Some questions?

[john_316]

Ok guys I have been gone for awhile so I'll just get off the main subjects just for a little bit.<br /><br />I have a few questions and if anyone knows any answers please chime in.<br /><br /><br />1. What is the launch cost of the April 1st launch of the Delta-4H with USAF satellite?<br /><br />2. Have they begun any pad modifications yet for the CLV (Ares 1) yet?<br /><br />3. Has production work begun on the Orion CM's themselves yet? I heard about the overweight issue but???<br /><br />4. Has work begun on the Orion SM work yet?<br /><br />5. Has the Upper stage with the J2 engines begun work yet? Does it have a name yet? Mark or mod number either?<br /><br />6. Whats the status on the SRB reconfiguration for the Orion? Cabling, Graining? Anything going on yet?<br /><br />7. How far from the CAD programs are we with things yet? I figure we should be at least 9 months into actual work phases here.<br /><br /><br /><br />I was wondering because I found one of my XJR-7 UFOs buried in the backyard **must of been a mudslide** and if NASA wants another one I can sell it real cheap.... <br /><br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[holmec]

There was a static fire test on an SRB to collect data for Shuttle system and Ares I.<br />http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/HQ_06356_firing.html <br /><br />"The shuttle solid rocket motor firing also supports NASA's future exploration goals to return humans to the moon. The test provided data for development of the first stage reusable solid rocket motor for NASA's Ares I, the launch vehicle that will carry the Orion crew module to space. Engineers with NASA's Exploration Launch Projects Office at Marshall, which manages the Ares launch vehicles, will analyze motor-induced, roll-torque measurements. The information – how the motor affects the rotation and twisting of a system – is needed for the Ares I control system design.<br />" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[john_316]

Thanks Shuttle_Guy and Holmec....<br /><br /><br />I was also wondering if they could just convert one of the older pads at KSC too fly the Ares-1? <br /><br />Any thoughts on that SG?<br /><br /><br />Oh and one more multi-point question SG.... <br /><br />Pointless but I'll ask you anyways. Would a blended wing shuttle concept such as that of the Boeing 7X7 idea or even something like a B-2 be ever to lift off, orbit and land in a configuration similar to the shuttle whether better or worse?<br /><br /><br />Thanx<br /><br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />

 

[metamo_ark]

Okay, I've been fascinated with the universe-at-large for most of my life, and have always wanted to leave the surly bonds of earth. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br />Anyway, I was wondering:<br /><br />Let's say somehow you were able to counter-act the problems of aging and sustenance for space travel, for whatever reason.<br /><br />If you wanted to leave the solar system, hypothetically, what would you need to make the trip to Alpha Centauri and have technology to set up some sort of installation there? What would be the best way? How long would it take? <br /><br />I'm really curious, and I'd really like to know what all the smarties here think.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Metamo_ark

 

[h2ouniverse]

IMO Von Neumann's machines, and you get it all.<br /><br />All the rest (including a more efficient propulsion to shorten the trip) is just a matter of material and psychological comfort.

 

[majornature]

Well that would be a start since it is four light years away. You wouldn't have to worry about age if you travel at the speed of light. We will need an advanced ship equipped with a gravity machine the will regulate or simulate the gravity equivalent to earth. Not to mention tons of food and good drinking water to last us. Maybe they have fast food restaurants in space...just kidding...<img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <br /><br />Also we would need protection from the harmful radiation. And the technology has to be far advanced from our primitive techonologies of today. With all that, why travel to Alpha Centauri when we can make a trip to another galaxy....<br /><br />Greetings...we come in peace!!<br /><br />Mothership!! Where are you?!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[brellis]

I'd want to travel in a world, not just a ship or an ark. That way, I could live my life out tending to gardens and various animals, procreate the old-fashioned way (hoooyeah!) and leave the travelling manmade world to my descendants. Seeds, DNA, frozen embryos, etc. would accompany us on our journey. Hundreds or thousands of years hence, this interstellar world arrives at AC or whatever destination, gets grabbed into orbit, and <i>voilå</i>!<br /><br />Of course, if the kids start whining "are we there yet?" I could be in trouble <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

Brellis,<br /><br />Btw, to bounce on your suggestion, there is another way to approch other stars. If medicine and biotech enable you to live for million years, you get your world-vessel: we call it "Earth". Within few million years the Solar System will naturally cruise close to many other systems...

 

[deapfreeze]

"why travel to Alpha Centauri when we can make a trip to another galaxy..." <br /><br />I think another galaxy would be a more worth while trip. Next stop Andromeda Galaxy.. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#0000ff"><em>William ( deapfreeze ) Hooper</em></font></p><p><font size="1">http://deapfreeze-amateur-astronomy.tk/</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[majornature]

I was thinking the same thing!! <font color="blue"><b><i>ARE WE THERE YET???</i></b></font>..<img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[pyoko]

You probably want to check out this thread:<br /><br />http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=sciastro&Number=723723&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=<br /><br />People have been pretty detailed on the exact question you're asking: what we need to send a probe to Alpha Centauri. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#ff9900" class="Apple-style-span">-pyoko</span> <span style="color:#333333" class="Apple-style-span">the</span> <span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span">duck </span></p><p><span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color:#808080;font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.</span></span></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

<font color="yellow">I think another galaxy would be a more worth while trip. Next stop Andromeda Galaxy..</font><br /><br />Bah. We're doing that mission already. ETA, 3 billion years. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[majornature]

<font color="yellow">Bah. We're doing that mission already. ETA, 3 billion years. </font><br /><br />Did I miss the ship? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

No, we're on it; the MW <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />MW <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

MW will collide with M31 within 3 byrs. <br />

 

[onesimple]

Problem of fast moving in the space <br /><br />Spacecraft, which moves in the space straightforwardly, soon against coming energy waves, and what faster vessel moves, it more powerful against coming energy bunches get initially atoms to the cores, and it faster vessel starts to expand. Like this vessel soon against coming energy waves always only from the wide area, whereby vessel expands always only it faster, what to be faster initially the pace picks up, and because of this when the light speed are approaching vessel needs always more than only and more energy in order to get speed even little escalate , and so on. From this could be found explanation also in the different speed to progressive time.<br /><br />What about if vessel is indeed disc shaped and rotated fast and furious its axle around with the same, when it progresses in the accelerating speed?<br /><br />Now fast and furious his axle around from the rotating discoid vessel opening energy waves don't open from the vessel straightforwardly and so forth just rotate initially involved in, whereby to the initiall develop into energy field, which magnetic field our feeling. Rotating energy bunches in this magnetic field expand and open energy waves which to the direction, and like this from the vessel to the opening new energy waves' energy bunches comes from outside more energy, as straightforwardly to be progressing in the initially opening energy waves to existing energy bunches comes energy. When is thought about, that fast and furious his axle around from the rotating discoid vessel opening energy bunches rotating also fast and furious their axle around, so then closer base from rotating energy bunches come energy waves when they are binding their axle around to the rotating energy bunches so, that that engage energy frees later and so forth from the vessel, get like this their axle around fast and furious rotating energy bunch to bend on their track so, that pushing self from the vessel and so forth is ar

 

[MeteorWayne]

sigh.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

Finnish is a highly flexional language (15 cases) with a very specific syntax,especially when "deflexioned".<br />As non-English-speaker, I am not in a position to lecture anybody. I can only offer you, MeteorWayne, all my compassion...

 

[metamo_ark]

Why the sigh?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Because in this translation it makes no sense. I don't mean the ideas don't make sense, I can't even tell what the ideas are. I wish I could.<br />It's frustrating not being able to understand what he/she is trying to say. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[billslugg]

I once spent a Sunday night alone in a hotel room in Järvenpää. Bars closed. No TV. I read the yellow pages. There are only two words common to English and Finnish. Xylophone and Chiropractor. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

That is great btw that so many syntaxes exist. Because it acts on the way you structure your thought. And contributes to a diversity of approaches. E.g. in French it is easier to factorize concepts in the sentence. English obliges to concision and accuracy. The agglutinative character of Finnish probably opens other perspectives.<br /><br />To Onesimple: please take no offense. My amusement was due to the comic effect of the complete disarray expressed by MW with just 4 letters.

 

[dragon04]

<font color="yellow">Let's say somehow you were able to counter-act the problems of aging and sustenance for space travel, for whatever reason.</font><br /><br />If we were eternal, and required no food or water, we could obviously withstand a journey of millions or billions of years.<br /><br />However, our spacecraft likely could not. Things break. Power sources get depleted.<br /><br />Even if you use my statement that Earth is itself a "spaceship" hurtling towards M31, it will be 3 billion years or so before we "arrive" there.<br /><br />And then, it would still be likely that we would be light years away from the closest star.<br /><br />We know for sure that spacecraft can still function for 30 years. Voyagers 1 and 2 tell us that. What we don't know is how long they might continue to function because they will run out of power maybe before any component fails.<br /><br />It's my guess that without the ability to manufacture any and every component of a spaceship, it would be in our best interest to get to Alpha Centauri in 30 years or so.<br /><br />On longer voyages, even if we're immortal and don't need food or water, we still would need Oxygen. Our biologies need it. And lots of it unless some form of stasis is on the table.<br /><br />Given our current technological level, the quickest we could get to Alpha Centauri under the absolute most ideal circumstances is about 50 years.<br /><br />IF we happen to discover a planet in the Centauri System that could harbor life as we know it, and it was a choice between extinction as a species or making the trip, we could do it.<br /><br />I read somewhere that the smallest number of people required to sustain a population is like 2,000 in terms of breeding.<br /><br />If we have to carry the absolute minimum amount of resources to sustain 2,000 people to make that 50 year voyage and allow for at least one generation to be trained and educated to build and maintain our new home, we would have an idea of how many Orion ships we <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[metamo_ark]

Awesome! What would be the optimum in a spacecraft design or propulsion?

 

[nexium]

Hi Dragon: That is one of the best sumaries, I have seen, so I hate to be negative about any part. Likely some of the functions of Voyager 1 and 2 have failed.<br />Sometime in the next 4 billion years we will likely pass within 1/10 th light year of another star = one trillion kilometers.<br />It is not easy to recover oxygen from the carbon dioxide we exhail, but likely our intersteller craft will have a way.<br /><br />50 years is very optimistic with minor extensions of present technology. I'd guess about 500 years, with low probaility that anyone would arrive alive.<br />I figure 12 persons, all female are enough while a sperm bank or embryo bank remains viable. Fewer if we kill the non useful persons, such as insane, stupid and/or over age 50. A reliable artificial womb would also reduce the number of persons at least a little.<br />2000 persons may be about correct to minimise inbreeding after there are no viable sperm nor embyos from Earth. <br />It might be possible to send out faster supply ships to catch up with the colony ship after a light year or more of travel.<br />The Orion technology is largely untested. Some experts think Orion will not work nearly as well as the optimistic projections. Radiation shielding may prove unexceptable before we reach 5% of light speed. Micrometeors are also extremely distructive at 5% of light speed. The older generation may not succeed in convincing those born on the ship that they need to perfect skills that will have no practical application in the coming 100 years (never if the mission fails). Neil