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#1 Re: Not So Free Chat » Sunshine (the movie) » 2007-09-09 13:02:16

I consider it rather good. Nice pictures, rather tense. Of course some of 2001 is seen in it, but that's not making it worse IMHO.

#2 Re: Life support systems » Optimal air pressures.. - Which is best? More O2 or more pressure? » 2007-09-09 12:45:51

Maybe a pressure of about 50kPa, 40% O2, 40% He and 20% N2 would be a rather good atmosphere.

#3 Re: Interplanetary transportation » New Fuel » 2007-09-09 11:55:29

Burning carbon with fluorine is not that powerful as you think. Burning hydrogen by fluorine is very powerful, significantly more (theoretically) than burning it by oxygen. But the advantages of burning carbon by fluorine are less, possibly even absent, in relation to burning by oxygen. I've once found that out by using a simulation program.

But the disadvantages of fluorine are very severe. It must by stored in heavy tanks, boil-off has is not allowed, so there is some system needed to keep the temperature below 85K. The tank with fluorine has to be equipped with some kind of sophisticated recovery system to keep the fluorine from leaking in case of a launch failure. Beside that, fluorine is not allowed to use on a first or second stage because of the pollution (HF). Think also about risks when filling the tanks.

The only application I could possibly imagine is in case of high stages for large spacecrafts on interplanetary flights.

#4 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Launch dates for low energy transfers » 2005-10-25 06:16:20

To find the exact date requires though calculations where the exact elements of the Mars orbit and the Earth orbit are required. It's the best to use Lamberts theorem to do this. I've done this for a trajectory Mars-Earth.

#5 Re: Human missions » Who crews the Crew? » 2005-10-21 04:17:03

Mixed, 50:50 would be the best, but I think it will be the result that more men than women go. At least two of one sex aboard.

#6 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Soyuz at Kouru - How much more mass to LEo? » 2005-10-01 11:52:51

This article asserts that cargo can be increased by 2 to 3 times over Soyuz (Progress?) launched from Baikanur.

Kourou's proximity to the equator will allow carriers to take two or three times more freight than their counterparts lifting off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan (a rent agreement for it was signed in 1994 for twenty years and costs Russia $115 million a year). A single Soyuz launch will enable Russia to save up to $60 million.

Is this cargo carried along with 3 cosmonauts (if so, then not that big a deal) or is the Progress payload doubled or tripled? I did not think the equatorial leverage was that great.

Why isn't Ariane a much better value than it actually is, for this same reason?

= = =

Looks like cargo only.

Experts predict hard times ahead for Baikonur, as the number of launches there will decrease. However, it would be impracticable to launch manned space flights from Kourou, because it does not have the available ranges for rescue operations in an emergency.

Okay, take a standard Progress and increase payload by 250% (splitting the 2x to 3x)  - - what is the per pound to LEO work out to be?

Edited By BWhite on 1111637640

Due to the rotational velocity of the earth, the difference in total delta-v to achieve is about maximal 400 m/s. Working with a last stage-Isp of about 340 s this will result in a maximum gain of 13% (8.4 MT will became 9.5 MT). This is a rough guess, but without drastically engineering the existing rocket the gain in mass will be not higher than taht 13%, assuming the easiest obtaineble LEO is chosen (5 degree inclination instead of 51 degree as from Baikonour).

#7 Re: Human missions » Is there a doctor in the house? » 2005-09-26 11:36:44

The problem I'm thinking about is not the diarrhea is a disease but diarrhea as a loss of water. When using recycling of water by refining urine and water-vapor through the climate-control, this cycle is broken when water disappears through diarrhea. Suffering from diarrhea will ask extra water to consume to prevent drying out. This water also merely disappears from the recycling system. How to deal with this?

#8 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Artificial Gravity, how much is enough » 2005-09-25 12:32:20

If using artificial gravity it is also possible to vary it by spinning faster. Just before descent you can spin up to an artificial gravity above 1 G to test the astronauts. Duyring the missiion I guess .25 G would be sufficient to decelerate bone deterioration.

#9 Re: Human missions » Is there a doctor in the house? » 2005-09-25 12:07:23

What about astronauts suffering diarrhea? This must be a real problem in space, especially on long journeys, because of the loss of water. Anybody suggestions to handle this?

#10 Re: Human missions » Long duration Human space missions - Can we survive them? » 2004-12-23 13:22:52

I think the most serious challenge of staying long in space are the psychological aspects. Medical considerations about radiation and bone weakening are better understood and can be handled. It's nott clear to me what the Russians found on their cosmonauts who stayed a year or longer in space, but they never reported serious medical problems about bone weakening.

#11 Re: Human missions » International Cooperation-Not Worth The Effort? - Don't Think it is » 2004-12-23 13:19:02

Maybe it would be the best when ESA/Russia (and eventually China and Japan) would take a new space race with the USA. Competitivenes is a very good mechanism to turn up space-programs. In that case it would need equal party's to create some balance. I think ESA+Russia can be a very though combination for USA to beat. :laugh:

#12 Re: Human missions » Manned Missions To Callisto and Titan - Looking Beyond Manned Missions To Mars » 2004-12-23 13:12:21

I consider Callisto or Ganymede as the new challenge when Mars is reached. We can't stop :band:

#14 Re: Not So Free Chat » Hand Dominence - ...just curious/for fun » 2004-09-16 12:00:51

Right-handed

There has been research on this topic, but results are not clear. People are essentially not symmetrical, it's obvious when looking at the digestive system. But also brain-functions differ in the right and left hemisphere. Dominance in the hemisphere is associated with dominance in the hand on the other side, but this is not always the case. There are a very few people who are as a whole mirrored (appendix on the left). About 15% of all people seem to be left-handed.

One explanation for predominance of righthandedness is the way a righthanded mother takes her child in the arms: Theleft shyoulder of the child is limited in action, so it develops a dominant right hand.

#15 Re: Not So Free Chat » Religion vs Science » 2004-08-21 04:09:47

I agree with your last sentence. Beside that, I don't think finding life elsewhere will prove any story of creation to be wrong. There were also people in earlier times insisting God wouldn't be so honest to create just life on Earth. These day's I don't hear that sounds.

#16 Re: Human missions » Opening space to Individual or private industry - Space CHASE Act » 2004-08-14 11:20:19

I don't think the licensing of space activiteis should be done from any country but from a international body under the control of the United Nations. Made up of one representative from USA, Russia, Europe, Japan, China, and Australia, with three other representative chosen by the UN and rotated every six months. Panel of nine makes decisions by majority  with strict guidelines on bio-sphere and human safety and aherence to global space related treaties. On vessel design, or propulsion system or live support systems or reasons for space activity, only if they conflict with safety issues.

Please, not UN. They've already too much work to do. Maybe something like an international commitee with people from different space agencies that can give some advice to governments.

#17 Re: Human missions » Hubble mistake - Action needed » 2004-08-14 11:16:37

A new telescope in LEO for $1B? I can't imagine. Was Hubble that cost?

#18 Re: Not So Free Chat » Peak oil » 2004-08-12 08:19:20

Nuclear fusion is the real solution for very much problems.

If and when we get it to work.

Much virtue in if.  :;):

It's a matter of looking for the right realization. With what is yet discovered, I can't imagine this will never work. When? If we go on, neglecting political bla-bla, within a decade. smile

#19 Re: Human missions » Opening space to Individual or private industry - Space CHASE Act » 2004-08-12 07:10:25

Let's hope the private industry get a fair chance and is not restricted in many ways, eg type and amount of propelants, and that kind of things.

#21 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Magick Squares - The Principle of Magic Squares » 2004-08-11 06:38:49

We all have our LOS (language operating system). Mine is English, East London. All my 'warp drive twists' are dependant on it's culture. My interest in alphabets is to do with their order.

After I have completed the wheel I am concidering placing my alphabetic N into space. That is to reorder my internal alphabet to change the 14th letter to space to see the effect. This will  displace the rest of my alphabet so that N to Z would be the 15th to 27th letter of the alphabet, the 14th being space. Huh, I could add another space at the end and be spoilt for choice which space I choose between words.

14 is the math of a double tetrahedron which to me represents life. The contemplation is to link life and space together into my psyche.

Concider for a minute Arnie in the films Terminator... He says.. "I'll be BAC", improbable as it sounds his ABC was BAC. After all how can one track the time lines without some kind of trace like an altered alphabet. What would happen if children at school was taught ACB instead of ABC.
Their third letter would be B. Will their C 3 be freed to B 3?



Ant

Am I right if I conclude your theories have something intrinsically subjective, that is, depending on the alphabet you use? It's really intriguing, but I'm afraid I don't understand it totally.

Would some Swedish guy be able to get these insights in the cube and superstrings, despite his 28-charqacter alphabet? Or would he obtain some insight that is in some sense essential to it, where something turns out te be 28? And what about Russia (33)?

#22 Re: Not So Free Chat » Peak oil » 2004-08-11 06:30:50

If nuclear fusion works, It's no problem anymore to 'create' oil or something like that using carbon dioxide, biomass, or whatever to do the things that are yet done with oil. Eg sugar could be enriched to hexane by adding electrolitically obtained hydrogen, so you have some kind of substitute for benzine (right english?). Metallurgic extractions yet done with cokes could be done by electrolysis, also replacing some fossil fuel. Irrigating big areas using huge amounts of energy can result in big areas of growing biomass, which can be used to make plastics, rubber, medicine, etc.. Nuclear fusion is the real solution for very much problems.

#23 Re: Not So Free Chat » A Small Report From Europe - It's about immigration » 2004-08-11 06:23:57

"If I'd rape a girl I'd rape a Swedish girl."
"It's not equally wrong to rape a Swedish girl as an Arabian one."
"I haven't got so much respect for Swedish girls."
"The only thing that happens if you rape a Swedish girl is that you'll have to talk to some social woman" [meaning social offial].

In the Netherlands, I see also some Muslims (not all) show an astouningly low respect for 'european' (meanly blond) females. I cannot imagine this is totally apart from the religious ideas. What I consider really flabbergasting is that left-winged politicians, who consider in most cases the equal rights of men and women important, also try the most to defend and even promote the development of Islam. OK, freedom of religizion is very important, but the problems existing between this point and the ideas about women need more. At that point, I think it's right France decided to forbid something on the head on schools. It's quite symbolic, maybe even not 'really' freedom, but I think concessions have to be made to prevent nasty visions on women.

#24 Re: Not So Free Chat » Predictions for 2005 » 2004-08-11 06:09:13

I don't think China will burn it's hands on that isle. They know the US likes that island and will not take the risk. Beside that, China will slowly realize that conquering that island is not more than saving some honour from earlier times, which is not a very constructive drive. Mao will change his position for some Gorbatsjov-like guy and then China starts to de-maoize. When Castro dies, communism will cease forever on this planet. :laugh:

I think some conflict potential to create a WWIII can only happen around Palestine, but not within 10 years. Sooner or later, some severe palestinian action will react Israel and then reactions from some countries which are at that time very angry.

Another possibility: Any American or Israelian, which don't agree to the international court, is captured and locked up in the Hague for trial. Despite insisting negotiations by US and UK the UN resists to free the guy. Some 3rd-generations WWII-victims in the Netherlands make troubles around the court and decided is that German and French troops assist Dutch troops to protect the court. US and UK make a airborne/seaborne invasion at Scheveningen beach and there....

(Seems intriguing to me, just don't hope this will happen, roll )

#25 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Magick Squares - The Principle of Magic Squares » 2004-08-10 09:19:05

Sorry, ant, I posted my questions on the wrong thread.

1. Why not counting 36 cubes instead of 28? The 2x2x2 cubes inside the 3x3x3 cube are also cubes, I think?

2. What about alphabeths with a different amount of characters? (Swedish, Russian, Greec, Chinese, Japanese, Arabian,....)

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