tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post2494915087430022830..comments2023-04-01T13:39:24.156-07:00Comments on RocketsAndSuch: Alternate UniverseRocket Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05109496878476775729noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-4748064643037211602009-07-26T22:09:54.471-07:002009-07-26T22:09:54.471-07:00The "what if's" surrounding the Sovi...The "what if's" surrounding the Soviet lunar program are always fascinating. Apollo and its Soviet competitor were sprints, not marathons. The schedule didn't exist to develop orbital assembly methods and create a true earth-moon infrastructure. Both sides committed to building truly massive and unsustainable launchers. The biggest differences between Apollo and the Korolov effort are the American investments in propulsion technology that the Soviets neglected at the time (hydrogen fuels and big combustion chambers that could burn kerosene in a stable fashion.) If Korolov and Glushko could have buried their personal conflicts (and if Korolov hadn't died before his time,) perhaps the Soviets would have created their own equivalent to the F-1.<br /><br />If the Soviets had succeeded in landing a Cosmonaut on the moon, the end result would sound familiar to American ears: the program achieves its political objectives, then the Politboro declares "mission accomplished" and pulls the plug on extended missions. The heroic approach to achieving space feats just isn't sustainable in an economic or political sense.Mr. Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08537371901494918449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-60900026722213028622009-07-25T18:15:20.179-07:002009-07-25T18:15:20.179-07:00Was Christopher Columbus a giant leap or a small s...<i>Was Christopher Columbus a giant leap or a small step?</i><br /><br />No, he's an old, tired and lame analogy. You can't afford another von Braun, certainly not one like the Italian waiter. What we need are more Krafft Ehricke's, and hey, guess what, we got them by the dozens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-19276789880598502772009-07-25T17:54:48.994-07:002009-07-25T17:54:48.994-07:00Yesterday's NASA leadership was totally gutles...Yesterday's NASA leadership was totally gutless. Let's see if a new head can get them to grow some, other than being good at power point spin-room tactics. Say "black is white" often enough and with enough conviction, and soon you'll get people to believe the lie. Hell, you'll probably even believe it yourself. They sure as hell have no idea how to do rockets, but they got a lot pf people believing they did. Time to take the trash out and start again; marine style.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13482958353631379312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-16617162384176560762009-07-24T13:43:15.457-07:002009-07-24T13:43:15.457-07:00Ok, in an earlier post, you lament that we have no...Ok, in an earlier post, you lament that we have no Von Brauns willing to take risk and enspire. Now you complain that the Germans took us down the wrong path. Eisenhower was getting us nowhere fast and Von Braun / Kennedy got us there fast and with far more risk than most realize. Atlas and Delta have no margin beyond getting a specific sized payload into orbit. Or inspiration beyond a profit. Dan Goldin asked private industry to step up with their own money and the responses were: "send us lots of taxpayer money." Small, manageable steps by government to put man in orbit over the last 20 years have never gotten out of the study phase. A few start-ups have gotten past a crash and burn or two and are just starting to understand how close Apollo was to not making it. Unfortunately, the current NASA leaders all got promoted by never failing (they avoided risk and their programs were always canceled before being launched). Was Christopher Columbus a giant leap or a small step? Or both?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-27011671406170561412009-07-24T05:30:36.036-07:002009-07-24T05:30:36.036-07:00The Soviet economy would have prevented them getti...The Soviet economy would have prevented them getting to the moon. I don't believe that would have been a concern. But we would not have gotten there either. The Von Braun group brought 30 years of hard experience and know-how we didn't have. There is no way we would have done it without that group over here. Just look at our attempt outside their influence - Vangard. After several spectacular failures (I watched every one), it got a ball the size of a small grapefruit into orbit. It would take a lot of grapefruits to assemble a lunar spacecraft.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13482958353631379312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-88423609329395857932009-07-23T16:33:46.295-07:002009-07-23T16:33:46.295-07:00You guys are going beyond "hindsight is 20/20...You guys are going beyond "hindsight is 20/20" and into fantasy land.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-30214820235102402652009-07-22T07:15:05.034-07:002009-07-22T07:15:05.034-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11088731122765315298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-7117252435085445562009-07-22T01:52:55.668-07:002009-07-22T01:52:55.668-07:00The giant leap followed by relapse mentality that ...The giant leap followed by relapse mentality that has purveyed over the last 50 years is typical of the baby-boomer generation IMO. Mortgage tomorrow for results today.<br /><br />Besides, not many politicians are willing to invest in long term things - some other, later, elected clown will get to take all of the glory ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-20751540640967909782009-07-21T19:20:17.901-07:002009-07-21T19:20:17.901-07:00Chucky
You get me a depot at L2 and I will get you...Chucky<br />You get me a depot at L2 and I will get your doubting lil butt to Pluto faster than you can imagine. Look up powered gravity assist in the big book of astronavigation. Its the only way to efficiently move big things fast. And you do it by pumping energy in a little at a time and storing it at L2. LEO departure is a losers game.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-86968300081747616692009-07-21T16:55:20.743-07:002009-07-21T16:55:20.743-07:00So how long until we get an outer solar system arc...So how long until we get an outer solar system architecture based entirely on bottle rockets?C W Mageehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09706100504739548720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-73112747612731702492009-07-21T08:39:11.244-07:002009-07-21T08:39:11.244-07:00I think the last two paragraphs are spot-on. Too ...I think the last two paragraphs are spot-on. Too often we start off with the premise that we must take a giant leap...and it really is a big gamble, typically ending in broken programs and broken promises. <br /><br />Smaller, more manageable steps consistently focused on progressing toward a goal will yield greater progress over time. <br /><br />Tortoise and the Hare.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673435362400368888.post-59338706456017144412009-07-21T07:51:45.490-07:002009-07-21T07:51:45.490-07:00Rocketman,
Couldn't agree more...but usually a...Rocketman,<br />Couldn't agree more...but usually aren't you supposed to be more elliptical about making your points? :-)Jon Goffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10960488857253480586noreply@blogger.com