Posts by tahanson43206

tahanson43206 · Meta New Mars

For kbd512 re #71

Thanks for testing the style sheets!

On the assumption this was your first log in, the cache that is in play must be the one maintained by FluxBB itself.

I understand you have work and family that come first, but when you get time, please try clearing the cache on the server.

The last time we tried that the new table values were accepted. Perhaps we'll have similar luck this time.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Meta New Mars

For all ...

We still need someone from the current active membership to test the Air and Earth styles.

We have two logins (of record) and those are helpful.

However, I am hoping we have a member who has NOT logged in before, and who is willing to check the Display options.

The last remaining little hangup has to do with how the style sheets are behaving.

kbd512 has taken steps that are intended to allow the style sheets to work properly for everyone.

However, I am unable to confirm that the Earth and Air style sheets are working, because I've logged in previously, and my computers would all have cached the failed code.

What we need is a member who has NOT logged in previously, and who is willing to test the Display styles.

The procedure is fairly straight forward:

1) Log into the new site: http://newmars.com/new
2) Select profile
3) Select display
4) Select Air or Earth where Fire appears now
5) Submit

If the attempt to change to Earth or Air fails, then this is helpful information for kbd512

If the attempt succeeds, then THAT is useful information for kbd512.

In either case, please report your results with a post.

Note:If you find that Air or Earth does NOT work, then you can return your display to Fire, press Submit, and things will return to normal.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Large ships

For kbd512 re #30

It appears that Void will be heading off to other topics, after dropping off the seed of an idea in this one.

I am reminded of Johnny Appleseed, who traveled around the newly formed United States of America to earn a living by distributing apple seeds.

In this case, the essence of the idea (as I understand it) is to send the second stage of a Starship launch up to LEO to be incorporated into a large structure in assembly there.

The second stage does not have to be round. Round is a logical shape for an enclosure for round tanks. However, the second stage could have walls that are flat. The design has to be strong enough to endure the forces of launch.

And if we grant that the walls could be flat, then it is a small leap to imagine walls that are gently curved to match the exterior of a gigantic Solar System vessel, such as the dual counter rotating habitat vessels described by kbd512 and GW Johnson elsewhere in the forum archive.

Thus, a single Starship designed for this purpose could deliver four panels for the wall of a Large Ship.

The tanks could be used as is for storage of liquids or gases in the large vessel.

What I'm looking for and hope will happen, is that one of the large vessel designers will tackle specification of components to be assembled on orbit to make a useful vessel for inter-planetary service.

Specifications would include (but not be limited to)...

1) Length
2) Width
3) Curvature
4) Thickness
5) Material
6) Mass
7) Specific assigned location on large vessel

At the moment all we have (that I have seen) is broad brush descriptions of large vessels.

Some of the work of RobertDyck can be interpreted as detailed, but we ran out of steam when we tried to imagine how to actually build the unitary rotating habitat design of RobertDyck.

My interpretation is that most of work done to build the single unitary design of RobertDyck could be adapted for the dual counter rotating designs of kbd512 and GW Johnson.

I note that the designs of kbd512 and GW Johnson are vastly different in size.

It seems likely to me that the smaller vessel would be attempted as a precursor for the gigantic one.

On the other hand, the methods developed to build the smaller vessel should be usable for construction of the large one.

What I'm looking for is a plan that could be implemented with funding.

What we have now are visions of what might be done, and those are essential, but by themselves they are insufficient.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Meta New Mars

For GW Johnson re new web site...

Thanks for logging in and confirming the new site looks "normal" to you!

(th)

tahanson43206 · Martian Politics and Economy

place holder for today's Calendar update

Greenwich, UK 11/21/2024, 13:00:00 Europe/London
Object: Mars (open sky map)
RA 08h 30m 13.0s Dec +21° 10' 37.2" Appar J2000
Mag: -0.38 (Estimated: JPL) Const: Cancer
Sun Dist: 234,643,925 km [23.4 km/s]
Earth Dist: 130,176,099 km [13.1 km/s]

Martian Year:
38
Martian Astronomical Month:
1
Solar longitude Ls:
4.1
Sol number:
9

tahanson43206 · Large ships

For Void ... the wording of post #27 seems to imply you will now abandon your idea before it has a chance to sprout, or whatever ideas do.

I hope you will give the idea some nourishment in another topic if not in this one.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Science, Technology, and Astronomy

For kbd512 re #413

The question you have posed appears to be offered in a serious manner, and it deserves a serious response.

My estimate of the time required to fully understand the human behavior of thousands if not millions of people would be on the order of years, depending upon the number of researchers available, and the quality of the leadership.

What I can verify from my vantage point in 2024, is that writers have been thinking about this problem since at least 1985 and probably much earlier.

Humans ** have ** achieved self-replicating systems that depended upon renewable energy in the past. Those systems were called "farms". They existed before the modern industrial age. I doubt there are any left on Earth today. The Siren Call of oil-from-the-ground has obliterated the skills and knowledge that allowed self-replicating systems like that to not only survive but succeed.

This topic is fresh in mind, because a relative pointed me toward a history of the American revolution, and I opened the book to a passage that talked about how the revolution was funded.

I am confident that eventually ** very ** bright people will put together a chain of hardware that harnesses solar energy to replicate the machinery of which it is made.

We can get a hint at what is possible by looking at a computer chip factory. If we have income from sale of chips, and we use those funds to make more chips, and we able to sell ** those ** chips, then we would have an example of a self-replicating system.

My knowledge of the chip manufacturing industry is insufficient to know if we have already seen that happen on Earth, but it is certainly possible.

The challenge of trying to fund a factory to make semiconductor products using nothing but solar energy as input is quite likely beyond human capability at present. However, only 200 years ago, humans were able to figure out how to create self-replicating systems using nothing but solar energy as input. The accomplishment was not recognized at the time for the achievement it was, because it was so commonplace.

I am confident we (humans) will achieve at a comparable level at some point in the future. The Moon is an excellent place to look for developments along those lines, because there are (apparently) no 5 million year old deposits of free energy. Instead, the Sun bakes the Lunar surface each and every Lunar day, and at this point, humans are capturing only a teeny tiny sliver with the probes scattered around the body.

Thanks again for a terrific question!

(th)

tahanson43206 · Not So Free Chat

For Void re test post on new FluxBB site!

Thank you for your post! It is reassuring to see a member of the forum take the time to provide positive feedback to kbd512.

kbd512 has been supervising or working hands on to make this new version available for well over a year. We are ** very ** close to having a fully vetted system, so your contribution is helpful!

I am ** still ** hoping someone will assist by logging in and changing the Display feature from Fire to Air or Earth.

We are having a (small) problem. It is not clear where the problem resides.

If a member who has NOT logged into the new system will test the Display change feature, that will help kbd512 to know where to look.

If the feature does NOT work for a member who has not previously logged in, then kbd512 will have evidence leading him one way. If the feature ** does ** work, then we will have evidence leading another way.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Science, Technology, and Astronomy

For Calliban re #410

There may be a shortage of energy collection equipment on the Moon.

However, that may be a temporary problem.

My understanding is that the flow of energy TO the surface of the moon is substantial, and reliable, and what it more, it is provided at no charge.

It seems to me that if humans learn how to make solar panels on the Moon from local materials, then there should be enough energy available to support an exponential growth process.

The last time I looked, humans are harnessing a pathetic small fraction of Solar output.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Large ships

For Void re #25

Please ** do ** continue your line of thought!

kbd512 has visions that differ from yours, and this topic is more than large enough for both of you .

There is ** no ** need for anyone to feel pressure to adjust their ideas based upon anything other than Ma Nature, who hands down decisions without partiality.

I personally ** like ** what I understand to be your idea, and I hope you will favor us (the forum plus non-member readers) with your vision of how your idea might be adopted by space architects.

I have adapted your idea slightly, and hope that my version of your idea might be given a bit of breathing room.

Ultimately, the ideas that are best are ** most ** likely to receive funding, and funding is the name of the game.

If your idea is most cost effective for building large structures in space, then it will receive funding.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Human missions

This post is reserved for an index to contributions by NewMars members that may be made over time.

This new topic appears (to me for sure) to have potential because landings on the Moon are still rare and not always successful.

The SpaceX enterprise seems to offer hope for an industrial scale flow of material to and from the Moon in coming decades.

The Chinese too appear to be interested in developing Lunar landing capabilities.

While this topic is opened with a focus on Starship, it may provide a convenient drop off spot for posts about other landing systems.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Large ships

For kbd512 re #23

This post is offered to try to encourage you to keep developing your thoughts on materials.

At the same time, ** this ** topic is focused upon manufacture of components, and with Void's idea in the wings, I am hoping the topic will include delivery of the components to LEO.

The essence of Void's idea (as I interpret it) is to deliver needed components on the exterior of Starships (or equivalent vessels).

I proposed welding girders to the exterior, which would provide significant length capability. Any components that would be shipped in the nose of a vessel would be constrained by the dimensions of the interior of the vessel.

If you can design components for your vessel that would be assembled on orbit, AND design them so they can be delivered as external cargo, then the delivery vessel can be simpler to build and to operate.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Meta New Mars

For kbd512 re #68

Thanks for checking the permissions.

Did you try to log in and set the CSS to Air or Earth? If you have not logged in until now, this would be a good test, because your computer would not have a cache of a previous session.

For all... it would be helpful if members would log into the new system and check the style sheets for us.

kbd512 is attempting to diagnose the problem, and your assistance would help.

(th)

tahanson43206 · Meta New Mars

For SpaceNut re testing of new FluBB web site...

Knowing you are rebuilding your home, inside and out, you may not have time for this...

Please log into the new system at http://newmars.com/new/