Colombia shuttle

[Admiral Piett]

Now if you just want to sit in space, then you do need a station or something. But that has no point. There's noting more where going to learn with people sitting in orbit we can't learn with unmanned platforms

Sorry but I disagree.There are a lot of scientifical experiments that require onboard assistance.If you manage to automatize that,then there is not even any reason to go to mars in first place,as probes could do the job far more cheaply.
Basically the consequence of what you are saying is that there would not be any reason to mantain manned space flight in first place,if not as for ego boosting, one shot missions such as a trip to Mars.

[Patrick Degan]

The Space Shuttle was redesigned and re-conceptualised so many times that it ended up in service about five years late, and billions of dollars over cost. Dozens of 'Shuttle Application' programmes were cancelled, leaving only an extremely-delayed space station. All the other programmes that the shuttle was meant to support were cancelled, making it a machine without a purpose. That was on top of being a poorly-designed deathtrap because of several cost-reduction design compromises.

Chief among those compromises, of course, being the solid-rocket boosters. That was a "bottom-line" idea; cheaper than liquid rockets, they said. That's why it's impossible to abort during the boost phase of the flight. Operationally, the space shuttle has managed to have a very good overall record in terms of crew survivability. But I'd gladly support in a heartbeat a new design system which dispensed of those solid rocket boosters.

[BenRG]

But I'd gladly support in a heartbeat a new design system which dispensed of those solid rocket boosters.

I seem to recall that the original launch design of the shuttle was 'piggy-back' on a modified Saturn 1B first stage with a modified S-IVB booster attached to the shuttle's tail. I'm not sure if that would have been more expensive to design & build, but both liquid-fuel boosters would have been 100% re-usable.

[Typhonis 1]

hmmm well have they trie manufacturing in space? I mean I hear that there are things you can make in zero g that cannot be made on Earth.

[Admiral Valdemar]

http://forums.delphiforums.com/EviLOnes ... msg=2592.1

Read that thread, it looks like someone predicted this all along...

[Colonel Olrik]

http://forums.delphiforums.com/EviLOnes ... msg=2592.1

Read that thread, it looks like someone predicted this all along...

It's only to be expected. There are thousands of messageboards on the internet, and millions of posts. Statistically, you're bound to see a few predictions and descriptions of future events.

[Admiral Valdemar]

http://forums.delphiforums.com/EviLOnes ... msg=2592.1

Read that thread, it looks like someone predicted this all along...

It's only to be expected. There are thousands of messageboards on the internet, and millions of posts. Statistically, you're bound to see a few predictions and descriptions of future events.

True, they even debate it there, but it is nontheless a bit shocking to see it there in writing.

[Colonel Olrik]

True, they even debate it there, but it is nontheless a bit shocking to see it there in writing.

Yes, it's very interesting. Obviously, for the person who had the dream, no statistics will change his mind that he actually predicted the event. It's the human nature. It's always happening.

Having dreams where loved ones die is very usual (after all, is one of our main concerns), and there are billions of human beings. So, of course there are always lots of cases every year of those predictions becoming true.

The media and our own memory doesn't help, highligthing only the rare events.

That's one of the reasons misticism and astrology sells so well.

[The Teacher]

Ah, the Columbia was due for an overhaul, and the problem was most likely caused by a few missing tiles on the front of the ship. This created disturbances which would have rocked the ship, twisting its frame and (possibly)even snapping it in half. Being broken like that would compromise the fuel+engines, causing a possible fire which would eat up their oxygen supply and possibly a compressed explosion which would shatter the craft.

There, my first post in weeks. Ciao for another 3!

[generator_g1]

It seems hautingly ironic that after such good news just a week ago something as bad as this should happen. Is there a force out there that doesn't want us to leave this damn planet?

Maybe that force wants us to fix the all problems here on terra firma first before letting us leave this planet...

[The Duchess of Zeon]

An exercise so pointless and easily counterable that it will not be seriously attempted.

No, it isn't. It has very many useful defence applications, though I wouldn't expect you to recognize that. Missile defence, pinpoint assault (which cannot be seriously repelled, at least initially), and a whole host of potential developments. The serious fortification of the third dimension is necessary to protect American interests. Besides, defence spending has always been an acceptable way to support projects like that (Space exploration).

[Uraniun235]

generator: Oh, so you mean "never". Gotcha.

[Patrick Degan]

An exercise so pointless and easily counterable that it will not be seriously attempted.

No, it isn't. It has very many useful defence applications, though I wouldn't expect you to recognize that.

Because I don't have a problem seperating reality from fantasy.

Missile defence, pinpoint assault (which cannot be seriously repelled, at least initially), and a whole host of potential developments.

Take any of your elaborate space "defence" platforms and simply park an H-bomb next to any of them in orbit. Or simply a large-scale pipe bomb. It's amazing how fragile satellites are, actually. Or build enough missiles and decoys to overwhelm any anti ABM system. Or attack the ground-control uplinks prior to the main assault. Or detonate a nuke at high altitude to blind the telescopes on the satellites —which can be tracked by ground-based radar. Or hit any of those facilities with a non-nuclear EMP bomb. You can't control satellites if you can't communicate with them.

Pinpoint assault? That's feasible only for as long as the platform is over the target zone, and you can't make a low-orbiting object hover over the spot you like, and they're quite useless for tactical bombing if the battle is not taking place within any zone covered by the satellite's orbital path. And once the satellite runs out of weapons, it is useless.

No space-based or ground-based ABM system will stop a tramp steamer with a nuke in its hold. Or a 9/11-style terrorist attack.

The serious fortification of the third dimension is necessary to protect American interests.

I'm sure the French thought much the same way about the Maginot Line.

Besides, defence spending has always been an acceptable way to support projects like that (Space exploration).

I hate to have to remind you of this, but the military wouldn't be interested in sending people to Mars or even the moon again. They'd be fixated upon low earth orbit, which is where we are now, to the exclusion of all else. Space militarisation will not result in nuclear probeships carrying men to Mars, because it would not advance military objectives on Earth in the slightest.

[Shaka[Zulu]]

Ive got to agree with Patrick... The military really has no use for doing anything beyond GEO, with most (like 99% of their effort) concentrated in LEO and MEO. There just isnt anything that would drive their interest beyond that... No, if anything substantial is going to get done beyond GEO it is going to have to be started by private interests... and Im not talking commercial firms either, as they are notoriously conservative -- no existing market = no effort put to it. What the dream needs to become real is for launch costs to come way down, ad the only way that will happen is if private individuals with massive amounts of money start putting that money behind the upstarts like XCOR, or into 'open source' research efforts. Aside from security concerns in the post 911 era, the current problems with Intellectual Property rights & regulations are the largest hindrance, as so many companies likely have classified patents (that they dont use) that any open source project would quickly run aground and get gutted.