Space....

[stan reid]

Unless you count the Micheal Adams X 15 crash, to date, all of American's space flight deaths have been in the Shuttle. I think the main thing we learned from the Shuttle is that it was a bad idea.

 

[gumbyk]

Unless you count the Micheal Adams X 15 crash, to date, all of American's space flight deaths have been in the Shuttle. I think the main thing we learned from the Shuttle is that it was a bad idea.

Not really. Don't forget that the shuttle was pioneering technology. The problem was that because of the cost, development stopped at the pioneer stage.

I's count Apollo 1 as a space flight death. Apollo 13 was a very close-run thing.

 

[syscom3]

The lesson of the shuttle is it should be small and robust to only carry passengers. Let traditional rockets carry supplies and hardware.

The original design for the SSTS was for it to be a lot smaller. But to get DOD support, its size was increased to carry large and heavy military satellites.

Note - Gemini 8 in 1966 was a very close call for the two astronauts. Its was spinning out of control before it was stabilized and it made an emergency deorbit.

 

[GrauGeist]

The spaceshuttle retirement was long over due indeed. Nasa was still buying second hand Comodore 64's for their 6502 CPU's to replace the ones in the Spaceshuttle's computersystems. For the ones who don't know, the Comodore 64 was an old homecomputer of the early '80ies. The computerpower of the average cellphone of today is a 100 times more than those old machines. Trying to get old computers was the only way to supply the shuttle with these cpu's.

The orbiter's computer system consisted of 5 IBM AP-101 GPC units. In the 90's, they were modified to the AP-101B.

Unless you count the Micheal Adams X 15 crash, to date, all of American's space flight deaths have been in the Shuttle. I think the main thing we learned from the Shuttle is that it was a bad idea.

Not hardly...look how many mission and how many miles flown in regards to the two crews lost. What else can match that?
Surely not commercial aviation and certainly not public transportation.

The shuttle program helped build the ISS, it placed the Hubble into orbit and then brought the repair lens and affected repairs. It set satellites into orbit, it conducted countless science experiments and the list continues.

For what the shuttle program accomplished, it was worth every single cent.

 

[gumbyk]

First hi-res photos of Pluto...

 

[Wurger]

 

[Njaco]

I think we will soon see small personal craft with bubble canopies whizzing around with pilots shouting, "Elroy!!"

 

[parsifal]

If the space program had been able to continue without significant adverse impact on the US economy, NASA would have finalised its develpment of the Nuclear thermal Rocket system (NERVA) by the end of the 70's, and proceeded with the development of the technologies needed for a manned flight to Mars. A fully matured nuclear rocket would reduce round trip mission time from an unnacceptable 500+ days down to under 170 days, and roughly doubled payloads. The research phase for this technology was more or less completed by 1972, but needed a big injection of funds to move into the developmental and production phases.

Its still the preferred propulsive method for the projected 2030's manned mission.

Impulse rockets using a modified form or fusion propulsion are currently at bench test stage as i understand it. There is nothing wrong with the theory and nothing really stopping thir development, except money. NASA estimates that the recently publicised New Horisons missions to pluto, which took 9 years of travel time, could probably have been completed in 2 years at a fraction in the fuel costs and carrying a payload about 4x that carried by conventional rocket technologies.

The discovery of planet systems inour nearest neighbour the binary centauri star system might have been brought forward some years and the impetus to develop the technologies needed to attempt an interstellar mission before 2100 might have been possible. As it is, it is doubtful, human kind will ever achieve it.

Oh....if only the world could stop sqabbling with itself, so much could be achieved.

Fusion Rockets: 30 Days to Mars? : Discovery News

NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application)

NERVA system has some nasty environmental issues and would need the Nucear non-proliferation treaty provisions altered. But a launch made from the International Space station (or equivalent) would eliminate a lot of those issues.

The most exciting engine development being ndertaken at the present time are the Ion drive engines of which the DS4G (Dual Stage 4 Grid system is probably the most promising. Under joint development by the Euro Space agency and a research team at the ANU, it has during bench test delivered thrusts of over 210 km/s, thats a potential max vehicle velocity of around 160000 kmh, compared to existing conventional techs of around 30000 kmh

ion propulsion

DS4G ion engine

 

[Lucky13]

I wonder what the next ultra deep field image will look like and how far back in time it'll reach....

 

[Eva Braun]

If not the space exploration we'd have a much suitable and safe life here on the Earth. As for me, this is a waste of time and resources on space exploration.

 

[pbehn]

If not the space exploration we'd have a much suitable and safe life here on the Earth. As for me, this is a waste of time and resources on space exploration.

How do you think people can read that from almost anywhere in the world?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

If not the space exploration we'd have a much suitable and safe life here on the Earth. As for me, this is a waste of time and resources on space exploration.

Say what???

 

[pbehn]

Say what???

Space exploration has made old James Bond and Star Trek movies look very strange, how quickly we have gotten used to it? When did Bond stop taking pictures with a small film camera and start taking digital pictures which he uploaded to his e-mail address?

 

[GrauGeist]

If not the space exploration we'd have a much suitable and safe life here on the Earth. As for me, this is a waste of time and resources on space exploration.

You know, they said pretty much the same thing to Christopher Columbus...

Space exploration has provided us with many valuable things and is a far better use of money and resources than maintaining military arsenals. It also offers considerable data on Solar weather which directly affects the earth's ecosystems.
There is the prospect of one day leaving this crowded chunk of dirt and colonizing distant places - granted, it's a bit more complicated than sailing a 62 foot long, three-masted ship into oblivion, but the challenge is there and we should take it.

 

[michaelmaltby]

.... space gave us a new perspective .... a huge development .. up there with fire and domestication of animals, IMO

 

[vikingBerserker]

We'd also be a lot safer if we didn't have wheels.......................

 

[GrauGeist]

We'd also be a lot safer if we didn't have wheels.......................

That and sharp, pointy objects...

 

[SaparotRob]

The space program has also brought us Tang(c), the instant breakfast drink.
Also, some minor things like knowing Hurricane Irene and Super storm Sandy were headed right down our throats! Emergency preparations, staging passenger train equipment in freight yards on higher ground, lining and locking switches for emergency mainline operation. Moving personnel to key towers (signal boxes), hardening infrastructure, and preparing at home with batteries, food, water etc.
Other trivial items that money was wasted on were the forebears of personal computers ( the "programmable" guidance systems on Apollo missions),

 

[SaparotRob]

...but I really like Tang.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I did too, that stuff was awesome while growing up.