Re: [OT] Re: shuttle disaster
On Mon, 2003-02-03 at 17:01, Kenward Vaughan wrote:
> On Mon, Feb 03, 2003 at 10:26:57AM -0600, Ron Johnson wrote:
> ...
> > As much of a fan of "space" science fiction that I am, the pragmatist
> > in me must wonder if space planes will ever become practical until
> > some new, relatively compact and light-weight, thrust generating energy
> > source is invented.
> >
> > Also, the *incredible* re-enrty speeds and friction will have to some-
> > how be ameliorated. (We're all impressed when the SR-71 travels at
> > Mach 3 at 26,000 meters, and it's titanium body expands so much to seal
> > the fuel tanks, but Columbia was traveling at Mach 17 and the nose of
> > the craft was so hot that it turned the atmosphere into plasma!)
> >
> > And it goes w/o saying that artificial gravity (that can be powered by
> > the same enery source that propells the ship) will have to be invented
> > so that man's skeletal system won't fall apart during prolonged space
> > travel. (Also, imagine how huch easier it would make eating, sleeping,
> > shaving, deficating, etc...)
> >
> > Saddened,
> > Ron
>
> Of course, to get there, we have to continue pushing...
BUT... in which direction do we push?
Do we (well, does NASA, but you know what I mean) continue to spend
BILLIONS flying the Shuttles (for a couple of weeks per trip), and
yet more BILLIONS to let a few astronauts live up in the tiny ISS?
Or... do we put all the money into as-yet-unknown radically different
propulsion technologies?
> (Not suggesting your post implied otherwise, but someone is already shouting
> that in this neck of the woods.)
Those who do are mush-brains who have a distorted understanding of
compasssion.
--
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| Ron Johnson, Jr. Home: ron.l.johnson@cox.net |
| Jefferson, LA USA http://members.cox.net/ ron.l.johnson |
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| Rohan Nicholls , The Netherlands |
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