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61
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Achieving the Space Elevator / Education, Reference & Public Interest / The new book
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on: May 20, 2006, 09:03:07 AM
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Thank you.
If anyone is waiting for Rutan to take us to LEO--we'll see the Sun go Red Giant first.
As far as his lame comments against CEV being old--liets not forget that he and his promote ME-163 KOMETS on steroids and Corona capsules on Steroids (t/Space).
Yeah--real original.
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62
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Achieving the Space Elevator / Economics & Finance / Manufacturing in space
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on: May 20, 2006, 09:00:43 AM
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Good one. It's a shame that the giant protein crystals, perfect ball bearings, etc. were hyped so prematurely. By now there's a widespread impression that it was all hype -- when in fact materials research on ISS has never gotten near a level of scale and flexibility at which anything interesting is likely to turn up. Quite true. We just need more massive spacelift for real infrastructure. |
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Achieving the Space Elevator / Education, Reference & Public Interest / The new book
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on: April 28, 2006, 10:07:05 AM
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NASA is a dead end I fear. Their usefulness has become mired in endless bureaucracy. If space is ever going to be opened to the common person, it will be big business and private enterprise that does it. Enough with the Ayn Rand cool-aid drinking. NASA will only be a dead end due to lack of support thanks to that kind of thinking. The alt.space movement thus does damage to the cause of spaceflight. Once NASA is gone--what will you be left with? Rutans ME-163? And all the while the former Soviets and Europeans who give subsidies to big gov't born and bred booster programs continue to dominate the LV market. It is time to support NASA and its leader--not to undermine it. Don't take the anger you have to Goldin's errors out on Griffins new era of exploration. Time instead to defend him against the pointy heads and the rest of the VSE haters. |
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69
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Groups / LiftPort Group / LiftPort Group - April Technical Newsletter
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on: April 28, 2006, 09:28:39 AM
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I'm afraid that I don't think much of The Planetary Society these days with Louis F's smarmy remarks about Griffin "attacking science."
Lou is typical of the pointy heads and white coats that were partly responsible for the Goldin era stagnation where no new flight hardware of substance was ever launched and the free-loader/payloders ruled the roost.
I for one am glad we have Mike Griffin running things--and getting real hardware on its way. Lou, however, like a lot of scientists who have lorded it over engineers--thinks too much of the payload while not caring at all about launch vehicle development. He threw not one but two Volnas into the ocean after having been warned that the use of liquid fueled SLBMs (doing harsh duty on Soviet Subs) were a bad idea.
But now he's an "expert" and wants to tell Griffin his business. Griffin has two good launches under his administration. MRO and New Horizons. We've got probes now to every planet. Enough with payloads. It is time for NASA to focus on to-orbit architecture.
I would be very careful who I sup with at your meeting. There may be folks who look at SE like they look at VSE--as more engineering that the scientists have to compete with.
Ignore them. If it were up to them--we would only see Delta II payloads launched every other week, Goldin style.
Imagine if the Atlas V (which launched MRO and NH) had to have been paid for by NASA.
Let's go back in time and look at an alternate history (where Goldin was actualy doing good work), shall we?
Dan Goldin---Well, I have good news and bad news. We will have the new EELV, but NASA will have to pay for it as the Air Force bailed out with the death of General Moorman.
Angry sci-mob--"...and the bad news?"
Dan Goldin---"We will have to cut off all Delta II missions to Mars, and a few other things. But that is okay--for we will have MRO which will make all the current orbiter designs obsolete anyway, and with the new rocket..."
Angry sci-mob--"Boo, hiss, you're attacking science--we no wanna share...WAH!"
And so it went.
You see, when it comes to new launch architecture (HLLV, EELV, SE etc) the eggheads will help you eat the cake...
---but they won't help you bake it.
Trust me, I know whereof I speak. I had a little conversation with Wdowiak ( a minor MER player at UAB) about the need of better LVs (before EELV had flown) and he didn't care a jot about rockets--and said as much. He was one of the most self important snots I have ever seen.
The Planetary Society is now but a ship of fools with big dreams who attack any real progress of infrastructure improvement. Now if Liftport were selling a new Delta II payload --to give one of these little snots a reputation, and a paper to publish, that would sit un-read, moldering on a dust covered shelf--that they would support.
If you want to make a big splash, don't cater to Lou's ego--but make an appearance no one will forget. Get in front of that crowd--call Lou out, and tell him that he and his need to shut up and support Griffin and his new LVs--which will allow SE construction to be eased and new heavy probes like JIMO to be doable with a ride of substance.
If you go to Lou with a "Mother may I?" sentiment you will be marginalized and ignored.
Time to rock the boat a little.
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General Topics / Fighting Words / Earth can support lots more humans with advanced technology.
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on: April 13, 2006, 09:08:42 AM
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I don't buy into the gray goo scenario for exactly the same reason I don't buy into the nano hype. CNTs are one thing, but independant nanobots to build things? Forget it. Life forms are rather slow, and don't do much quickly. Yes they can multiply. It is said that--if the whole world were a culture, bacteria would quickly gobble it up. But we don't worry about that due to other self-correcting methods( Other protests, etc.)
Nanobots are another matter. Imagine if you were trying to build a huge two storey brownstone--on Omaha beach--in mud and superglue.
That is what nanobots face at a scale where brownian motion shells them--at a scale where a dust mote is an asteroid, a dust mite is Godzilla, a droplet of water is an ocean of molasses--and heat is death.
I don't see the grey goo at all. Maybe there will be a nanite that eats rubber a little faster than dirt or grit can erode it--but that's not much difference.
I really think independant nano-tech is of very little utility. Look, a lot of people want to go to the moon--they either don't see HLLV coming or try to undermine it--thinking that they can send a Delta II package with nanites and it will just foam up a moonbase for them.
Not going to happen.
It all sounds like nano-pixie-dust to me.
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73
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Achieving the Space Elevator / Science & Technology / Is this a joke?
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on: March 31, 2006, 02:23:10 PM
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This has been true in the past. It need not always be so. I don't see that at all. SE will certainly be TVA scale on some level. By the time Musk loses enough launches to figure out how to fly--he may have exhausted his resources. Launch pad infrastructure is going to be great--and gov'ts are simply in a better position to hand space projects, outside a few useless suborbital jaunts. |
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