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#51 Re: Not So Free Chat » Was Apollo closer than we thought? - Fascinating articel » 2004-06-28 07:26:10
I don't think anybody died at one of the 4 n-1-disasters. The first Russian who had to land on the Moon was Leonov, while Makarov would have a function like Collins.
The plans for Moonlanding are these days become clear. Look on http://www.astronautix.com]www.astronautix.com.
The docking of Soyuz 4 with Soyuz 5 (first plan was to do it with S1 and S2 but S2 fired its launch-escape-system when standing on the pad without any detectable reason, Soyuz 1 became the unhappy flight of Komarov) was done to exercise the transfer of a cosmonaut in space between to space-ships. It's not, as was in the West many times suggested, that something went wrong with S4-S5: The objective wwas to transfer with an EVA.
#52 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Spaceship 1 - going for it » 2004-06-28 07:15:40
When concorde was being made there where a lot of companies interested in it. It would have flown under a lot of different liveries but it was in the main cancelled by all except AirFrance and BA.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/260235.stm]Concorde chicken tests
This shows how concerned that the sonic boom of the concorde would be a real problem. As a further note the british goverment did pay out i believe for most of these structural complaints....mostly cracked or broken windows, The Concorde as a plane had a very noisy sonic boom.
The Russians also had such a kind of plane.
#53 Re: Human missions » Calling our technical experts - Any chance this thing works? » 2004-06-28 07:09:15
I bought an old book some time ago (1965 or so) and there they showed a plan of lifting a rocket with a balloon with Helium. It hung in an angle of about 45 degrees. They wrote it had no advantagemants. It still used the same amount of stages when launched from the ground.
#54 Re: Space Policy » President of India calls for joint - US/Indian habitat on Mars by 2050 » 2004-06-28 07:04:30
The point 'give that money to the poor, not to Mars' is one I thougt we have learned is not correct. It is surprising to me this point appears on a forum like this. The poor are not only a concern to countries as India, China or Brazil, it's a worldwide one, so US and Europe could also be attacked by this point, and many do.
I think poverty and so are not primery a problem of lack of money but of political instability. In much cases it appears people have no money to eat, but lot's of it to fight.
Spaceflight can make some unity in a nation, the technical development is very fruitful as is the identity of a country in the world.
Yesterday I saw photo's of poor Indian people and I saw they were remarkably vital and creative. I think that are very good ingredients for making something beautiful. But when the country is disturbed by political issues appearing from Islam and Hinduism...
#55 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-06-16 06:22:02
Very interesting. Phoebe is really fascinating.
#56 Re: Human missions » Probability of Collison of Starship and stuff - stuff twixt earth and near star » 2004-06-10 05:25:09
When you look at the pdf-file, it is clear that they means by 'exp' e^ . The minus sign is logical.
The formula: P=1-e^(-AC*SPD*D)
The bigger the amount of stuff, the longer the distance, the bigger the surface, the more negative the value becomes. So e remains always smaller than 1 and bigger than 0. The more negative the value, the more e^ comes to 0. 1- then gives a chance that comes close to 1.
Most times, as far as I know, EXP is used for 10^or ln, but in this case it is obvious it is used for e^ . confusing they use the latter notation in their first formula and the EXP in the latter.
Cindy: As far as I know just two manned spacecraft were once hit by some stuff: The Salyut 7 and the Space-Shuttle (don't know which mission). In both cases it gave no serious problems, just a 'big bang' and some small damage.
Problems like this only become important when travellibng over very large distances (or circling many many rounds around a planet).
#57 Re: Human missions » Unpopularity of space exploration » 2004-06-09 06:00:51
The attitude in the'fifties and sixties was that of making the world better, make everybody richer by improving technology. But these days, these things are considered as trivialities. Everybody thinks its normal that every five year the speed of a PC increases with 500%. It's normal bridges of kilometers are built, solar arrays are developed, satelites are launched, DNA-research, and so on. But these things are still miracles.
I can be rather frustrad when I see here in Holland politicians and economicians are considered to be very important people, while the real stuff is made by technicians who are merely considered as nerds that contribute enthousiastically to polluting the environment.
I'm not very hopefull about spacemindedness in the short term, but I think there will be a time it revives. But before that, I think people have to feel uncomfortable before they realize what the potentials of technics are.
#58 Re: Human missions » Probability of Collison of Starship and stuff - stuff twixt earth and near star » 2004-06-09 02:28:47
Interesting stuff, but something s going wrong in your calculations.
In the pdf-file, éxp' means e^, so your formula is:
P=1-e^(-AC*SPD*VR*T). This nis more logical, because from the former formula is derived, as is rather clearly explained in the pdf-file, that P(0)=e^-R, so P(>0)=1-e^-R. The value of e^-R is always smaller than 1, because R is always positive. In case of logs, this doesn't work.
The T can be derived from the VR and the distance that is traveled (D). T=D/VR (D is not the shortest line between the two points burt the real distance that is traveled). So the formula becomes:
P=1-e^(-AC*SPD*D)
In other words: Imagine a tube with the length of the distance and the cross-section of SPD. If there are more objects in this tube, the probability of collission increases. The time and velocity are ruled out.
#59 Re: Human missions » Cosmic Radiation in Transit » 2004-06-08 12:49:04
I can't find this information on the web neither. But I've read once that it is for about a half from the sun and a half from deep space sources. I can't find more.
#60 Re: Life on Mars » Doubts about ALH84001 » 2004-05-28 07:29:42
Interesting stuff, also the magnetism on Mars which is required to hold the hypothesis.
#61 Re: Human missions » The First to Mars - Who will it be? » 2004-05-28 07:20:20
About languages in spaceflight: Russia has the problem of speaking a foreign language in comparison with Europe and USA. But what about fysical unities? In Europe and Russia the SI-unity's are held. But in the USA this system coexists along miles, psi's, pounds, feet and so on. This once resulted in a lost Mars-mission (the Mars Climate Observer). What about that?
#62 Re: Human missions » space debris » 2004-05-28 07:12:23
About deorbiting of large stages: As far as I know, this is no problem. In most cases, the stages used for launch don't reach the LEO-velocity, but remain some hundreds m/s beneath. They crash in the atmosphrere and land in a predicted area. The last boost to reach LEO is nearly always given by a small 3d stage, eg SIVB with Apollo and OMS with the Space Shuttle. Also Soyuz has such a small stage. Stuff like Mir and ISS can deorbit by one deorbit burn with propellant formerly used for slight altitude-corrections. I think even sattelite fairings don't reach LEO but come into the atmosphere about half an hour after launch. Most stuff is really small, but dangerous due to the velocity.
#63 Re: Human missions » Radiation dangers - Recent solar flares » 2004-05-28 06:57:52
This depends on the kind of radiation, also.
I don't know the formula's, but I'm nearly sure it's not linear.
About the solar flares. As far as I know, but reliable information is rather hard to get, with a quiet sun, about half of the radiation is from deep-space sources (Nova's eg) and half is from the Sun. We should have to protect the whole ship from this radiation, because this radiation comes from all angles. For Solar Flares, radiation is required in just one direction: So use propellant for this. When you have a hydrogen-rich fuel, it's an excellent kind of protection.
#64 Re: Human missions » The First to Mars - Who will it be? » 2004-05-27 06:21:04
Regarding languages: Are you bragging, or complaining? Computer realtime translation is starting to make nonsense of any such objections. The EU is pointing the way to a peaceful World of Nations.
On my school I've much complained about learning languages (English, German and French) but today I'm very happy I learned this. English, evident. German, to read some interesting writers in their own language (Freud and Nietzsche). All scandinavian countries and the Netherlands also can speak and write English rather good. But German and more France are thus proud on their language they don't like to learn another.
About the strivings of the EU: Eu is too big and clumsy IMO. The former construction I liked more EEG: 6 countries with a fluent working together for economic properties. Yet Europe is te become a very expensive factory of laws that disturb much in countries. Germany and France dictate their things and the other have to follow. OK, the EURO has some advantages, but the Gulden (we used in Holland) was also OK. The prices have been multiplied bij at least 10% because 1 E = 2.2 gulden.
When ESA is taken into the EU, its the and of European spaceflight, especcially of human spaceflight.
#65 Re: Not So Free Chat » Random Thoughts about Math » 2004-05-26 06:22:27
OK, let's prove 1=2:
Assume x=y
Then xy=y^2
And also x^2-xy=x^2-y^2
Working this out x(x-y)=(x+y)(x-y)
Divide both sides x=x+y
So x=x+x -> x=2x -> 1=2 :band:
#66 Re: Not So Free Chat » Random Thoughts about Math » 2004-05-26 06:15:31
Calculating on:
8 corners on 8 possible locations: 8!
Every corner counts 3 different positions: 3^8 (and not 8^3!!)
12 between-blocks: 12!
Every 2 positions: 2^12
Not corrected for the fact that there's no manouvre to just turn one block. There will always be a second block that turns also. This is both the case for edges and the between-blocks.
Assuming the outcome has due to this last fact to be divided by 2*2 the outcome is:
40320*6561*479001600*4096/4=
129,756,009,823,469,568,000
The right answer appears to be:
43,252,003,274,489,856,000 which is exactly 1/3 of my calculation. Apparantly, there is a 3-factor due to the rotational limitations.
#67 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Assembly in Orbit » 2004-05-26 06:06:41
Hasn't this docking been done with humans guiding the ship? Are you saying that each stage that is launched to LEO will have pilots that perform this docking maneuver? How are the pilots going to get home?
The Sowiets coupled part of space-stations in 1983 or 1984 (Salyut 7 and Cosmos 1443) without cosmonauts above. That can't be the problem
What's better, using much small rockets and coupling or one big with high development costs? I think something between is the best match.
To prevent boil-off in Earth Orbit it's possible to design eg 3 stages and your habitat. The habitat first is in circular LEO. The 1 stage is launched, docks and accelerates to slight elliptical orbit. Then this stage is jettisoned (and can eventually be reused). The second stage is launched in circular LEO and makes a first burn to RV with the habitat. It docks, burns and put the habitat in a high elliptical orbit. Also this stage is jettisoned and eventually recovered. The last stage is launched in LEO, burns to RV and dock with the habitat and gives the final injection-burn.
Problem, of course, is that the last stage has to make at least one orbit of at least a week.
An advantage is that the Mars-train will not get very long.
#68 Re: Not So Free Chat » Random Thoughts about Math » 2004-05-24 06:41:14
I asked how many permutations there were in a rubix cube.
Why over 9!^6?. My hypothesis, any corner can be manipulated to the position of any other corner. There are 8 corners. That’s, 8! (40320) Permutations due to the corners. By similar logic, there are 6! (720) Permutations due to each center piece, and 8! Permutations due to the block that is between the two corners. So we have8!*8!*6! (1,170,505,728,000) Permutations in total. If we want to disregard permutations that are rotational equivalent we note that a cube can be rotated 4! Ways. Therefore the total amount of permutations is 8!*8!*6!/4! (48, 771, 072, 000)
Hmm, That number is too small, I wonder where I went wrong? I guess the corner pieces and the pieces between the corners must have more then one orientation for each position.
The center pieces cannot be displaced, they determine the color of a certeain side of the cube..
Possibilities due to the corners: 8!x8^3
Possibilites due to the other elements: 12!x12^2
If you like, multiply by 6x4 for different orientations of the whole cube (six possible side for to rest on, 4 different sides in each case to draaw on the front).
But the number you get is an overestimation, because of the fact not all these possibilities can be obtained, due to the rotation. I think the outcome will be:
8!x8^3x12!x12^2(x6x4)/2 (Last digit is an intuitive estimation to take into account the limited possibilities due to the rotations.)
#69 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Is this a new idea for getting to LEO? - A possible efficient way to get to LEO? » 2004-05-24 06:23:18
Hi , i must build a blimp (car balloon) and would like to know how many payload (grams) 1mt³ of balloon mix( He²+H² ) can to lift?
Calculating the lifting capabilities of a balloon.
The law of Archimede: The force putting something up is equal to the weight of the stuff that is put away. In this case, surrounding air is put away, instead of it comes your mix of He and H2 (He2 doesn´t exist).
First it is importaant to know the mix-numbers of He and H2. From this you can calculatee the molecular mass of your mix, which is the weighted mean of the two components. Eg when you havee a volumetric mix of 1:1 (Which in case of gases is equal to a molecular 1:1 mix) the molecular mass is .5x4+.5x2=3 g/mol
Then you substract from this molecular weight the molecular weight of the air, which is about 29 g/mol. Difference is -26 g/mol, which implies you can consider your balloon as something with a negative weight.
Then with the gas-law you calculate the lifting properties. At sea-level, airpressure is 101325 Pa, T is about 390 K, depending on the place where you are, the general Gas-constant is 8.3145. The laws are:
pV/T=nR and m=1000xMn
p is pressure (Pa)
V is volume of balloon (m3)
T is temperature (K)
n is amount (mol)
R is gas-constant (8.3145)
m is (negative!) mass (kg)
M is (negative!) molecular mass (g/mol)
So you can calculate an imaginable negative mass. This can be compensated by a positive mass (That what you want to lift up) to get a net-mass of 0. In that case it flies.
#70 Re: Human missions » The First to Mars - Who will it be? » 2004-05-24 05:55:34
Most former Soviet-related countries had one (or more) of their people sent into space by the Russians as a gesture of cooperation, so you might have a good point...RSA is a known factor for them, ESA is totally new...
And good point about the independent ESA, too... They're mainly commercial (more than 50% of launches to GEO) but for big (read:manned) stuff... I'm afraid politics will get a lot to say. Who'll be the first astronaut on mission XYZ ,blahblahblah..
And this has to be done in about 20 languages? :band:
#71 Re: Human missions » The First to Mars - Who will it be? » 2004-05-20 06:57:24
I wouldn't be happy if EU and ESA were brought together. EU is a very slow bureacratic instantion, ESA is much more flexible. ESA has something to concentrate on, while the EU has to concentrate on very, very much and play a lot of political games.
I hope these two will exist apart.
I'm not sure if former communist countries are really traumatized, I have also the impression that they recognize some advantages of some powerful Russian things, ao spaceflight. In 1999 a Slovakian went up in a Soyuz.
#72 Re: Not So Free Chat » Trivia :) - (...guess BEFORE running to Google) » 2004-05-17 07:09:27
1. What is the official name for the French space program, and..
2. In what year did France become the fourth country to launch a satelite into orbit with an indigenously-developed launcher?
4. What is the name of the first (And only) French (Or European for that matter) female cosmo/euronaut?
(I see my answer to Cindy's second question was probably wrong)
1. ESRO (Not totally sure).
2. November 26, 1965, Asterix A1 (after USSR, USA, UK)
4. Claudi Andre-Deshays (or Haignere): Soyuz TM 24 with Valeri Korzun and Alexandr Kaleri, returned in Soyuz TM 23 with Yuri Onufrienko and Yuri Usachov
2nd trip to ISS with Viktor Afanachev and Konstatin Kozejev
She is a medicine-woman.1. Nope, guess again.
2. Perhaps you misunderstood the question, I was asking when France launched its first indigenous orbital launch vehicle, not when it launched its first sattelite.
4. Correct, you win one virtual brownie! But I left them sitting out for a while, and there probably won't be much left of this brownie after being manually shoved across the internet twice.
I'll see if there are any more attempts before revealing the answers. Bolbuyk, the answer to #2 is Yuri Gagarin. He felt the first artificial gravity in space when his retrorocket package fired to de-orbit his Vostok. The first people to experience artificial gravity through centrepital force would be Neil Armstrong nad his fellow Gemini pilot (Can't remember right now) when a thruster stuck on and sent them spinning around at 80 rpm. Talk aobut a wild ride!
1. Other guess: ELDO
2. Then I really don't know.
4. WOW!!
My #2: You beat myself: You're correct about Gagarin, but I meant of course Neil and his companion.
So question 2-bis: Who was Neil's fellow in that spacecraft? Hint: He was the same that prove Galileo's theory of falling objects was correct on TV.
BTW: At a later Gemini-mission (10 or 11) they made artificial gravity again by fixing a thether on the used Agena-stage and circling around. This was on purpose, in Neil's case, it was due to a sghortcut of a yaw-engine.
#73 Re: Not So Free Chat » Who's your favorite astro/cosmo/taikonaut? » 2004-05-17 06:53:40
Rusty for his enhousiasm, he was acting more like a young puppy, than a 'cool astronaut'
BUT he was a top-notch professional, too.
What I knew he was called a 'partynaut'. Beside that, he had quite left political opinions, which were uncommon among astronauts. That's fascinating.
O yeah, another hero to me is Virgil (Gus) Grissom. He nearly drowned when his Liberty-Bell 7 sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. Fortunately he was saved. Later he lost his life in Apollo-1. You immediately recognize hem from a photo of the first 7, because he is rather small.
#74 Re: Human missions » The First to Mars - Who will it be? » 2004-05-17 06:35:14
Yes, that's what I really believe. I think this would be possible!! 
#75 Re: Not So Free Chat » Who's your favorite astro/cosmo/taikonaut? » 2004-05-15 06:05:10
Rxke: Eplain: Why Rusty? I don't know much about him.
Ok, Leonov is a nice guy, I think. After the communism very open about the 'lost moon' and his fears walking outside Woshod.
Cindy: I recognize about what you say about Lovells devotednes to space. He has a very serious way of doing things, thats my impression. BTW he was Neil's CapCom in Gemini 8. He was called "The man with the golden fingers." because he worked properly and fast.
With Buzz, Gemini 12. It was the best of all Gemini's, the only one with really no troubles after Gemini 7. Buzz was the first astronaut that dived in a swimming pool to experience his space-walk. So he was less tired than White, Cernan, Collins and Gordon. He invented little things to climb the gemini in an easy manner!