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 Posted: May 23, 2012 - 05:54 AM |
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Joined: Dec 18, 2001
Posts: 4717
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SpaceX launched to orbit their cargo shuttle to/from the Space Station - this week. Congratulations.
It was curious to hear NASA's PR weenie interviewing SpaceX people... paraphrasing:
NASA: How did SpaceX troubleshoot the cause of the aborted launch so quickly?
SpaceX: Well, our engineers actually work on the system, so they didn't have to consult numerous contractors and subcontractors. [NASA snark not subtle]
NASA interviewing NASA Program Manager liason to SpaceX... "What are some of the big differences you see in how SpaceX does things versus NASA?"
NASA PM: "We're impressed that they use mostly electronic documents rather than the paper we're used to."
The commercialization of space travel will be quite interesting. To be fair, The Royals' funding to Columbus for his voyages was probably huge by standards of the day. |
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Posted: May 23, 2012 - 03:29 PM |
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Joined: Nov 11, 2003
Posts: 3899
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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| Quite excited here about SpaceX. Go guys! |
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Discursive design,
Torby
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.
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Posted: May 23, 2012 - 04:48 PM |
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Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 2512
Location: Redmond, WA USA
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stevech wrote:
NASA interviewing NASA Program Manager liason to SpaceX... "What are some of the big differences you see in how SpaceX does things versus NASA?"
NASA PM: "We're impressed that they use mostly electronic documents rather than the paper we're used to."
NASA used to be years ahead of the curve. That reply is sad to read and indicates that the NASA "Right Stuff Culture" has seriously eroded. |
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Larry
Those afraid to embrace the future will quickly fade into the past. - larryvc
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Posted: May 23, 2012 - 06:19 PM |
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Joined: Nov 17, 2004
Posts: 6137
Location: Great Smokey Mountains.
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All government programs no matter how noble their beginnings, quickly become ways to spread patronage around among the states. With jobs spread in enough districts, then the program becomes untouchable and it continues to exist and even grow long past any real need or it.
NASA ceased relevancy at almost exactly the time the Space Shuttle was proposed. How much money did we spend to fry that school teacher? And who even asked what the Hell were we doing sending a school teacher into orbit? Senator John Glenn gets a ride to test the effects of space flights on the elderly? How many High School fruit fly experiments really need to be launched and at what cost?
The Republicans won't touch it because it funds a lot of rich folks that own the contracting companies. Democrats won't touch it because a lot of the work is unionized.
It is a perfect parasite.
Smiley |
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FREE TUTORIAL: 'Quick Start Guide for Using the WinAVR C Compiler with ATMEL's AVR Butterfly' AVAILABLE AT: http://www.smileymicros.com
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Posted: May 23, 2012 - 06:25 PM |
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Joined: Sep 04, 2002
Posts: 21272
Location: Orlando Florida
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| Can someone remind me why people that get paid by the taxpayers have to be in a union? Is the government an unfair employer? Bad work environment? Not enough perks? I thought unions were for workplace safety. Unions are great protecting their workers from evil capitalists. They shouldn't be needed for civil servants. |
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Imagecraft compiler user
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Posted: May 25, 2012 - 08:55 PM |
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Joined: Nov 11, 2003
Posts: 3899
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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| I see now their "Dragon" has successfully docked with the ISS. |
_________________
Discursive design,
Torby
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.
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Posted: May 26, 2012 - 12:29 AM |
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Joined: Jun 27, 2005
Posts: 3412
Location: St.Petersburg, Russia
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| There are 2 things wrong with that grappling/docking video: it's not from 2001 and it's not in the orbit of Jupiter. |
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The Dark Boxes are coming.
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Posted: May 26, 2012 - 12:58 AM |
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Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 2512
Location: Redmond, WA USA
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I think it is because we are using a Russian clock to keep time that we are so far behind in our endeavours. 
Oh, wait, it was the Russians that saved the day in 2010. 
Congratulations to SpaceX. |
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Larry
Those afraid to embrace the future will quickly fade into the past. - larryvc
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Posted: May 26, 2012 - 01:39 AM |
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Joined: Dec 18, 2001
Posts: 4717
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| SpaceX got it right first try! |
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Posted: May 26, 2012 - 04:18 AM |
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Joined: Sep 04, 2002
Posts: 21272
Location: Orlando Florida
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| Elon Musk can make a company that makes a rocket and a capsule that work great, but cant get an electric car into mass production? |
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Imagecraft compiler user
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Posted: May 26, 2012 - 04:44 AM |
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Joined: Jul 02, 2005
Posts: 5951
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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| Maybe the "oil interests" don't have any in space. |
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Ross McKenzie
ValuSoft
Melbourne Australia
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Posted: May 26, 2012 - 05:39 AM |
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Joined: Jan 09, 2007
Posts: 1877
Location: Arlington, Texas, U.S.A.
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bobgardner wrote:
Elon Musk ... cant get an electric car into mass production?
"Real soon now"
http://www.teslamotors.com/models/options
Price is significantly greater than a Chevrolet Volt or Nissan Leaf.
IIRC, saw an electric car recharger at a nearby Cracker Barrel restaurant. |
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 01:11 PM |
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Joined: Nov 11, 2003
Posts: 3899
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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svofski wrote:
There are 2 things wrong with that grappling/docking video: it's not from 2001 and it's not in the orbit of Jupiter.
Give us time! Clarke just didn't figure we'd abandon space travel for 40 years. |
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Discursive design,
Torby
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 03:10 PM |
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Joined: Sep 04, 2002
Posts: 21272
Location: Orlando Florida
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| It took bravery to sail west over the horizon in 1492, but at least they didnt need pressure suits and breathing apparatus. So far we havent been able to live in a closed environment in the Arizona desert or on the sea floor without constant replenishment. Taking off for Mars for a decade would take a real tough dude. |
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Imagecraft compiler user
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 03:41 PM |
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Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 2512
Location: Redmond, WA USA
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bobgardner wrote:
Taking off for Mars for a decade would take a real tough dude.
Visions of the movie "Avatar" just flashed through my mind. Oh my, I need caffeine. |
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Larry
Those afraid to embrace the future will quickly fade into the past. - larryvc
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 03:51 PM |
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Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 18585
Location: Lund, Sweden
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Quote:
that grappling/docking video
What video?!? What link do I not see? |
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 04:32 PM |
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Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 2512
Location: Redmond, WA USA
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JohanEkdahl wrote:
Quote:
that grappling/docking video
What video?!? What link do I not see?
http://tinyurl.com/7zmdycd
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Larry
Those afraid to embrace the future will quickly fade into the past. - larryvc
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 05:25 PM |
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Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 18585
Location: Lund, Sweden
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Very funny Larry.
Since the wording was "that grappling/docking video" I was asking about which specific vide was referred to.
[ , etc ]
EDIT: And since it is obviously OK to be a wise guy here, I will just inform you that the link you so aptly produced does not in its first page of hits produce any video that in any way depicts anything docking with the ISS.
With less ignorance you would not just swallow the erroneous worthing on all those sites your search produces, but would instead of sticking that ugly Bing into my face gently inform all of us that the video illustrates approach and grappling, but no actual docking. Go AltaVista those words, or stay ignorant..
[ / , etc ] |
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 06:59 PM |
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Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 2512
Location: Redmond, WA USA
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The whole idea of that post was to through Bing in your face. Bing, Silverlight, etc... I have to be proactive with who pays the Bills.
And yes, I only saw the same videos that you did. I wish there was one of the actual docking. Perhaps NASA TV will post it at some future date.
Ignorance is bliss. |
_________________
Larry
Those afraid to embrace the future will quickly fade into the past. - larryvc
Last edited by larryvc on May 28, 2012 - 08:03 PM; edited 1 time in total
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Posted: May 28, 2012 - 07:30 PM |
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Joined: Jun 27, 2005
Posts: 3412
Location: St.Petersburg, Russia
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@Jesper: sorry, I'm subscribed to this channel so I assumed that everybody who's interested in the subject also saw the video. Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTdxIS8J_NI& |
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The Dark Boxes are coming.
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Posted: May 29, 2012 - 02:49 AM |
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Joined: Nov 09, 2011
Posts: 402
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Torby wrote:
Clarke just didn't figure we'd abandon space travel for 40 years.
Sorry, but I feel the need to rant.
Although manned space exploration gets the most attention, the unmanned side is way, *way* more important for our knowledge of planetary and space sciences. In the 40 years since Apollo, we have had amazing successes with Solar System exploration. Our Mars work included the pioneering Viking program, and continued with the more recent Mars Pathfinder, Global Surveyor, Climate Orbiter and other orbiters + landers. We've sent dozens of craft to Venus - some of them even survived for about an hour on the surface, although their lens caps are a different story. We've orbited Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn. The Cassini orbiter is on its way to Saturn, while New Horizons is on its way to Pluto. Asteroid and comet samples were collected and successfully returned to Earth. On top of all of that, the Voyager probes will enter *interstellar space* in about 2 years.
- S |
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Posted: May 29, 2012 - 03:12 AM |
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Joined: Dec 18, 2001
Posts: 4717
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| communicating with Voyager is a splendid example of the RF communications propagation loss inverse square law in action! |
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Posted: May 29, 2012 - 09:00 AM |
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Joined: Jul 02, 2005
Posts: 5951
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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larryvc wrote:
I have to be proactive with who pays the Bills.
Oh don't tell me there is more than one of him. |
_________________
Ross McKenzie
ValuSoft
Melbourne Australia
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