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#126 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Rep. Lampson seeks to revive X-38 - Could an X-38 land on Mars? » 2003-08-31 20:53:07

Looks like there is a go for OSP!!! looks X-38 ish.  Rush on production to augment or replace shuttle for Space Station!

#127 Re: Not So Free Chat » SETI@HOME->NEWMARS - Discussion - newmars seti@home team » 2003-08-31 20:49:35

Maybe the extratresstrials' biology is different and they had different kinds of communications technology so they chose infrared to communicate. You can't rule out the possibility

But Ian, your missing the point of ease of radiation.  With all the IR sources the noise floor will be higher then RF.  I am not up IR transmission but I am a journeyman level Satellite Communications Technician.  I know that for sending a directionalized single voice or small bandwidth signal that UHF is the best.   Ease of radiation, cost of radiation, and power required.  But anything between about 200mhz-40ghz is what we need to look at. 

The problem with that is we barely have the processing power to look at one frequency, let alone a 39.8 ghz range.

Just something to consider.

#128 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Rep. Lampson seeks to revive X-38 - Could an X-38 land on Mars? » 2003-08-27 07:15:16

I would also expect some sort of hypersonic or space plane in the next 25 years.  Something beyond the supposed Aurora.  Something to make ICBMs obsolete.  Attack anywhere in the world in 1-2 hours with recall ability.

#129 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Rep. Lampson seeks to revive X-38 - Could an X-38 land on Mars? » 2003-08-27 07:13:00

The should be no more manned fighter planes period.. ever.. UAVs and or space planes will take over.  Plus expect life spans of 50 years for airframes.  That my guess. just like the 'Buff' (B-52)

#130 Re: Mars Society International » I WANT - MARS » 2003-08-27 07:02:12

I know the stop-light cameras in Sacramento were repealed, between the problems, and questionable nature of the constituitionality of them.  About keeping control of a vehicle at 100+ mph, that is a formula of tires, breaks, suspension, and aerodynamics.  The biggest factors are Tires and Shock absorbers.  The tires need to be able to grip, and not melt at high speeds, and the shocks need to dampen enough to keep the car stable.  The rest is driver capability.  Driving within your limits, and your vehicles limits.  On Interstates in California I averaged 90.  But I knew the limitations of my vehicle, and kept it maintained.  While I was speeding, I don't feel I was being unsafe.

#131 Re: Not So Free Chat » Apropos of Nothing » 2003-08-27 05:58:16

hmm.. don't remember.. high enough.

#132 Re: Not So Free Chat » Freeing up the money... - Less money = Better defence? » 2003-08-24 02:01:14

Yep, the damn people who developed or paid for the development of just about every booster we use currently.. 
Damn them!

#133 Re: Life support systems » Optimal air pressures.. - Which is best? More O2 or more pressure? » 2003-08-23 08:02:40

Also, Of the 21% Oxygen we breath in, we only use 6% of it.  Otherwise CPR wouldn't work, just something to throw out there.

#134 Re: Not So Free Chat » Apropos of Nothing » 2003-08-23 07:43:34

Dreams don't become reality while stuck in peoples minds and conversations.  Only by Action can one's dream bear fruit.

#135 Re: Interplanetary transportation » The Light Speed Barrier - Is there really a universal speed limit? » 2003-08-23 04:05:26

The atomic clock in Denver has to be constantly changed to stay sync with the clock in Washington, due to a difference in elevation

The Reason the Cesium Standards in various places have ot be changed isn't so much the time dilation as the fact that not all Cesiums are created equal.  This is why there is Universal Coordinated Time (also known as UTC) which is a myriad of different countries with Cesium standards averagein there results.  Taking in the fact that it takes a little more then a year to orbit the sun UT0, the slight deviation of earths orbit UT1 and the leap second UTC. 

I would be hard pressed to prove the differency of less then .1% of the total radius could make that big of a difference in UTC.  I believe it is good to either a Milli-Second or Micro-Second. 

For those that know anything about Satellite Communications the new high-PSK modems require timing that is better then a stand alone Cesium standard.  Like 64-PSK modems.  I don't have the books here to quote exact numbers.

#137 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Making Electricity - Reverse Peltier » 2003-08-22 07:27:45

Hoq Peltiers work

Thats a basic explanation to how they work.  They are occasionally used by Overclockers in Computers.  But I have yet to hear of many industrial uses for them.

#138 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Making Electricity - Reverse Peltier » 2003-08-22 07:23:51

I have a Basic to Intermediate knowledge of electronics.  If anyone knows how Peltiers work, would it be possible to alter a peltier such that it turned heat into energy on a semi-conductor level? 

If anyone would like the basics of how a peltier works I will try to find a link.

#139 Re: Water on Mars » H20, where'd it go? - What happened to Marsian water? » 2003-08-21 23:14:00

My view on the Occums(sp) Razor of Mars is as follows. 

1.) Never an Earthlike Atmosphere with oceans.

2.) Occasional Outbursts of water from collosions with meteors and comets.

3.) Very little recent Geologic Activity other then wind baser erosion, hence the massive dust storms and dune fields.

4.) no major Plate Tectonics in the Last Billion years

5.) Glaciation in the last 100 millions years.



The most important thing to me is the lack of rain.  Water is the quickest form of erosion in more then just the Canyon effect.  The stongest most common form of erosion is frost Wedging.   But to get to the point of this Forum, Most of the Water IMHO is mixed between Caps, regolith and in the bedrock. 

Also, without evidence to the contrary a volcano is considered extinct after a period of ten's of thousands of years.   This is something we can not test, without a seismograph network, or a camera with enough resolution to show, with out a doubt, steam plumes.  So without that information, I would say anything on the current geological activity of Mars is an assumption or a Scientific Wild Ass Guess(SWAG!!  tongue  )  At best. I am no expert, but the one part of geology I did excel in was my Structure I and Structure II classes in College.  So.. I just wanted to see if anyone else agrees with me, other then the voices in my head!

cool

#140 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Rep. Lampson seeks to revive X-38 - Could an X-38 land on Mars? » 2003-08-21 22:58:45

.

Ah the joys of spending other peoples' money

Was the 10 Billion for STS in 1975 Dollars? That would probably equate to 30-40 Billion today, inflation corrected. I used the price of Cars as an example.  But it was also most likel be a much more capable craft.  I think we are stuck with the Military-Industrial Complex with this one.  So, Unless the Air Force gets involved,(granted I have a slight bias) it's going to be interesting to see what happens.  It has been specifically stated multiple times that After Procurement of the F-22 and F-35 there will be no more figther procurement.  They have started replacement Lease of the KC-135s. B-52s and C-130s can probably fly forever given properly intervalled Phase DOC Maintenance.  So, The Air Force is going to be having some cash to drop somewhere.  They have stated multiple times that they are transitioning from an Air Force with a Space Capability to a Space Force with an Air Capability.  So. it will be interesting.

Sorry, went on a Rant.

#141 Re: Not So Free Chat » Apropos of Nothing » 2003-08-21 22:36:30

What is everything that is enjoyable or tastes good bad for you?  And why is everything that is good for you tastes good or is a complete pain in the ass?

#142 Re: Not So Free Chat » Apropos of Nothing » 2003-08-21 22:34:40

When did South Korea go from the Land of the Morning Calm to the Land of Soju and the Not Quite Right?

#143 Re: Pictures of Mars » Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . . » 2003-08-19 04:34:33

there was som kinda cool Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies in the '80s.  Ice Pirates, Adventures of Bukaroo Bonzai, RoboCop, Aliens, and countless others I can't remember, some other hoky ones I like, such as Space Balls, Star Gate, Time Cop, Time Bandits..  So many that aren't that well known, or becoming forgotten flicks relegated to white trash video rental because it's not available on dvd.

#144 Re: Pictures of Mars » Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . . » 2003-08-19 04:24:45

there was som kinda cool Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies in the '80s.  Ice Pirates, Adventures of Bukaroo Bonzai, RoboCop, Aliens, and countless others I can't remember, some other hoky ones I like, such as Space Balls, Star Gate, Time Cop, Time Bandits..  So many that aren't that well known, or becoming forgotten flicks relegated to white trash video rental because it's not available on dvd.

#145 Re: Not So Free Chat » Apropos of Nothing » 2003-08-18 05:33:02

You have nothing on Irony until you work in Military intelligence.    ???

#146 Re: Not So Free Chat » Apropos of Nothing » 2003-08-18 05:28:57

Best thing about Tropo Scatter Communications,  once your link is up, you can microwave hotdogs to your hearts content! tongue

#147 Re: Not So Free Chat » SETI@HOME->NEWMARS - Discussion - newmars seti@home team » 2003-08-17 05:05:47

Only one other person joined after I set it up.  So, I waited two weeks then mvoed to another team, I had a friend ask me to.  The response wasn't all that great so I quit the team.

#148 Re: Interplanetary transportation » The Light Speed Barrier - Is there really a universal speed limit? » 2003-08-13 20:50:20

Depending on the reference frames and things like that, it really is quite interesting.  I have read a few things on it.  The whole Time paradox that resides with relative velocity.

#149 Re: Water on Mars » Martian Geology - Olivines, andesites, faults etc » 2003-08-13 04:30:35

Wind blown snow erosion.Snow Erosion

wind blown erosion on Mars?
Mars

Looks like eroded cratering, possibly mistaken for Karst Topography.

#150 Re: Intelligent Alien Life » Traces of Civilization? - Analysis of selected Mars images » 2003-08-12 22:08:14

The other fact is simple resolution.. at a resolution of 1 mile or 1km, and you see something like a face or a pyramid, it comes into a common sense kind of thing... knowing that at that resolution you would not be able to diserne anything of complex detail.

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