CEV Mockup

[drwayne]

Keep in mind the radiation environment is significantly harsher for a spacecraft than an aircraft.<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

No doubt, but it has been done and is in service. <br /><br />Edit: The electronics in the Typhoon are probably rad hardend to a degree to cope with EM bursts, nukes etc.

 

[CalliArcale]

Glass cockpit does exist in space. Both the Space Shuttle and Soyuz TMA-1 have a "glass cockpit" type system. I don't believe they use touchscreens, though. I believe the Shuttle EFIS is similar to the one Boeing puts into airliners, although I expect the underlying computing system is different.<br /><br />(Aircraft avionics do have to be rad-hardened, BTW. Radiation exposure is significantly higher in the upper atmosphere. It is not unheard of for an airplane to have flight computers built to space specifications.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[drwayne]

"Aircraft avionics do have to be rad-hardened, BTW. "<br /><br />I am... familiar with that. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> The effect of the varying densities of atmosphere on the type of radiation dose from something like a nuclear explosion is actually quite interesting.<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[darkenfast]

"We choose a capsule not because it is hard, but because it is easy!" <br /><br />Actually, that IS one of the reasons. The mission requires a robust, safe spacecraft that can handle flights beyond LEO: the Moon, and eventually as part of a Mars mission. Missions to NEO's have also been mentioned. The requirements are not for a technology demonstrator. The budgetary limits being imposed on NASA are incredibly tight, and this appears to be the best way forward for the next couple of decades, until some new technology is developed.

 

[frodo1008]

Please take such comments as this over to either the Sci-Fi or the phenomena forums where they would be more appropriate!