[Jeff Guidry]

Surprised no one else brought this up.

NASA successfully struck a comet and recorded the results, to learn more about what comets are made of. Anybody that follow this sort of thing have thoughts?

www.nasa.gov

 

[Edwood]

Given the project'a name it would be perfectly ironic if the collision altered the course for hitting Earth.

I went to JPL's Open House, and they had a display with info about the mission.

-Ed

 

[D-EJ915]

Haha, my mom saw "fireworks in the sky" in the newspaper and thought there was some accident or something like that.

 

[KYTGuy]

We were on the front deck, with Binocs and star charts...hazy night, with the city lights poisoning our night sky...I am convinced we were loooking in the right direction, but we didn't pick it up...

I was SURE that the networks would have coverage, so went in and turned on the telly - only one network even so much as mentioned it, and NOBODY had coverage/footage...bummer!

I had convinced some of my distant friends to come west over the mountains, and we had an epic party anyway...that night, and last night (the 4th of July)...

Still think it is a shame that there was no news about the feat of hitting a bullet with a bullet three times farther than the distance to our sun...Cool Stuff!!

I came inside, and with the help of my friend Goooogle, was chagrined to find that the best writeup was in a Brit Paper, The Register..(of course, I was looking for in-depth article within a few minutes of the event.)...

 

[Czilla9000]

My dad works for NASA (JPL in particular...which is technically a private enterprise and is part of CalTech..but nevertheless it is considered part of NASA).

Is there anything you guys want to know?

 

[Usagi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Czilla9000 My dad works for NASA (JPL in particular...which is technically a private enterprise and is part of CalTech..but nevertheless it is considered part of NASA). Is there anything you guys want to know?

Yes, I have some questions:

1.Is NASA really prepared to restart shuttle missions? Do they really have a failproof plan to replace multiple heatshield tiles in orbit if damaged?

2.The system they developed is too expensive. Why haven't they come up with an alternative, cheaper vehicle? When NASA first developed the orbitor, they estimated posible shuttle launches twice a week. What is it now (pre-2003)? 1 launch every couple of months.

3. Does NASA have any "Good Minds" left? It seems they have been riding on the coattails of the brilliant minds of the 1950s/60s.

 

[KYTGuy]

To all who were put off by my arrogance, I apologize...I will attempt not to appear so here again. SORRY JUDE!!

Usagi - I eat breakfast every wednesday with an extraordinary group of Military men, several of whom worked on NASA big budget programs...APOLLO and CASSINI to name just a few...they are now retired, but they often go back to JPL or NASA events, and are still "in the Know".

They are optimistic for the future - they are always coming back and speaking on the future - looks exciting and fun and interesting and more importantly, EXPANDING to them...not necessarily in the GOV'T programs - they point to DCX and SpaceShipOne programs, and there are a few booster Privateers that are pointing toward first full-scale launches also...

The shuttle was a poor compromise in some ways, the tiles are one of the most indicative - at the inception of the program, the designers wanted to use titanium skin, that would be annealed each time the thing reentered, it is lighter and stronger...at that time, U.S.S.R. was sitting on 95% of the Titanium supply, and wasn't letting us have enough, and were keeping the price too high, so we had to make a cheaper, weaker, much heavier solution - thus the aluminum structure, covered with more tiles than would have been required in the "Proper" design...thus were the seeds of our second disaster sown...everybody knows what happens when you make a flying thing cheaper weaker and heavier - comes a point where.....

The race to space is getting privatized - (Bless you, Paul Allen, and others), and NASA has gotten the message about cheaper, faster, smarter....(seems that the smarter part came along a little more slowly)and hey - there are a lot of new faces at the game - Rule #1 sez: Competition Improves The Breed.

It is happenin' - More shekels are being spent on more projects in more places in the world by more scientists with more knowledge than ever before on solving the cost to orbit problem. the pace is picking up, not slacking.

I was just born too ********ing early, and won't live long enough to make it off this dirtball, darnit!!!

 

[Jahn]

I read in the papers that a Astrologist (Astrology, not Astronomy) was suing NASA for 300,000 for ruining her livelihood - apparently whacking that rock in space threw off all her heavenly calculations by a minute degree since it was whacked off course JUST a bit - resulting in all her predictions being whacked. That's alot of recalculations of fortunes according to her...

 

[Bill Ward]

I think the actualy complaint was that NASA's comet impact "ruins the natural balance of forces in the universe," which is a fairly serious matter if you stop and think about it.

I'd say her demand for $300 million in compensation is hardly adequate.

BW

 

[PITTM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Ward I think the actualy complaint was that NASA's comet impact "ruins the natural balance of forces in the universe," which is a fairly serious matter if you stop and think about it. I'd say her demand for $300 million in compensation is hardly adequate. BW

that post you made totally ruined the balance of the forces in my universe, will you compensate me?

rj

 

[Bill Ward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PITTM that post you made totally ruined the balance of the forces in my universe, will you compensate me? rj

Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with all inquiries.

BW

 

[Clown12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Usagi Yes, I have some questions: 1.Is NASA really prepared to restart shuttle missions? Do they really have a failproof plan to replace multiple heatshield tiles in orbit if damaged? 2.The system they developed is too expensive. Why haven't they come up with an alternative, cheaper vehicle? When NASA first developed the orbitor, they estimated posible shuttle launches twice a week. What is it now (pre-2003)? 1 launch every couple of months. 3. Does NASA have any "Good Minds" left? It seems they have been riding on the coattails of the brilliant minds of the 1950s/60s.

1. Yes, it's happening in a few hours (10:39am 26-jul eastern), and yes they have some fix/escape plans, but for this flight "they're working on it"
2. I think they are working on a new manned vehicle, and I'd like to find some links about it too.
3. Interesting question, I guess it relates to how people are perceived after the cold war, or maybe simply with so many more inventions around now.

At least they have some minds working on streaming nasa tv

 

[KYTGuy]

Sent my Daughter off to Space Academy a few years ago, at Huntsville, Alabama (Mission Control) facility, and when she came home, she had been issued a CD with a lot of inside news, part of which was new projects..maybe you can find a way to purchase the updated version from NASA - had a nice presentation of a lot of the future projects...has been pretty accurate so far.