ESA is not actually being "nice" just for the philantropy of it. I know that they are having trouble recruiting young people because of the high level of commitment which the field requires. This kind of project creates contact with interested students who might otherwise not have approached the space agency.
Welcome to the real world of engineering. Few projects of any value take less than five to ten years, it's not unique to space, but common to every engineering discipline.
Please avoid the patronizing tone. And if you're implying that a space mission is "just another project", I have to respectfully disagree; I think there are few areas where fault-tolerance is so close to nil.
Assuming that the commercial customer gives his OK for the weight and volume to be released, and is satisfied that the parasite poses no threat to his bird. It's not a simple process.
I didn't say it was simple. It is however feasible with the kind of funding a student project like this can obtain, whereas a dedicated launch is clearly not.
The point is not really to get it to work properly, it's to interest students in space tech.
Space missions are a problem, because the project lifespan from first spade to launch is typically five to ten years, too long for students to have a chance to get involved without a career decision.
These cubesats are an excellent idea, because they can hitch a ride on some commercial launch since their payload&volume are minimal.
I like the bit about the people over there coloring inside the lines. I'm not sure this was meant as humor, but it sounded to me like a classical case of "there be dragons". If this guy can write off an entire continent as docile, by just seeing (probably some limited places in) Florence, then it makes me wonder about his judgment in general.
The great thing about engineering is that it's very polyvalent! It's about the greatest education you can get, because up to a point (at least not within your lifetime) the basic principles are never obsolete, and lateral mobility is relatively easy. Remember, you're an engineer before you're a computer engineer!
I wouldn't say that you've lost any years of your life. Maybe you can't work as a coder anymore, but if during this time you became a proficient programmer, just realize that this is something that will be useful to you throughout your life, regardless whether it's not your job anymore.
You just might find that there are actually more interesting tasks than coding in the engineering field:) Anyway, don't throw the towel is all I'm saying.
Cheerio
This guy was very, *very* good. Bone-shattering replies.
Note that he had just one glitch at the very end, when the lady asked her question, allowing the crossfirers to terminate the show and go home with at least a pitiful shred of dignity.
Slashdot Mirror
ESA is not actually being "nice" just for the philantropy of it. I know that they are having trouble recruiting young people because of the high level of commitment which the field requires. This kind of project creates contact with interested students who might otherwise not have approached the space agency.
The point is not really to get it to work properly, it's to interest students in space tech.
Space missions are a problem, because the project lifespan from first spade to launch is typically five to ten years, too long for students to have a chance to get involved without a career decision.
These cubesats are an excellent idea, because they can hitch a ride on some commercial launch since their payload&volume are minimal.
I like the bit about the people over there coloring inside the lines. I'm not sure this was meant as humor, but it sounded to me like a classical case of "there be dragons".
If this guy can write off an entire continent as docile, by just seeing (probably some limited places in) Florence, then it makes me wonder about his judgment in general.
I'm just messing with you, I actually agree with the idea. It's just a very comical inference, when read out of context.
The world owes you exactly 'Jack' and 'Shit'. The sooner you learn that, the happier you will be.
That's some kind of a recipe for happiness, I'll tell ya!
(not)
The great thing about engineering is that it's very polyvalent! It's about the greatest education you can get, because up to a point (at least not within your lifetime) the basic principles are never obsolete, and lateral mobility is relatively easy. Remember, you're an engineer before you're a computer engineer! I wouldn't say that you've lost any years of your life. Maybe you can't work as a coder anymore, but if during this time you became a proficient programmer, just realize that this is something that will be useful to you throughout your life, regardless whether it's not your job anymore. You just might find that there are actually more interesting tasks than coding in the engineering field :) Anyway, don't throw the towel is all I'm saying.
Cheerio
This guy was very, *very* good. Bone-shattering replies. Note that he had just one glitch at the very end, when the lady asked her question, allowing the crossfirers to terminate the show and go home with at least a pitiful shred of dignity.