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#51 2022-09-27 14:42:38

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Hi Spacenut:

Yep,  there' a lot,  and the North Houston ISS wants another,  probably over the internet.  Not sure when. 

Just to let folks know,  I just had minor cancer surgery all this morning.  Successful,  they got it all.  That's the 3rd time,  so I'm a 3-time survivor now.  Not much pain,  but I have been bleeding quite a bit.  Wasn't really expecting that. 

GW


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#52 2022-09-27 14:53:50

kbd512
Administrator
Registered: 2015-01-02
Posts: 7,361

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

GW,

I hope you get to feeling better.  If you're still bleeding from the surgery and that hasn't stopped, then you need to go back to your primary physician or to your surgeon.  Seriously, have your wife drive you back to see the doctor again and let them know approximately how much.  At the very least, you need to call your physician and surgeon to let them know.

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#53 2022-09-27 20:29:40

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Good to hear but do not let it linger, as we need you to get well for sure. My stepdad he is 98, has had skin cancer removed several times and most recently a month ago from the years of exposure to diesel fuels to his hands.

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#54 2022-09-28 13:48:21

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Bleeding was no serious problem,  just a hard mess to deal with.  I got it all stopped yesterday afternoon late.  Changed bandage today.  Healing has begun,  but it will take a while.  My face looks like I was run over by a bus.

As for risks,  this is the 3rd skin cancer I have had removed in the last few decades.  Each time they get it all,  but another one sooner or later pops up.  Plus,  I have been exposed to many fuels and solvents over my life,  and to the very harsh chemistry of making composite solid propellant.  None of that bodes well for the future.  Not at age 72.

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2022-09-28 13:48:54)


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#55 2022-10-01 20:37:21

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Dr. Johnson sent this updated list of presentations and papers by email ... alignments look good in the Edit window but not in the post view

List of Presentations 3            as of 1 Oct 2022                G. W. Johnson
Title                                                      what it is about
*How To Successfully Colonize Mars    using the lessons of history to guide how this should be done
*Engineering Lander/Rover for Mars    robot site evaluator for buried ice and soil bearing strength
*Orbital Propellant Depot                spin ullage makes transfer of cryogenics feasible in a depot
*“Starship” at Mars                            evaluations as Earth-Mars transport and as Mars “landing boat”
*Suit and Habitat Atmospheres        avoid long- and short-term hypoxia,  no pre-breathe low-P suits
Killer Asteroid Threat                    status of detection efforts and multiple deflection means
Big Ship Propulsion Studies                present and future propulsion for large orbit-orbit transports
Early High-Speed Experimental Planes    a look at the experimental planes that enabled supersonic jets
Mars Landing Boats                    rough-out 1-stage surf-LMO-surf chemical transports
Rocket Engine Calculations                estimates for from-scratch designs or reverse-engineering
Using Lunar Station Orbits                highly-elliptical lunar orbit enables cheaper propellants in LEO

These 11 exist as slideshow + presentation notes + submittable paper + abstract;  those 5 marked * were accepted for the 2022 convention of The Mars Society,  at ASU in Tempe AZ

Title                                             what it is about
Ceramic Heat Shields            robust low-density ceramic composites,  presented in 2011
Ethanol Experiments (2016)        cars and tractors and lawn equipment using E-85 or blends
Global Warming (updated 2022)    why it is real and what to do about it
How Things Burn (2009)            beyond the fire triangle;  takes on pool fires and flameholding
Mars 2016                        update to “clean sheet” Mars mission plan,  no presumptions
Spacecraft Orbit and dV Sizing    2022 update to how rocket vehicle performance gets estimated
“Warm Brick” Research Testing    documents small combustor and IR emitter work from 1984
Towed Hardbody Decoys        design analysis & criteria for stability & trim,  plus tow position

These 8 exist as slideshow + presentation notes only,  no paper or abstract.  Ceramic Heat Shields was given at the 2011 Mars Society convention in Grapevine (Dallas) TX.  It derives from a part of the Warm Brick work from 1984.  The Towed Hardbody Decoy work also dates from that time.

(th)

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#56 2022-10-19 09:59:21

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

If all is going to plan, Dr. and Mrs. Johnson will travel from Waco to Tempe, Arizona today.

For those who are interested in the well being of KT the Cat, he will be visited by a care giver regularly.

To see the latest schedule for talks by GW Johnson (5) and by BeerMan (1) see: www.marssociety.org

(th)

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#57 2022-10-25 09:53:16

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

This is a follow up on publication of the video record of the 25th Mars Society Convention...

For 30 days from the end of the convention, the videos of participants will be available for viewing by Virtual Ticket holders.

The following is taken from a summary of presentations by GW Johnson (there were five selected from a pool of 11 offered)

Gary Johnson
Biography
Dr. Johnson was born in east Texas in 1950. He grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas, graduating in 1968. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a BS in 1972 and an MS in 1974, both in aerospace engineering. As a graduate student, he tested Space shuttle noses in the hypersonic wind tunnel, and spent 1 summer at LTV Aerospace working on their “Scout” launcher.

He then went to work in the aerospace defense industry (back in the slide rule days) in new product R&D, and met and married wife Ellen. They have one son, James. He did rocket and ramjet propulsion work, and advanced aircraft and ballistic missile decoy work. This career involved design and analysis, testing, test facilities design, and flight tests in jet aircraft. Plant closure during a severe industry contraction forced a change after 2 decades.

Dr. Johnson then went into teaching in two tenures, separated by a stint in civil engineering doing fire protection design, water/wastewater permitting, foundation inspection and design, and cleanup and disposal of hazardous materials. The teaching included automotive and manufacturing technology,

aviation sciences, evening-adjunct engineering, math, and physics instruction.

It was during this second career that he earned a PhD late in life, in general engineering. His dissertation determined why and how ethanol fuel in piston aircraft engines increases power but decreases hardware temperatures.

Dr. Johnson is now retired, living on his ranch near McGregor, with his wife. He still occasionally builds and sells custom farm implements that kill prickly pear cactus out of farm and ranch pasturelands.

See Less
Appearing In
Session ended
04:00 - 09:00 PM
Analog Research & Facilities
Dr. Jonathan Clarke
Session ended
04:00 - 09:00 PM
Humanity's Future
Eric Bethke
Session ended
04:00 - 09:00 PM
Tech R&D A
Bernard Foing
Session ended
04:00 - 09:00 PM
Tech R&D B
Doug Plata
Session ended
04:00 - 09:00 PM
Tech R&D C
Oleg Mansurov

In days ahead, I will attempt to locate all five in the online archive.  I saw two live, and would like to see the other three.

So far, my observation is that the quality of audio and video produced by the Zoom Webinar is excellent.

A nod goes to the staff and volunteers of Mars Society, who demonstrated cool mastery of the technology involved.

(th)

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#58 2022-10-25 09:55:33

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

For GW Johnson ...

Please consider asking Executive Director James Burk for permission to copy the videos of your presentations to your personal YouTube channel.

While I could made the request, it would be third hand.  Your request would likely carry more (or perhaps a ** lot ** more) weight.

(th)

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#59 2022-10-26 10:50:15

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Tom:

I don't have a personal you-tube channel.  Never have figured out how to deal with it. I'm pretty sure published video files off the Mars Society site can be copied.  Sooner or later those 5 of mine will be up there.  My presentation on low density ceramic composite heat shield material at the Boulder convention is up there,  and that some years ago.   

All 5 presentations were well-received.  I had people stopping me in the halls,  on campus,  and even in the hotel,  telling me so. 

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2022-10-26 10:51:40)


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#60 2022-10-26 11:13:22

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

For GW Johnson re #59

Thanks for considering the YouTube channel idea.

Mars Society might be willing to help make it super-easy for you to publish on YouTube.

I can't do this part ... please drop a note to Executive Director James Burk and ask him:

Would you be willing to help me publish my five presentations on my own YouTube Channel?  This would include setting up the Channel.

What I'll do now is investigate to see if a GW Johnson channel already exists.

There are (it turns out) numerous folks the the name Gary Johnson.

(th)

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#61 2022-10-26 11:18:37

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

For GW Johnson re YouTube ....

I found your video easily enough, using YouTube Channel GW Johnson as the search argument ...

You are right up there with the Right Reverend G. W. Johnson ...

All
NewsImagesVideosShoppingMore
Tools
About 2,370,000 results (0.59 seconds)

Apostle Dr. G.W. Johnson..... Wait on the Lord - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watch

3:56:22
Apostle Dr. G.W. Johnson. ... If you would like to make a donation you may do so to our PayPal account : brownstownaapc@gmail.com.
YouTube · Apostolic Ark Headquarters · Nov 19, 2020

Stir up the Gift, Apostle Dr. G. W. Johnson - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watch

PREVIEW
2:38:20
Stir up the Gift, Apostle Dr. G. W. Johnson ... would like to make a donation you may do so to our PayPal account : brownstownaapc@gmail.com.
YouTube · Apostolic Ark Headquarters · Oct 3, 2020
9 key moments in this video

Apostle GW Johnson - Praise Break - Part 2 - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watch

PREVIEW
8:44
Apostle GW Johnson - Praise Break - Part 2 ... Apostle GW Johnson, Brown's Town Jamaica Part 1 ... Jonathan DesVerney Gospel Channel.
YouTube · gelsport01 · Mar 26, 2009

**** The "aerospace engineer" GW Johnson
Reusable Ceramic Heat Shields - 16th Mars Society Conventionhttps://www.youtube.com › watch

21:31
GW Johnson - Reusable Ceramic Heat Shields - 16th Mars Society Convention. 961 views961 views. Sep 4, 2013.
YouTube · The Mars Society · Sep 4, 2013

*** Back to the Right Reverend

Apostle G W Johnson At Bridgeport Apostolic Ark Convention ...https://www.youtube.com › watch

PREVIEW
1:15:16
Apostle G W Johnson At Bridgeport Apostolic Ark Convention 2018 Sunday Night. 11,263 views11K views. Jun 22, 2018.
YouTube · Kirky Bless Media · Jun 22, 2018

BugHouse SPIN Live Storytelling: Metro North by GW Johnsonhttps://www.youtube.com › watch

16:34
The BugHouse SPIN, where stories are told and ideas unfold, was a storytelling show produced by BugHouse Media/Martha Williams in New York ...
YouTube · Culture Shift Agency · Apr 10, 2015

GW KICKED Me Out of Warhammer World After I Messed Uphttps://www.youtube.com › watch

PREVIEW
18:51
INTRO SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1qW... New to miniature painting? Start here: http://beginner.miniac.co New to the channel?
YouTube · Miniac · Jun 20, 2022

5 key moments in this video

G.W. Jim Johnson, III - Extremity Trauma Grant Awards ...https://www.youtube.com › watch

PREVIEW
4:51
Jump into a Paldean Journey | Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. The Official Pokémon YouTube channel. The Official Pokémon YouTube channel.
YouTube · AirliftResearchFD · Feb 10, 2010

JOHNSON BEST EPIC COME BACK - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watch

PREVIEW
10:59
Hlo guy's ☺️ please support ROLEX 1k subscriber IM NOT A PRO GUYS. IM DOING MY BEST TO MAKE MY GAMEPLAY LOOKS GOOD I HOPE YOU ENJOY ...
YouTube · R O L E X gaming · 1 week ago

The Johnson Fam - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › thejohnsonfam
FOREVER is Available Now and can be downloaded everywhere! Download "Forever" Here: https://song.link/i/1459670878 Subscribe to Our Channel!
Missing: GW | Must include: GW
Related searches

The thing that I notice is that the Mars Society seems to have a channel, which would make sense.

(th)

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#62 2022-10-26 11:26:30

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

For GW Johnson re YouTube

You're really up against the big leagues (in the form of Apostle GW Johnson)...

One way that might make sense is to create a channel with the name: Engineer GW Johnson

It would be a ** lot ** easier for your audience to find your work on YouTube than on the blog.

Do you have any objection to someone (Mars Society or other) setting up a channel for you?

Once it is set up, the keys (ie, password) can be turned over to you and you can upload anything you want to publish.

Later update:

This might be a perfect example of how to use Zoom for collaboration

Here is a little video that shows how to get started...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKydtOXW8mI

If you are interested in collaboration, you can request a Zoom session so that NewMars members can watch as you go through the setup process.

That way, the password is yours from the start.

(th)

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#63 2022-11-03 06:40:05

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

For GW Johnson re YouTube Handle....

Please visit YouTube and request a Handle.

That appears to be a first step towards creating your own channel.

You already have plenty of content to post their.

The Wordpress blog is fine for those who like words, and certainly many folks do.

However, expanding your presence onto YouTube is a way to reach a wider audience.

(th)

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#64 2022-11-23 10:56:44

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

I didn't know where else to post this,  since it addresses multiple different topics.  GW

From 11-23-2022’s Daily Launch

Orion Soars Past The Moon

Aviation Week (11/21) reported that five days “into the Artemis I flight test, the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft soared past the Moon, successfully conducting a 2-min. 30-sec. firing of its shuttle-era maneuvering engine on Nov. 21 to set up a slingshot maneuver into deeper space.”

        CBS News (11/21) reports NASA’s unpiloted Orion spacecraft “is operating in near-flawless fashion, mission managers reported Monday, out-performing expectations on a flight to pave the way toward the first piloted mission in 2024.” The Space Launch System rocket “that boosted the Orion capsule on its way early Wednesday showed it performed almost exactly as expected, taking off atop 8.8 million pounds of thrust and producing a ground-shaking shock wave that literally blew the doors off launch pad elevators.”

        Aviation Week (11/22) reports NASA’s frontline personnel “are giving their Artemis I test flight high marks so far. Launched early Nov. 16, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft occupied by sensored mannequins to evaluate the deep-space environment is to complete its propulsive maneuvering into a Distant Retrograde Orbit.”

        Space Avionics Built By L3Harris Helped Propel Artemis I Launch. Aviation Today (11/22) reports that Northrop Grumman “successfully launched NASA’s Artemis I on Nov. 16 with the help of L3Harris’s space avionics.” In order to help “the unmanned spacecraft hit 17,000 mph within the first eight minutes of the flight, L3Harris provided over 30 advanced space avionics systems.” These were used “in the core, upper stage avionics, and booster for Artemis I to enable remote control, help determine the trajectory of the flight, and provide a rocket booster jettison.”

        Artemis I Rocket Damaged Mobile Launcher On Lift Off. Florida Today (11/22) reports that upon liftoff last week, Artemis I damaged a mobile tower with the rocket’s sheer power. At pad 39B, “the nearly 400-foot mobile launcher not only routed communications, propellants, and hardware support for SLS ahead of liftoff, but it also had to deal with the forces that came with supporting the world’s most powerful operational rocket. Elevator doors were blown off; the deck was scorched by heat; gas lines were dislodged; and even a swath of grass at the pad was burned to a yellow hue.” Teams on the ground are still assessing the damage and figuring out how to repair it.

My take on it: It appears the initial troubles with thrust instabilities in the 5-segment SRB’s has been licked well enough.  The later flights of the old Saturn-5 took place at about 8 million pounds of thrust,  triggering similar effects,  but there’s no one left at NASA old enough to remember what to do about it.  These effects increase very rapidly with thrust level,  which is why none of the “Nova” designs of 10+ million pounds thrust were ever built and flown. Wait till the try to launch a SpaceX Superheavy,  and see what those effects are!

Also from 11-23-2022:

NASA Delays Dangerous Asteroid-Search Mission

Bloomberg Government (11/21) reported that NASA’s search for dangerous asteroids is “preparing for a year-and-a-half delay after lawmakers and the Biden administration sought a budget cut.” The agency’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission, “a plan to launch a telescope into space to search for asteroids that could strike the Earth with more force than a nuclear bomb – ... [is faced with] a budget of only $80 million to $90 million in fiscal 2023 rather than the $170 million they asked for, mission director Amy Mainzer said in a phone interview.”

My take on it:  delaying this is a mistake.  It’s not a huge cost like SLS,  and unlike SLS,  it may actually contribute to protecting the Earth from an asteroid strike.  There is no better reason for a space mission or a space program than protecting the Earth.

Again from 11-23-2022:

New FAA Guidelines To Address Manual Flying Deficiency
FlightGlobal (11/23) reports that the Federal Aviation Administration “has issued wide-ranging recommendations aimed at ensuring airline pilots are properly trained to effectively manage highly-automated modern aircraft, without relying too much on technology.”

My take on it:  this is way overdue!


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#65 2022-12-12 12:46:10

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Looks like the Artemis 1 mission was largely a success.  No major glitches,  minor stuff taken care of.  I saw the splashdown.  4 of 5 righting bags inflated fast,  1 was a bit slow,  but did finally inflate. 

I did see a news story about NASA's Nelson having a conversation with SpaceX's Shotwell about Musk.  She reassured Nelson SpaceX is doing OK,  no matter what transpires with Musk and Twitter.  Musk has revealed himself as having no understanding how to treat people,  and that he believes a lot of those right-wing extremist crackpot conspiracy theories.  I can understand why Nelson was worried,  given the debacle that has been Twitter under a new owner. 

SpaceX needs to get Starship/Superheavy flying;  they are supposed to be operational with the lunar lander variant of it,  in only 3 or maybe 4 years.  Artemis 3 cannot happen unless that lander is flying.  Getting crossed-up with the FAA and EPA over that environmental impact stuff relative to Boca Chica was not the smartest thing to let happen.  Maybe it will come out some day just how and why that happened. 

GW


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#66 2022-12-12 13:57:04

kbd512
Administrator
Registered: 2015-01-02
Posts: 7,361

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

GW,

Being disagreeable is part of being a successful manager.  Billionaires don't become billionaires by being "nice people".  It's not accidental.  It's not dumb luck.  It's suitability to task.  Elon Musk wasn't born the world's richest man.  He didn't inherit his billions from his mommy and daddy, either.  He's a self-made man.  He's not lazy / complacent, nod dishonest, nor greedy, nor unprincipled, but he will never be agreeable.  Being likeable is not part of the job description of a CEO.

Imagine this, though, old timer:

You're a highly talented and accomplished aerospace engineer, living out your twilight years- a well-earned retirement.  While you were still "in the game", you never did get to realize one of your dreams, namely seeing humanity living and working on another planet.  Along comes this young man, an upstart to be sure, who is now doing and has done things you never had the chance to do, for whatever reason.

Instead of being happy that someone is finally doing one of the things you said you wanted to see done, you're upset that he doesn't share every belief or political opinion you hold.  If it were me, I'd be happy to know that someone was finally going to "make it so", quite possibly in time for me to live to see the fruits of my labor.

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#67 2022-12-12 17:09:49

Steve Stewart
Member
From: Kansas (USA)
Registered: 2019-09-21
Posts: 161
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

GW Johnson,
I'd thought I'd jump on here and let you know I enjoy reading your posts. I think it was either SpaceNut or tahanson that posted a link to a presentation you gave in Houston. I watched your presentation and you did a very nice job. And this is coming from someone who isn't a rocket scientist. (I'm an electrical engineer).

I haven't had time to watch any of the presentations from the 2022 convention yet, but I will. Sounds like you and BeerMan got good feedback which doesn't surprise me. I hadn't kept up on the Artemis 1 mission, thanks for the update and your insights. I hope to talk with you more in the future.
-Steve

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#68 2022-12-12 22:08:08

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

I was being told by a son that the ship came in a bit hot in terms of speed but that will give a good test for the heat shield material to see what it did for its performance.
Typical Nasa will be on slow mode to tell the public about what was tested and its measurement that we achieved during the flight from the many sensing systems on board the ship.
What is sad is how long we are going to wait for another flight...
Nelson admin is questioning Musks ability to act in a sane manner.

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#69 2022-12-13 10:39:03

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

I had not heard entry was a tad "hot" with Artemis 1,  but that's OK.  It needs that kind of a test anyway.  There's an awful lot of possible missions that involve hitting the atmosphere at faster-than-escape.  The old rule of thumb for Mars returns when I was in engineering graduate school was a nominal 50,000 ft/sec.  That translates to 15.2 km/s,  when  Earth escape is only 11.1 km/s at entry interface altitude.  I had heard of design requirements as high as 17 km/s for Mars free returns.  Depends upon how fast a trajectory you use. 
 
Myself,  I was never a CEO or a high-level manager.  I saw an awful lot of them that treated people poorly.  The higher the rank,  the more likely they were to mistreat subordinates.  That much I know for sure.  Just goes to prove the old saying "the turds float to the top",  which any wastewater treatment engineer can verify is literally true. 

I did serve in engineering management as the de-facto head of plant IR&D projects at the old McGregor rocket plant.  The official title was the plant chief engineer's job,  but he didn't want to do it,  and had me do it for him.  I did it for 5 or 6 years.  I managed $1-2 M annually,  with 10-20 principal investigators working for me,  while simultaneously serving as a PI on a project budgeted at $0.3 - 0.4 M.  My project was in airbreathing propulsion,  mostly ramjet.

I treated those PI's right,  and they operated in my "blast shadow":  I shielded them from the temper tantrums of high-level managers.  Because of that,  I was very unpopular with upper level and corporate management types,  but my PI's at the McGregor production plant did better R&D than the dedicated corporate research center,  in both quantity and quality.  We literally did things no one had ever done before.  And we did it every single year. 

So, no,  high level managers do NOT have to be assholes,  but it does seem to be a very common affliction among that crowd!  For those few who are not assholes,  their teams actually perform better,  and by far.  Which is something NOT taught in most business schools.  But it should be!

Other than that,  it's that time of year.  Time to hang the missile toad.  Hope you all have a good Christmas (or Hannukah,  or whatever applies). 

GW

update:  the missile toad photos are posted at "exrocketman" as the article titled "Christmas Decoration" and dated 7 Dec 2021.  I made 2 and gave 1 to my son.  The other went up las year,  and again this year.  For those who don't know,  "exrocketman" is http://exrocketman.blogspot.com.

update again:  Steve Stewart,  glad to make your acquaintance.  I'm another oldster,  like oldfart1939.  They were still flying the X-1 and the Skyrocket when I was little.  The X-15 came later,  as I was nearing adolescence.

Last edited by GW Johnson (2022-12-13 14:23:08)


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#70 2022-12-17 10:09:46

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Video of an F-35B crash at JRB Ft. Worth is all over the internet.  Just goes to prove VTOL is hard. 

I've watched and rewatched the video multiple times.  There was a sudden pitchdown of the nose,  breaking the nose gear.  That suggests the forward lift thrust suddenly failed,  leaving only the aft lift thrust from the vectored nozzle. 

The yaw spin-around is the gyroscopic torque reaction of the engine core spin rate suddenly decreasing or stopping.  I don't know why it did that,  but speculate it may be related somehow to the loss of forward lift thrust. 

With the engine core suddenly stopping,  there is a risk of the engine exploding (in the sense of disintegrating very suddenly and flinging shrapnel that would utterly destroy the plane),  so the ejection decision was correct,  despite him already being on the ground.

Those are just my impressions,  we will see (after a while) what the military says went wrong.

--  GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2022-12-17 10:14:31)


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#71 2022-12-17 12:43:51

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

For all ... here is a direct link to the McGregor, Texas "Missile Toad"...

https://exrocketman.blogspot.com/2021/

(th)

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#72 2022-12-18 13:59:30

Steve Stewart
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From: Kansas (USA)
Registered: 2019-09-21
Posts: 161
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

GW Johnson #69
I see you are from McGregor, TX. I have an uncle that lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. After HS he was in the Air Force and worked on the B-36 "Peacemaker". That's where he met my aunt who is from Fort Worth. Her father worked for General Dynamics back in the day. I have cousins that grew up in Dallas. I've made the trip down I-35 to Dallas-Fort Worth many times.

After I graduated from Kansas State I moved to Indianapolis Indiana and worked for the Navy as a manufacturing engineer. I primarily worked on the ARIES EP-3 (surveillance aircraft). In 2001 the aircraft was involved in the "Hainan incident". I had left the Navy by then. I now work for an Aerospace company in the Kansas City Metro area.
Good to meet you.

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#73 2022-12-18 16:59:40

GW Johnson
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From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Hi Steve Stewart:

I remember the B-36's flying out of what was then Carswell AFB in Fort Worth,  but just barely.  Was still a boy when the last of those retired. As a teen,  I once flew a C-54/R-5D/DC-4 under the command of a Navy transport pilot,  around Carswell AFB.  To make the turn,  I pointed the right wing at the B-47's and B-52's on the base.  The B-47's are what really date me.  Hundreds of those were still flying when I was a teen,  and for some years after.

I went to the UT Austin school of engineering out of high school.  Went to Grand Prairie high school (mid cities between Dallas and Ft. Worth),  back when you drove 7 miles through the cotton farms to get from Grand Prairie to Arlington.  It ain't like that anymore!  I have not lived there since I graduated high school in 1968.  My folks lived there all their lives.  I still have friends there.

After 1st year at UT,  I got an appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.  I ended up getting discharged honorably for getting too sick,  and went back to UT Austin.  But I did help dock a sub at the academy waterfront,  which got me a tour of the boat.  It was a Guppy  conversion of a WW2 diesel sub.  There were still a few diesel boats on active duty with the Navy when I was there. 

Got BS and MS degrees in aerospace engineering from UT,  and started but did not complete a PhD.  Went to work instead for a 20 year aerospace defense industry career in new product development.  Did mostly ramjet and solid rocket stuff,  plus towed aircraft decoys.  Fall of Soviet Union,  coupled with evil corporate politics,  led to plant closure and the end of my defense career. 

Spent another 20 years teaching (from junior high all the way to university graduate school),  plus a little civil engineering.  Got a PhD late in life during this career.  I did invent a farm implement that kills prickly pear cactus out of farm and ranch pastures.  I still build and sell 1 or 2 of these a year to this day.  Now retired,  on a farm outside of McGregor.   

GW


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#74 2022-12-19 11:07:05

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

Wasn't quite sure where to put this,  so I  put it here.  From AIAA's "Daily Launch" email newsletter,  regarding the recent DART test at Didymos/Dimorphos. 

GW

From Daily Launch for 12-19-2022:

DART Asteroid Deflection Mission Helped By Debris

BBC News (12/16) reported that the NASA probe “that struck an asteroid in September to try to deflect its path had a bigger effect because of all the debris it kicked out.” The DART mission “slammed into egg-shaped Dimorphos to demonstrate how hazardous rocks posing a threat to the Earth could be moved out of the way.” It was very successful, “but even more so because the impact dug up a million kilograms of surface material.” When this “shot out into space it boosted the momentum exchange.”

        Miami Herald (12/16) reported that “the investigation team has been digging into the implications of how this planetary defense technique could be used. ... This has included further analysis of the ‘ejecta’ – the many tons of asteroidal rock displaced and launched into space by the impact,” NASA reported it worked from “that perspective: DART’s 14,000 mph collision with Dimorphos slowed its rotation by 33 minutes, NASA says. Dimorphos – a minor-planet moon orbiting the asteroid Didymos – did not pose a threat to Earth, which made it a good test subject, experts say.”

My take on it:

This is indirect confirmation of my contentions about unintentionally disrupting rubble pile asteroids instead of redirecting them.   Dimorphos was a rather loose rubble pile,  which is why more material than expected was excavated (about 1000 metric tons per above),  producing more momentum exchange than expected.   

Had the spacecraft,  which was quite small relative to the asteroid,  been much bigger,  the asteroid might have been “100% excavated”,  meaning destroyed by disruption.  Disrupted far from Earth,  the debris has time to spread out laterally from the path,  so that much of it would miss,  should the path intersect the Earth.  Disrupted too close,  you just converted a single bullet strike to a shotgun blast,  and caused more,  and more widespread,  damage. 

-----


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#75 2022-12-19 18:16:01

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos

This post is about the Christmas Light Display in McGregor, Texas....

GW Johnson has granted permission to show the image here, so I will attempt to do that ... in the mean time, here is the text that goes with the image:

Sure.

GW


On Mon, Dec 19, 2022 at 11:47 AM Tom Hanson <tahanson43206> wrote:

    Hi Dr. Johnson!

    Thanks ** very ** much for showing me what a proper Texas Christmas Tree looks like!

    I like the Santa sled and reindeer, and knowing they are properly named is a bonus!

    May I post this in the forum? I'd think the GW Johnson postings topic would be appropriate.

    (th)
    On 12/19/22 12:21, Gary Johnson wrote:
>     Merry Christmas to you and yours.  Happy New Year,  too!
>
>     You already know about the "missile toad".  That was the first thing I got up.  Yesterday,  I completed the yard display,  which we call "White Trash Christmas",  and which we have put up for most of the last 20 years,  in one form or another.  That's the attached photo,  which was taken from the yard of my farm shop,  looking back toward our house,  a bit after sundown.  I will dig out the living room Christmas tree and decoration stuff today. 
>
>     The "iron tree" is something I designed and built many years ago.  It stores in a small volume,  and assembles quickly.  You just string the lights by winding them around "Maypole style".  This year I used a lawn tractor wagon as Santa's sleigh,  with a trash bag as his "bag of toys".  His team of reindeer is a set of lawn flamingoes that I rigged with internal lights to make them glow,  and I glued pipe cleaner antlers to their heads.  There's the traditional eight,  with "Rudolph" out front,  and "Bambi" bringing up the rear.  The team is per the poem:  Dasher,  Dancer,  Prancer,  Vixen,  Comet,  Cupid,  Donner,  and Blitzen.  All are labeled with their names.
>
>     That's probably goofy enough to get me committed,  but it still brings a grin as I set it up and light it.
>
>     GW

GxUWVH9.jpg

(th)

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