice is a good thing. I find Tricare gives me choice.
i don't have long distance on my home line (long distance phone company slamming) so we use a calling card. for .lt. .05$ per minute it can't be beat
Bigzoo.com. $0.029 or $0.039 a min.
My dad, who was in one tech job or another since high school, finally gave in his last retiremnt notice at age 81. 5 months later, he passed away.
He had gone from radio repair, to manager at a major defense contractor (fighter jets), to nuclear power plant design. After retiring from the 'regular' job, he went into teaching programming classes at a local computer chain.
An "IT" job does not necessarily mean coding day after day for 40 years. Explore the various segments of the field. As you age, you'll find you some things better than others.
As long as I'm breathing, I'm going to be doing something.
Do NOT denigrate that mil retirement. After 20 yrs, I got out in 97. That monthly check starting at age 39 or 40, AND the Tricare is invaluable.
Yearly family Tricare payment is about the same as my current coworkers monthly payment.
And I have had very, very few complaints about Tricare, either claims or service.
Just keep an eye on the power supply of that eMachine. They have to cut corners somewhere. My kids had one, and thats the part that failed.
Other than that, it seemed to be OK.
...what are we fightin' 4?
Don't ask me I don't give a damn.
Next stop is big Bagdad.
...there is a "groundswell of support" for Jobs as pres, doesn't make it a good idea. After all, Sharpton also has a groundswell of support.
The same restraint as musicians and movie makers have shown? Right.
Oft times, getting a more restrictive rating is a GoodThing(TM). Builds up interest, media commentary, and a desire by the younger set to try to sneak in or buy it.
If you really want to save lives you would mandate that all passengers in a motor vehicle wear helmets and sit in seats with four point restraints. Instituting a national speed limit of 20 mph would help too
No...you know what would REALLY work?
Put a 6 inch spike protruding out of the steering wheel.
Everyone would drive better.
Don't make crashes safer. Make people avoid the crash in the first place.
Because they are not allocated individually nor sequentially. Stupidly, the telcos assign them in blocks. Even though 212-123-xxxx has not given out all of its 1000 numbers, they are all reserved for future use. So even if there are only 150 in use, the rest are out of circulation.
And each 3 digit exchange is tied to a particular location. Just as each 3 digit area code is tied to a larger location.
And we are running out, because there is >1 number per person. Work 1 & 2, home, cell, modem, fax, second ring....
Meanwhile, the Army is going to a different, equally proprietary system.0 .html
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,21725,0
BArbie has been estimated at measurments of 40-18-32
Non-human indeed
Because it's not about sending people to Mars. It's about sending millions/billions to defense contractors. It will be canceled a year or two before 2010.
And those defense contractors employ thousands. And hundreds of thousands more in support jobs. In a very lackluster segment of the job scene. Yes, it might get cancelled early. But in the meantime, it might just provide the jumpstart that the tech sector needs. Who knows...you or I might get a job out of it.
Ot would you prefer a bottom up economy? Just give money to the poor, instead of creating actual, sustainable jobs.