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#651 2026-08-19 06:37:57
- tahanson43206
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- Registered: 2018-04-27
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
For GW Johnson ...
Please note the arrival of a representative of the LK Cokoino company in our membership.
Tan has been generous with both time and patience in helping me deal with problems of my own making.
I misread a line in their documentation, and assembled their CKK0017 kit incorrectly. Tan and his associates have adjusted the documentation to try to prevent others from making the same mistake.
Your several initiatives are going to depend upon robot subsystems of various kinds, and I am hoping the young people (and perhaps a few older ones) who will be working on those subsystems may find useful information and perhaps even guidance in this forum.
In recent days (August 2026) you and I have been discussing assembly of a lander system on orbit. This is required because no launcher currently operating on Earth is large enough for the lander you are planning.
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#652 2026-08-25 07:32:39
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
For GW Johnson ...
I dropped off a note at the web site of this gent...
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 46#p241146
Just FYI ... I inquired about possible interest in assembly of your Mars Lander on orbit, and also mentioned the on-orbit refueling Provisional Patent.
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#653 2026-08-26 06:41:37
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
This post features GW Johnson in a discussion on LinkedIn about the F104.
GW appears to have correctly identified the video as an AI generated simulation of a flight that actually occurred in 1963.
What I find disappointing is that the original poster of the video did not (apparently) realize this was fake. The video was (apparently) created from a much later incident. In any case, GW commented on the airplane and the pilot, Chuck Yeager.
View Gary Johnson’s graphic
Gary Johnson
• 1st1st
Aviation & Aerospace Consultant / Author/ Teacher/ Open Innovation Product Developer/InventRight
22hThat was an NF-104, modified with a rocket engine to fly way outside the normal flight envelope of an F-104. I'm not at all sure the video is real. Such films were NOT made during flight testing back in 1963 when Yeager had his NF-104 crash and bailout.
Inertia coupling is inherently exceedingly dangerous with any high-performance jet aircraft. The F-104 was particularly dangerous because of it, when attempting hard maneuvers in thinner air at high altitude. The effect has a couple of common names: "mass coupling" or "inertia coupling". The F-104 (and some others) were infamous for that danger. In particular, the X-1A-through-E series had it, too. Yeager almost crashed one of those, and for the same inertia coupling reason, although the cause was high speed, not high altitude.
The moment applied by control surfaces gets to be small in the thin air compared to the mass moment of inertia in that direction (which is independent of altitude density), and restoring happens too slowly to be effective at all. These effects have been known since at least WW2, but got rather important with the jets in the 1950's, because of the higher service ceilings in the 50-60,000 foot range. The air is quite thin up there.
GW
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View Nadim N. MALEK’s graphic
Nadim N. MALEK
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18hGary Johnson Hi, the video is certainly fake but is supposed to have represented all the steps that Mr. Yeager went through before ejecting.
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#654 2026-09-07 07:38:14
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
This post contains links to two images created by GW Johnson to illustrate fundamentals of heat shield design.
These are universal in nature and can be published independently of proprietary work Dr. Johnson may be doing.
These would become part of the Appendix of a book, if such a book were to appear at some point.
Update: Here is a pdf with revised images and explanations:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hdcynhhi … 75mq1&dl=0
Conical heat shield shapes:
Blunt capsule shapes:
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#655 2026-09-11 11:25:58
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
This post is for a link to a document created by GW Johnson to show his analysis of the SpaceX Hot Staging.
This appears to be a challenging exercise.
Pdf link here >>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/i2kwtp74 … wl35l&dl=0
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#656 2026-09-24 17:19:38
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
This post is intended to offer links to a pair of files to help readers and members to perform aerocapture and aerobraking maneuvers at Mars.
We will ask SpaceNut to set up a new Tools forum in the Engineering Category.
In the mean time, the files may be downloaded from Dropbox:
PDF file of instructions for spreadsheet: >> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7tr322ng … 8iknm&dl=0
Spreadsheet >> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wmmvjko9 … g0fwq&dl=0
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#657 2026-10-02 06:10:14
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
For GW Johnson re new post about landing legs by Oldfart1939
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 59#p241859
Oldfart1939 invited your comments on a YouTube video about landing legs for Starship on the Moon.
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#658 2026-10-02 11:22:04
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
For GW Johnson!
Your mention of AI slop caught my eye, in your reply to Oldfart1939 about landing structures. I am ** very ** careful to make clear that anything I publish with an AI source is clearly indicated. The article that OF1939 found may have been generated by a human hoping to create "clickbait". If that was the case, it seems to have worked.
Regarding the blocks ... that appears to be a real concept with real on-Earth research and development.
My question for you is: Would that concept work if there were multiple layers of brick, with non-overlapping seams?
I am mindful of your Texas engineering recommendation for strong roads, but that is not an option here.
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#659 2026-10-02 15:33:21
- GW Johnson
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- From: McGregor, Texas USA
- Registered: 2011-12-04
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
Multiple layers of bricks with non-overlapping joints does help, but not as much as we might wish, until the bricks are glued together in some way. The load only spreads at the angle from brick to brick vertically, if not bonded together. You need a lot of layers (many dozens) to spread it enough to put concentrated loads onto soft dirt.
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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#660 2026-10-04 19:29:00
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
The link below is to GW Johnson's paper on Moon Lander...
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nbna7k4w … cz4vu&dl=0
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#661 2026-10-11 12:35:55
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
This is for GW Johnson ... it may be of interest to NewMars readers...
GW is working on lander designs. A lander to put NASA's goal of 40 tons on Mars would require a diameter of 15.5 meters.
I asked Google Search about Chinese plans, and learned they have a rocket in the works that could handle the larger lander.
Question about Chinese space launch capability: What is the largest diameter vessel capable of reachin LEO - looking for 7.5 meter diameter inside shroud
No currently operational Chinese launch vehicle possesses a 7.5-meter internal diameter shroud. China's largest active rocket, the Long March 5, is limited to a 5.2-meter fairing diameter.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
However, China is actively developing a super heavy-lift launch vehicle that will significantly exceed your 7.5-meter requirement:
? Future Capability: Long March 9 (CZ-9)The Long March 9 is China's upcoming super heavy-lift rocket designed for crewed lunar and Martian missions. Recent infrastructure blueprints from the Wenchang factory reveal that it has transitioned to a 10.6-meter core diameter and will sport a massive 15-to-16-meter diameter payload fairing.
Wikipedia
+2
Status: In active development (targeting a maiden flight in the early 2030s).
LEO Capacity: 150,000 kg (150 metric tons).Shroud Internal Space: With an external diameter of 15+ meters, its internal usable clearance will easily accommodate vessels well over 7.5 meters wide.
China in Space
+2
⚖️ Comparison of Large Chinese Launch Vehicles
Rocket Model Core Diameter Max Fairing Diameter LEO Payload Capacity Operational Status
Long March 5 5.0 m 5.2 m ~25,000 kg Active
Long March 10 series 5.0 m 5.0 m – 6.2 m 14,000 kg – 70,000 kg Active / In Testing (First flight 2026)
New Reusable Medium-Class ~7.0 m TBD (~7.5 m) 25,000 kg – 50,000 kg In Development (Spotted via 2026 manufacturing tenders)
Long March 9 10.6 m 15.0 m – 16.0 m 150,000 kg In Development (Targeting ~2033)If you are looking to launch a payload requiring a 7.5-meter clearance in the near term, Chinese launch options cannot currently support it, and Western alternatives like SpaceX's Starship (9-meter fairing) would be required. In the long term, the Long March 9 is China's designated solution for payloads of that scale.
China in Space
+1
If you would like, I can provide more details on the expected timeline for the Long March 9 or details regarding the volume restrictions of the upcoming 7-meter rocket family.Wikipedia
Long March 9
Table_title: CZ-9 Table_content: | Mock-up of the Long March 9 rocket at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow | Mock-up of the Long March 9 roc...SpaceNews
China appears to be developing 7-meter-diameter reusable rockets - SpaceNews
Evidence: CASC tank-dome welding system tender, Paixin Aviation shipment of 7.5-meter stainless steel ring, and Hainan launch site...Wikipedia
Long March 10 - Wikipedia
1:10 scale model of the Long March 10 at the National Museum of China. Function. 10: Super heavy-lift launch vehicle; 10A: Medium-
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#662 2026-10-12 17:13:21
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
For GW Johnson re cargo delivery from orbit ....
Just FYI .... https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 87#p242087
Update: ChatGPT just completed generation of a Blender model of Dr. Johnson's lander design.
The procedure started with pdf files created by Dr Johnson that included images. These were used as input to a process that created a Bill of Materials and a Python program designed to create a .blend input file.
I sent the Bill of Materials on to Texas, and opened the model in Blender.
The model will need to be adjusted. For example the engines are under the payload platform instead of above, but ChatGPT tells me that will be easy to fix in the Python script.
I sent a screen shot of the model to Texas as well. A variety of structural elements that GW has described in his documents show up in the model.
The variety of pipes and beams that were specified seem to be present. I see pipes and other shapes in various places, as called for.
Nothing proprietary will be exposed in these public reports, of course.
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#663 Yesterday 11:55:10
- tahanson43206
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Re: GW Johnson Postings and @Exrocketman1 YouTube videos
For GW Johnson....
The report at the link below is about ChatGPT creating Blueprints ready for inspection ... I've only scanned the article so am unsure of how far ChatGPT has progressed, but this development may be pertinent to your current design work.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/ai/deals/art … 59955.html
TechCrunch
This AI startup says it can generate permit-ready blueprints in minutes
Kirsten Korosec
Updated Mon, October 12, 2026 at 11:27 AM EDTBlueprints AI Founders
Al Dram and Coco Cao | Image Credits:Blueprints AI
Nearly two decades ago, a young college student wrote his final thesis about software capable of generating design documents for school buildings. Al Dram was studying architecture — following in the footsteps of his parents and grandfather — but it was technology that really intrigued him.
There was just one problem: The technology his idea required didn't exist yet.
"Then ChatGPT came along," said Dram, recalling when OpenAI released the generative AI chatbot that uses large language models (LLMs) in November 2022.
AdvertisementHis old idea suddenly seemed a lot more possible. Within six months, he launched the concept of Blueprints AI, a startup that uses AI to produce code-compliant and permit-ready architectural construction blueprints in minutes from a 2D sketch or PDF.
Blueprints AI, which Dram officially incorporated in 2025 in Santa Monica with co-founder Coco Cao, was selected for the 2026 Startup Battlefield 200, a cohort of promising early-stage startups that have earned a spot to exhibit at this year's TechCrunch Disrupt, taking place this week from October 13 to 15 in San Francisco.
During that 20-year lead-up to Blueprints AI, Dram earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture from the University of Tehran and completed two years of PhD coursework on digital design at the European Graduate School in Switzerland. He moved to the United States and opened an architecture firm in 2018 called Drams Design-Build. Then, after obtaining a general contractor's license, he added a construction business in 2021.
Dram should have been satisfied. He wasn't.
"I was saying, okay, maybe I can build new projects that change people's life in that area, but it wouldn't be a big impact," he said. "What makes me very excited about technology is the impact, the hours saved, the energy saved of people doing the same thing over and over and over."
Blueprints AI will unveil a more capable second-generation version of its software at Disrupt. Dram and Cao say it will make a big impact because it takes over the repetitive drafting work that fills most of an architect's day.
"It will make better spaces for people because now architects have the time to design," said Dram. He said architects spend about 80% of their time on drafting and only 20% on design. "I want to flip that to be 20-80."
Dram and Cao met at an AI conference several years ago and combined their skills to build the company. Cao, a data scientist from Hong Kong, handles sales and go-to-market strategy as chief commercial officer.
The pair trained their models using eight years of approved drawing sets from Dram's design and construction firm, which is still in business.
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